Bilingual Sales Manager

This Sales Manager role supports and grows key OEM and Tier 1 automotive accounts across North America for a leading global automotive manufacturing supplier. You will develop new business opportunities, manage strategic customer relationships, drive profitability, and coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure successful product launches and sustained customer satisfaction. The position requires close collaboration with both North American operations and international manufacturing locations, and strongly values bilingual Japanese/English communication skills and experience working directly with automotive customers.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for automotive OEM and Tier 1 customers across North America.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with existing accounts while proactively identifying and pursuing new business opportunities.
• Visit customer sites regularly to understand their business needs, gather requirements, and present company capabilities and solutions.
• Support customer inquiries, requests for quotations, contract reviews, and commercial negotiations from initial contact through closure.
• Track program milestones, new product launches, engineering changes, and ongoing customer requirements to ensure on-time delivery and high satisfaction.
• Analyze sales performance, account profitability, and business trends to identify growth opportunities and areas for improvement.
• Support annual budgeting processes and long-term business planning initiatives for assigned accounts.
• Develop and implement strategies to drive revenue growth, increase market share, and improve overall account profitability.
• Monitor market trends, customer demand, and competitive activity to inform sales strategy and pricing decisions.
• Partner closely with engineering, operations, supply chain, logistics, customer service, and finance teams to support customer programs and resolve issues.
• Coordinate and oversee new product launches, ensuring successful execution and alignment across all relevant departments.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration between North American operations and international manufacturing locations to support customer needs.
• Escalate and resolve customer concerns related to quality, delivery, pricing, and production in a timely and professional manner.
• Prepare and review customer quotations and pricing proposals, ensuring accuracy and alignment with company objectives.
• Conduct profitability and return-on-investment analyses on current and future business opportunities.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and commercial agreements with customers while balancing competitiveness and profitability.
• Support internal reporting requirements and business case approvals for new opportunities and program changes.
• Manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously, maintaining clear communication with internal teams and external customers.
• Travel domestically and internationally as needed to support customer meetings, program reviews, and internal coordination.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of sales, account management, or business development experience within the automotive industry.
• Experience supporting OEM, Tier 1, or Tier 2 automotive customers.
• Strong understanding of pricing, quoting, contracts, and customer negotiations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed.
• Customer service orientation with a focus on building long-term relationships.
• Experience with inside sales support and account management activities in the automotive sector.

Skills

• Bilingual proficiency in Japanese and English.
• Experience working with Japanese business culture and international manufacturing organizations.
• Background supporting automotive wiring, electronics, components, or manufacturing programs.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional teams across engineering, operations, and supply chain functions.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute sales plans for OEM and automotive accounts.
• Strong business acumen and analytical skills to evaluate profitability and return on investment.
• Comfort working with hybrid teams across different time zones and regions.

Work Environment

This position offers a hybrid work schedule, combining remote work with on-site activities such as customer visits and internal meetings. You will work in a professional automotive manufacturing and commercial environment, collaborating frequently with engineering, operations, supply chain, logistics, customer service, and finance teams. The role requires some domestic and international travel to customer locations and company facilities to support account management, program reviews, and new product launches. The work setting emphasizes long-term career growth, cross-functional collaboration, and regular interaction with international manufacturing operations, including those influenced by Japanese business culture.

Schedule

This is a permanent, hybrid position based in Plymouth, MI.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $100,000.00 - $125,000.00 per year.

Benefits

• Full medical, vision, and dental benefits.
• Flexible/hybrid work schedule.