Key Account Manager

Location

Germany , Mannheim(Frequent travel to customer sites / manufacturing locations / Engineering center France)

Head of AVS Sales Europe

The Key Account Manager (KAM) is responsible for developing, managing, and growing strategic business relationships with German automotive OEMs such as Volkswagen Group, Audi and Porsche
.

The role focuses on securing new business opportunities, increasing revenue and profitability, coordinating customer programs, and ensuring customer satisfaction throughout the product lifecycle.

The KAM serves as the primary commercial interface between the customer and internal AVS functions including engineering, purchasing, program management, operations, quality, and finance.

• Develop and execute strategic account plans for assigned German OEM customers.
• Identify and secure new business opportunities aligned with company growth objectives.
• Lead commercial negotiations for RFQs, contracts, pricing, tooling, and long-term agreements.
• Revenue responsibility for assigned key customers within AVS Europe
• Monitor market trends, competitor activities, and customer product strategies.
• Drive annual sales growth and profitability targets.

• Build strong executive-level relationships within OEM purchasing, engineering, quality, and program management teams.
• Act as the primary contact for customer commercial matters.
• Maintain regular customer visits and review meetings.
• Develop customer intimacy and understand future platform and vehicle development roadmaps.

• Support launch activities for new programs from quotation through serial production.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure customer requirements are met.
• Monitor program milestones, risks, and customer expectations.
• Participate in engineering reviews and change management processes.

• Prepare and present business cases, quotations in collaboration with costing and engineering teams.
• Negotiate annual productivity agreements and cost recovery claims.
• Manage commercial escalations regarding pricing, quality, logistics, and engineering changes.
• Ensure achievement of margin and contribution targets.

• Creation and responsibility for operative planning (budget) of assigned customers within AVS Europe
• Analyze customer sourcing strategies and future vehicle programs.
• Support acquisition plans for EV, hybrid, and next-generation mobility platforms.
• Maintain accurate sales forecasts and pipeline reporting.

• Work closely with:
  • Engineering
  • Project Management
  • Operations
  • Quality
  • Purchasing
  • Finance
  • Supply Chain
• Coordinate customer requirements across all business functions.
• Ensure timely communication of customer expectations and changes.

• New business awards (€).
• Annual revenue of assigned customers within AVS Europe
• Gross margin achievement.
• RFQ conversion rate.
• Customer satisfaction score.
• Quote response time.
• Launch performance and program success.
• Customer growth in line with AVS strategic roadmap
• EBIT contribution.

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in:
  • Business Administration
  • Engineering
  • Automotive Engineering
  • Industrial Management
  • Related field

• 5–10+ years of sales or key account management experience in the Automotive industry.
• Experience with Tier-1 Automotive suppliers preferred.
• Strong knowledge of automotive development processes (APQP, PPAP, RFQ, SOP).
• Experience in EV/BEV projects is an advantage.

• Fluent German (mandatory).
• Additional European languages are a plus.

• Strategic selling
• Pricing management
• Financial analysis

• Experience in Automotive AVS be a plus
• Manufac…