Technical Service Manager Africa, ME&P at bp

Job Description:

• Responsible for providing technical support related to BP/Castrol products, solutions and their applications - including resolving technical problems.
• Become Castrol’s technology ambassadors in the assigned markets and secure close top partnership with key customers, prospects and Distributors to drive top and bottom line growth through deep involvement in key accounts management plans, distributors performance management and cross/up selling activities
• Support the sales team in prospect and pipeline management as the expert as per the agreed technical offer framework for the market.

Key Accountabilities

• Acting and behaving according to Castrol Global Business Principles, Code of Conduct, HSE standards and rules
• Responsible for defining the Technical Offerings for the Market in line with business strategy and ambitions.
• Lead the development of technical services roadmap to enable business growth and breakthrough new sectors.
• Provide front line technical support to direct key industrial and automotive customers and prospects, Castrol’s distributors including problem solving, troubleshooting and application advice for all front line technical issues.
• Work closely with local and regional sales to provide appropriate technical support to maintain and gain business in line with business strategy.
• Carry out joint and solo visits (with knowledge of sales force) to new and existing customers providing technical proposals/assistance to generate sales opportunities, with both existing and new products.
• Assist in coordinating all technical issues related to product trials and interprets laboratory reports, as required
• Deliver high quality case studies from/for key accounts, leading by example Technology Customer Intimacy and being an ideal Castrol Technology ambassador.
• Lead customer plant/equipment audits, lubrication surveys, product rationalisation audits and conduct field trials, as necessary to support the overall business strategy.
• Support technical knowledge empowerment to the field force through helping with the technical training to sales teams, customers and distributors.
• Providing innovative solutions to technical issues to differentiate Technical proposal vs. competitors
• Managing relationships with high level staff and key stakeholders within large and top customers and distributors
• Working with a reducing product portfolio while meeting customer’s expectations
• Provide technical training to internal staff, channel partners, technical service vendors and customers where required, in order to improve overall customer satisfaction

Education

• University degree (e.g. BSc, BEng) in engineering preferably Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering or Mechatronics

Experience

• 10-12 years of experience in Mining/industrial sectors or providing onsite technical services for large mining/industrial customers.
• Strong technical experience in Lubricants, industrial & automotive applications and Lubrication fundamentals.
• Knowledge of reliability maintenance and condition monitoring is a plus.
• Proven evidence of strong commercial acumen.
• Experience in a customer-facing role and key customer relationships is beneficial
• Demonstrates interpersonal and communication (written and verbal) skills

Travel Requirement

• No travel is expected with this role

Relocation Assistance:

• This role is not eligible for relocation

Remote Type:

• This position is a hybrid of office/remote working

Skills:

• Commercial Acumen, Commercial performance, Consultative selling skills, Customer Profitability, Customer value proposition, Digital fluency, Internal alignment, Listening, Managing strategic partnerships, Negotiation planning and preparation, Offer and product knowledge, Partner relationship management, Sector, market, customer and competitor understanding