Customer Relationship Manager

We are seeking a Commercial and Customer Relationship Manager for a permanent position at an automotive company based in Durban.

Key Responsibilities:

• Responsible for building strong customer relationships, identifying new business opportunities and supporting sustainable revenue growth.
• Must be highly credible and commercially astute individual who can build strong relationships at multiple levels within customer organisations, develop an extensive professional network and act as a trusted commercial partner to our key customers.
• Must combine excellent interpersonal and communication skills with commercial acumen and have the ability to lead and develop a small commercial team.
• The position requires a highly visible, customer-focused individual who is comfortable engaging with senior management, customers, suppliers and internal stakeholders and who can represent the Company professionally in all interactions.
• Develop, maintain and strengthen strategic relationships with existing and prospective customers.
• Establish strong relationships at multiple levels with the customers, from purchasing teams through to senior management and executive stakeholders.
• Proactively identify customer concerns and ensure timely resolution through the appropriate internal support functions.
• Establish the Company as a trusted and preferred supplier/strategic business partner.
• Conduct regular customer visits to maintain strong customer engagement and networking.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities aligned with the Company’s strategic objectives and core competencies.
• Build and maintain a strong commercial and industry network.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activity, customer strategies and emerging opportunities.
• Work closely with engineering, operations, finance and project management to ensure commercial proposals are both competitive and executable.
• Understand product costing, pricing structures, margins.
• Participate in commercial negotiations with customers.
• Represent the Company at industry events, conferences, customer forums and networking platforms i.e, Naacam.
• Stay informed on industry developments, localisation opportunities, technology trends and changes in customer requirements.
• Ensure all written communication is accurate, clear, commercially appropriate and professionally presented.

Essential

Skills Required:

• Exceptional customer & relationship management
• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship building skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong ability to establish trust and credibility quickly.
• Comfortable engaging with customers at senior management and executive level.
• Strong customer-service orientation.
• Ability to manage difficult customer situations professionally and constructively.
• Ability to communicate complex commercial issues clearly and concisely.
• Excellent presentation and negotiation skills.

Minimum Qualifications &

Experience:

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Business Management, Commerce, Marketing, Engineering or a related discipline.
• Minimum 5 to 8 years commercial, sales, business development or customer relationship management experience.
• Proven experience managing key customer relationships.
• Demonstrated success in developing new business and/or growing existing customer accounts.
• Experience dealing with OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers or large corporate customers would be highly advantageous.
• Strong MS Office and presentation skills.
• Valid driver’s licence and willingness to travel.
• The ideal candidate must be a high-energy, commercially minded relationship builder who enjoys being in front of customers and creating opportunities.
• They should be someone who can walk into a customer’s organisation, quickly establish credibility, understand the customer’s business and identify opportunities to create value.