Sales Manager Key Account at Tenneco

Product Manager

Responsible for managing the product throughout the product life cycle from planning to execution in support of organizational strategy and objectives.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Sales

• Responsible for achieving the AOP for allocated customer base;
• Develop and maintain customer relationships within the key account, with regular communication to the customer management team;
• Coordinate and develop commercial and promotional ideas for business growth with the marketing team;
• Maintain interaction between all internal stakeholders and the relevant Customers;
• Analyze customer portfolio in terms of potential, needs, development, further cross-selling and demand for pull activities;
• Manage and oversee the forecast process between Supply Chain, Product Management and the Customer;

Key account proactive management & reviews

• Establish, organize and drive a peer-to-peer contact relationship between each key support function of the customer and those of the company (General Management, IT, Logistics, Mktg, finance) in order to focus the whole organization to provide solutions that ensure a long term sustainable growth for the company;
• Take responsibility for active management for the rollout   of initiatives such as the warranty portal and online ordering through TECOM and other programs that may be introduced from time to time;

Customer Management

• Manage margins at overall account level, in line with Budget;
• Identify potential risks within customer base, and recommend preventative action;
• Manage account administration;
• Conduct and record monthly, quarterly and annual business reviews with customers;
• Ensure customers are consistently updated with regard to rebate and marketing accrual tracking;
• Ensure trading terms are updated on an annual basis, in line with company strategy;

Pricing

• Participate in the price setting process;
• Manage the PAR process where discounts have been approved either by the Sales Director, Managing Director and/or the RCC;
• Follow-up on price increase acceptance at key customers;

Marketing & New Product Information

• Organizing marketing, promotions, incentive programs, seminars, training in conjunction with the brand, marketing, product management and Garage Guru teams;
• Cost and product reviews with product teams/plans;
• Gather data and maintain SOW file for each customer;
• Identify growth opportunities and ensure that a plan is developed and included in growth opportunity pipeline;
• Update and maintain the customer risk register;
• Make effective use of Gap Analysis to develop and grow product ranges with each customer;
• Coordinate and lead NPI discussions regularly;
• Actively develop broader range of product portfolio throughout Key accounts network;

PRODUCT MANAGER

• Product Planning and Management
• Manage projects relating to product lines responsibility;
• Successful delivery of projects to meet deadlines;
• Define long term strategy of the product and create a product roadmap;
• Prepare product documents, including market requirement documents and product use cases to drive product activity;
• Manage and communicate with cross functional teams;
• Identify opportunities for product innovation and enhancements;
• Review SOW data with KAMs and work on plans to increase SOW with each customer;
• Monitor product inventory;
• Role out VSS process for the product category;

Range Management

• Product positioning & coverage strategy;
• Monthly Product reviews, as per schedule;
• New Product Introduction (NPI) management;
• Monitor and maintain a comprehensive vehicle database;
• PMD interaction duties with X-Checker;
• Analyze and identify gaps in the existing product offering;
• Identify new vehicle data for range additions;
• Recommend sources of supply;
• Communicate market requirement and guide development, collaborating with internal customers for relevant material and information for an intelligent and timely market introduction;
• Communicate new developments to market at the set intervals in the agreed format;
• Analyse and monitor the product life cycle per part number, timeously make recommendations;
• Review and update stock categories and sales categories regularly;
• Make pricing recommendations and adjustments;
• Review obsolescence and excess stock monthly, preparing sales lists for the sales team with recommended pricing;
• Review and maintain monthly/annual sales forecasts per line item with sales KAMs;

Education/ Experience/ Skills:

• Minimum/Essential: Grade 12, preferably Bachelors degree in Sales & Marketing or similar;
• Minimum/Essential: 5-10 year experience in the automotive sector, preferably automotive business, especially spare parts Aftermarket or OES;
• Minimum 7 years experience in Sales;
• Minimum/Essential: +5 years product / data/ business and project management experience in a variety of roles;
• Minimum 3 years experience in product management
• Flexibility and fast reaction to the internal and external changes;
• Demonstrable Ability for sales and negotiation, with proven track-record of meeting or beating assigned targets and deadlines consistently;
• Ability to travel extensively, work independently and learn continuously;
• MS office, XLS, PPT, BW, SAP, Power BI;
• Superior written and oral communication skills with ability to write clear market-driven product communications;
• Quantitative and business analysis skills;
• Knowledge of business and management principles and practices;
• Project Management skills;
• Strong customer orientation;
• Management skills;
• Language skills: English plus one other South African language;