Regional Key Account Manager - Automotive

DP World; Midrand; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

DP World Africa is seeking a Regional Key Account Manager to drive profitable growth for Industrial & Chemicals customers. You will lead account plans, collaborate with global teams, and unlock opportunities across our end-to-end capabilities and footprint. The role requires 8+ years in strategic accounts and a Bachelor’s degree in a related field.

You will coordinate governance, revenue planning, and action follow-ups with regional and global stakeholders to deliver measurable value.

Qualifications

• Minimum a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Transport, Logistics or a related field.
• At least 8 years’ relevant experience in transport, logistics, freight forwarding or a comparable B2B services industry managing regional or global strategic accounts.
• Significant experience in strategic account management, business development or sales, including responsibility for customer growth and retention.
• Experience working across functions to develop customer solutions and deliver commercial outcomes.
• Experience in the Industrials & Chemicals industry.
• Working knowledge of commercial contracts, tenders, renewals and related contractual requirements.
• Strategic Key Account Management: develops and applies account plans aligning customer priorities with commercial objectives.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute account strategies to support profitable revenue growth, retention and expansion of assigned strategic customers.
• Collaborate with customers and DP World teams to identify fit-for-purpose solutions addressing customer needs.
• Identify opportunities to grow DP World capabilities, services and geographic coverage for each customer.
• Gather and communicate forecasts, volume changes and demand requirements to support planning.
• Coordinate governance, performance reviews and actions to demonstrate value delivered to customers.

Skills

Strategic account management

Business development

Sales

Customer relationship management

Cross-functional collaboration

Governance and risk management

Commercial acumen

Market insight

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Transport, Logistics or related field

Job description

To drive sustainable, profitable growth and long-term retention of DP World’s strategic customers across the Industrials & Chemicals vertical in the Africa Region. The Regional Key Account Manager leads the development of revenue growth and execution of customer strategies, unlocks opportunities across DP World’s end-to-end capabilities and geographic footprint, and mobilises regional stakeholders and collaborates with Global stakeholders to deliver differentiated solutions and measurable value for customers and DP World.

Key Performance Areas (KPAs)

Strategic Account Growth and Retention:

• Develop and execute account strategies that support profitable revenue growth, contract retention and expansion of DP World’s relationship with assigned strategic customers in Industrials & Chemicals industry.
• Work collaboratively with customers and relevant DP World teams to identify fit-for-purpose solutions that address customer needs and create sustainable value for both parties.
• Identify opportunities to grow the range of DP World capabilities, services and geographic coverage used by each customer, in line with approved targets and commercial strategy.
• Gather and communicate relevant customer forecasts, volume changes, and emerging demand requirements to support operational and capacity planning.
• Monitor relevant market, industry and competitor developments affecting assigned accounts, and share insights that may inform account strategy, customer solutions and commercial positioning.

Account Planning and Customer Insight:

• Develop and maintain structured, actionable account plans in collaboration with account owners, sponsors, commercial sales, operations and relevant functional teams.
• Maintain an understanding of each customer’s strategy, organisation, wider business network and partners, operating model, financial and service requirements, decision‑making processes, buying criteria, risks and opportunities.
• Monitor relevant customer and market trends, identify emerging concerns, and communicate them promptly to the appropriate DP World stakeholders.
• Act as the Voice of the Customer by capturing and sharing customer feedback, emerging needs and solution gaps with relevant DP World teams. Coordinate actions and communicate outcomes back to the customer.
• Ensure relevant DP World teams are aligned on account priorities, customer commitments and agreed ways of working; share account plans and customer context with stakeholders as appropriate.
• Ensure tender calendars, QBR calendars are maintained and up to date

Customer Relationship and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Build and maintain trusted, long‑term relationships with assigned customers at strategic, commercial, and operational levels.
• Build effective connections between customer stakeholders and the relevant DP World teams to support alignment and coordinated engagement.
• Coordinate key customer engagements with the appropriate DP World stakeholders and work with account owners and sponsors to engage customer decision‑makers and influencers.

Governance, Service Alignment and Customer Outcomes:

• Establish and maintain appropriate customer governance and communication plans.
• Coordinate strategic and commercial reviews and ensure that decisions, commitments, risks and follow‑up actions are recorded, assigned and progressed.
• Understand customer challenges and issues, coordinate follow‑up with the responsible DP World teams, and ensure issues are managed and escalated through agreed channels and processes.
• Coordinate customer performance reporting against agreed service and commercial measures, identify trends and gaps, and use business reviews to agree on actions and demonstrate value delivered. Work with operational leaders to address service issues and improvement opportunities.

Opportunity and Pipe‑Line Management:

• Identify, qualify and progress current and future opportunities within assigned accounts, including cross‑capability, cross‑geographic and cross‑regional opportunities.
• Ensure leads and opportunities are qualified, recorded in the designated CRM and routed promptly to the appropriate commercial representative, with clear ownership and follow‑up.
• Maintain accurate opportunity information, including value, stage, probability, expected timing and next steps.

Tenders, Renewals and Commercial Agreements:

• Lead or coordinate renewal planning for assigned customers, working with relevant commercial, operational and functional teams to protect retention, address customer requirements and secure timely renewal decisions. Identify and coordinate participation in relevant tenders and RFQs.
• Support the development of customer solutions and commercial proposals, manage the commercial relationship and support negotiations within delegated authority and approved commercial processes.
• As required, support the DP World Africa Region and Business Units in engaging senior customer stakeholders to address overdue payments, credit exposure and related delays, in accordance with applicable credit‑control and escalation processes.

Global Account Alignment and Collaboration:

• Collaborate closely with relevant Global Account Managers, and DP World stakeholders to align regional account plans, customer engagement and commercial activities with the global commercial and account strategy and objectives.
• Provide timely, accurate updates on regional account revenue performance, customer developments, risks and opportunities, and coordinate regional actions to support consistent customer management and delivery of agreed commercial growth targets priorities.

Qualifications Required

• Minimum a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Transport, Logistics or a related field.

Skills and Experience Required

• At least 8 years’ relevant experience in transport, logistics, freight forwarding or a comparable business‑to‑business services industry managing regional or global strategic accounts.
• Significant experience in strategic account management, business development or sales, including responsibility for customer growth and retention.
• Proven ability to develop customer relationships, identify and progress commercial opportunities, and negotiate or manage customer agreements.
• Experience working across functions to develop customer solutions and deliver commercial outcomes.
• Experience in the Industrials & Chemicals industry.
• Working knowledge of commercial contracts, tenders, renewals and related contractual requirements.
• Strategic Key Account Management: Demonstrates in‑depth knowledge of strategic account management principles, tools and practices. Develops and applies account plans that align customer priorities with commercial objectives, including revenue growth, retention, cross‑selling and expansion across services and geographies.
• Customer and Stakeholder Relationship Management: Builds trusted, long‑term relationships with customer stakeholders at strategic, commercial and operational levels. Understands customer structures, networks, priorities and decision‑making processes, and connects the right customer stakeholders with relevant internal teams.
• Commercial Acumen and Opportunity Development: Understands customer, market and competitive dynamics and translates insight into qualified commercial opportunities. Evaluates potential value, risks and probability of success, and supports the development of customer solutions and commercial agreements that create sustainable value for both parties.
• Customer and Market Insight: Analyses account history, customer feedback, performance data, forecasts and market developments to identify trends, risks and opportunities. Uses insight to inform account strategies, anticipate customer needs and recommend appropriate actions.
• Cross‑functional Collaboration and Influence: Works effectively across various stakeholder groups and support functions to align priorities and coordinate customer solutions. Influences stakeholders, builds commitment and supports consistent delivery of account plans and customer commitments.
• Governance, Performance and Execution: Applies effective account governance, reporting and performance‑management practices. Understands service‑level agreements, customer metrics, escalation processes and commercial requirements, and follows through on actions to address performance gaps, manage risk and demonstrate value delivered.
• Confidentiality - Protects confidential company, customer and commercial information at all times, handling, using and sharing it only with authorised persons and in accordance with DP World policies and applicable data‑protection requirements
• This role requires travel as needed to meet customers, support regional and global account activities, and collaborate with DP World teams across the assigned area. Travel may include domestic and international trips, subject to business requirements.

About DP World

Trade is the lifeblood of the global economy, creating opportunities and improving the quality of life for people around the world. DP World exists to make the world’s trade flow better, changing what’s possible for the customers and communities we serve globally.

With a dedicated, diverse and professional team of more than 111,000 employees from 159 nationalities, spanning 77 countries on six continents, DP World is pushing trade further and faster towards a seamless supply chain that’s fit for the future.

We’re rapidly transforming and integrating our businesses -- Ports and Terminals, Marine Services, Logistics and Technology – and uniting our global infrastructure with local expertise to create stronger, more efficient end‑to‑end supply chain solutions that can change the way the world trades.

What’s more, we’re reshaping the future by investing in innovation. From intelligent delivery systems to automated warehouse stacking, we’re at the cutting edge of disruptive technology, pushing the sector towards better ways to trade, minimising disruptions from the factory floor to the customer’s door.

DP World is on a mission to transcend boundaries and bridge the gap between all nations and cultures – not just in what we do but also in how we behave.

We are dedicated to creating a culture where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential. We believe that embracing inclusion and diversity, drives innovation and growth and helps us connect people, businesses, and societies. Free minds and different perspectives are changing our world, and together we can change what’s possible.

WE MAKE TRADE FLOW TO CHANGE WHAT'S POSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE.

EEO Statement

DP World is committed to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO). We strongly believe that employing a diverse workforce is central to our success and we make recruiting decisions based on your experience and skills. We welcome applications from all members of society irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion, or belief.

By submitting your resume and application information, you authorize DP World to transmit and store your information in the world-wide recruitment database, and to circulate that information as necessary for the purpose of evaluating your qualifications for this or other job vacancies.