Key Account Manager

MAIN PURPOSE

The job holder is the main contact for designated international accounts and is responsible for handling and coordinating all types of customer requests. The job holder maintains long-term relationships with our customers and maximizes sales opportunities. The Key Account Manager collaborates with all technical internal divisions within the respective production plants to guarantee optimal customer satisfaction.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Develop and maintain strong long-term relationships with current customers and optimize customer satisfaction.

• Development and achievement of sales through the direct sales channel.
• Managing key accounts and solicitating new business in the petroleum industry across Southern Africa as well as operational tasks related to the broader business.
• Acts as the key interface between our customers and all relevant internal divisions to meet account performance objectives and customer expectations.
• Elaborate business plans and article calculations.
• Managing any launches of products, trials – making sure we meet launch date.
• Manage customer pricing cycle, negotiate where necessary and ensure the correct price levels are achieved.
• Generate prices for overhead costs/ raw materials etc for existing petroleum customers using existing Matrix model.
• Maximize sales and profitability by ensuring that correct pricing levels are achieved.
• Participates in and manage tenders/RFQs and follow up actions (prices, offers, negotiations, project follow-ups etc.)
• Participate in and manage contract negotiation from business award to conclusion i.e. signed contract, service level agreements.
• Participate in weekly Sales and Operational Planning meetings.
• Conduct business reviews from time to time (performance reviews).
• Keeping up to date with market trend and competitor activity.
• Meet assigned targets for profitable sales volume and strategic objectives in assigned accounts.
• Proactively assess, clarify and validate customer needs on an ongoing basis.
• Lead solution development efforts that best address customer needs.
• Prepare the annual sales budget and report back on the progress against budget on monthly basis.
• Presentations for customers + sales team on new projects.
• Traveling to my customers for high level meetings.
• Following up on overdue payments of accounts.
• Based on the Business Process Management (BPM) processes the job holder is responsible for:

REQUIREMENTS

• Completed technical or commercial bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in Sales/Marketing/Economics
• +4 years of experience in Key Account Management or equivalent
• An affinity for numbers and technical aspects of product manufacture
• Enthusiasm for a demanding industrial product and technical understanding of the packaging industry, ideally plastic packaging