Account Manager

Job Description

Experienced Account Manager required for leading engineering and manufacturing company in Plymouth. Reporting to the Internal Sales & Planning Manager the successful candidate will be responsible for managing a portfolio of primary and secondary customeraccounts.SAP knowledge is key.Key Responsibilities - Account Management:

• Operate as the point of contact for assigned customers.
• Develop and maintain effective long-term relationships with accounts.
• Organise and attend regular customer review meetings, setting effective agendas and producing and circulating customer visit reports, involving other internal team members as required.
• Coordinate with staff members working on the same account to ensure a consistent service level.
• Make sure customers receive requested products and services in a timely fashion.
• Communicate customer needs and demands internally and follow up on progress.
• Track the strategic progress of account management improvements against the business plan, working hard to meet set goals and deliver projects on time, while appropriately escalating any roadblocks.
• Responsible for SAP master data accuracy and maintaining SAP Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Analyse and present forecast to actual data.
• Track customer account metrics, such as forecast accuracy, SLA adherence, quality score and On Time In Full (OTIF) using the customer scorecard approach.
• Prepare accurate forecast information for the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process, based on customer and market information, past performance and the sales pipeline.
• Regularly obtain and update customer forecast information. Appropriately challenge forecast deviation and work with the customer to improve forecast accuracy and product availability.
• Prepare, coordinate and maintain SLAs and distributor agreements for existing business. Use SLAs to drive correct processes and outcomes between customer and client, including stock holding agreements.
• Manage Phase In / Out (PIPO) process ensuring inventory is appropriately managed with the customer and materials team to eliminate deadstock.
• Regularly review inventory and sell overstock and / or deadstock through the appropriate channels.
• Monitor and proactively manage payment issues for accounts within area of responsibility, including proforma, overdue invoices and credit issues Work with the customer to establish "win-win" payment agreements.
• Set and agree pricing structures,
• Manage customer related projects, working to meet customer goals while meeting company goals to enable a win-win working environment.
• Coordinate NPI process from prototype approval through to SOP, working with all internal stakeholders and the customer. Project manage where applicable.
• Proactively gain and improve product & technical knowledge to enable confident and informed customer conversations around product specifications.

Key Responsibilities - Administrative Support:

• Enter orders in SAP in accordance with company procedure and in line with capacity and material availability.
• Enter forecasts in SAP in line with account management requirements and provide forecast detail to Account Manager.
• Monitor line type 4 forecasts and request customer orders as required.
• Extend line type 8 forecasts in SAP, liaising with Account Managers for accurate long-term forecast information.
• Add and amend company forecast in line with Account Manager Requirements.
• Raise customer change requests through the order change process.
• Action held orders in line with process and escalate roadblocks as required.
• Enter SAP new parts in Lotus Notes and SAP as require
• Work closely with the planning and materials teams to ensure timely order confirmation.
• CFA sheet completion in line with Account Management requirements.
• Raise proforma invoices in line with proforma process.
• Provide accurate price and delivery (lead time) information to customers.
• Raise credit notes.
• Produce quotes and SPRs in line with Account Manager Requirement and manage in SAP.
• Input and maintain pricing in SAP.
• Respond professionally and within a short timescale to customer enquiries, redirecting internally as required.
• Liaise with internal departments to provide customer information.
• Input and maintain customer master data in SAP and CRM.

Essential Experience, Knowledge and Candidate Attributes required:

• Experience working primary and secondary Accounts in their entirety, based within a manufacturing or engineering environment.
• Key in building relationships with all stakeholders.
• Client focused solutions experience.
• Excellent Presentation skills.
• Excellent Negotiation and influencing skills. Must be an effective listener and possess the capability to succinctly make issues / problems transparent.
• Must be able to effectively work across organisational boundaries and influence all levels to deliver breakthrough results.
• The ability to communicate client needs back to the business.
• The ability to interrogate and present data, coupled with advanced Excel knowledge using formulae and pivot tables.
• Previous experience with ERP and CRM systems.
• Demonstrable successful project management experience.
• The ability to effectively set and change priorities.
• Must respond proactively rather than reactively in all aspects of work.

This is a Maternity Cover position with a possible fixed term permanent contract for the successful candidate.

Keyskills :
SAP