Senior Key Account Manager

Purpose of the Role:

The Senior Key Account Manager is responsible for building and maintaining strong, long-term customer relationships with key global accounts to maximize sales, margin, and profitability. This role focuses on understanding the business needs of clients, identifying key players within accounts, and deepening the relationship through upselling and cross-selling. The Senior Key Account Manager will negotiate new contracts, organize and lead account teams, and play a strategic role in driving the company's commercial success. Additionally, they will provide guidance and support to colleagues and contribute to the overall direction and goals of the commercial department.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement detailed Account Plans for key accounts, in collaboration with Site Account Managers where applicable.
• Map and maintain an up-to-date understanding of the customer's organization, including identifying key decision-makers at global, regional, and site levels.
• Build and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders and decision-making units (DMUs) within the customer's organization.
• Identify new business opportunities within key accounts, focusing on deepening and widening the relationship.
• Drive business growth through upselling, cross-selling, and innovative sales approaches.
• Lead Project Management Office (PMO) activities when required.

• Manage and negotiate Master Service Agreements (MSAs) with key accounts.
• Review, approve, and deploy site-level Statements of Work (SOW) and Service Level Agreements (SLA) based on the master contract.
• Ensure commercial and legal alignment between site-level and central agreements.
• Actively manage risk and exposure associated with contracts.

• Oversee the management of Price Lists as part of MSAs.
• Drive profitability by initiating projects aimed at improving gross margins and reducing the Cost to Serve.
• Provide input for annual sales budget reports at the group level.

• Report and aggregate KPIs at the central level for customer HQs.
• Ensure KPIs are actively managed and monitored, taking corrective actions as necessary.
• Handle escalation management at a central level.

• Chair and prepare Quarterly and Annual Business Review Meetings (QBR & BRM) with customers, in collaboration with Site Account Managers.
• Report on sales funnels, growth, margin, and profitability for key accounts on a monthly basis to the Commercial Management Team (CMT).
• Build strong partnerships with customers to facilitate smooth escalation of issues and ensure business continuity.

• Organize, lead, and inspire the internal team, including customer service, category management, sourcing specialists, and supply chain experts.
• Manage customer escalations and service model changes, ensuring all stakeholders are involved and agreements are clear.
• Ensure internal stakeholders are up-to-date with the latest customer developments and motivated to meet customer objectives.

Required Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a relevant field (e.g., Business, Engineering, or Sales).
• Minimum of 5 years of work experience in an international corporate environment, preferably in a B2B or industrial setting.
• Proven track record in account management, sales, or business development with large global customers.
• Strong commercial acumen with a focus on upselling and cross-selling within existing accounts.
• Experience managing complex contracts, including MSAs, SLAs, and SOWs.
• Strong understanding of KPI management and reporting, including escalation management.