Strategic Account Business Development Manager

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Maintains and grows Kasa’s book of business with current automotive end users, protecting existing accounts and surfacing follow-on opportunities.
• Introduces Kasa to automotive end users outside of our current account base, leveraging established relationships with decision-makers, engineering, and procurement leaders at other OEMs (e.g., Ford, Stellantis, Nissan) to get Kasa in the door.
• Bridges Kasa to automotive manufacturers beyond General Motors to open doors for new business and new program awards.
• Identifies, qualifies, and prioritizes new end-user accounts and integrator pathways that expand Kasa’s footprint across the automotive market.
• Presents and actively cultivates a network of contacts at automotive manufacturers beyond General Motors to open doors for new business and new program awards.
• Partners with the internal program manager, estimating, and engineering teams to review new customer specifications and assess technical fit, feasibility, and pricing strategy.
• Safeguards Kasa’s contractual alignment with each new end user by coordinating early review of specifications, terms, and commercial requirements with internal stakeholders before commitments are made.
• Understands and has knowledge of industrial controls systems.
• Communicates with vendors regarding pricing, component selection, and solution development.
• Communicates with clients via phone, video conferencing, face-to-face meetings, and email.
• Develops and delivers customized written proposals with relevant clarifications.
• Maintains confidentiality regarding projects, pricing, and client communication.
• Understands and adheres to internal document control and distribution processes.
• Understands and interprets project specifications.
• Understands contract drawings.
• Understands risk assessment process.
• Understands and interprets contracts.
• Analyzes project financial history including material, labor, and profits.
• Develops a sales strategy for lead generation and opportunity management in line with our strategic ambitions and long-term plan.
• Develops and pursues profitable sales leads to achieve planned order intake and profit level in accordance with the sales strategy.
• Utilizes Kasa’s CRM to its full potential by tracking customer information, account activity, logging calls, and maintaining sales funnel.
• Develops an effective strategy based on a thorough assessment of the customer's decision-making process and using appropriate stakeholder management tools.
• Conducts initial specification review and coordinates sales material, a pricing strategy, and the proposal content.
• Negotiates contracts for awarded projects to a successful closing in line with the company's legal requirements.
• Provides input to weekly/monthly departmental activity reports and manages sales documentation and data for Bid/No Bid decision making.
• Pursues/maintains a healthy pipeline of opportunities and applies active funnel management.
• Achieves sales targets.
• Maintains and builds relationships and customer satisfaction that meets Kasa's standards.
• Reads a Scope of Work for a system, understands what is required, and clarifies any scope of work, timing, or budget issues at the beginning of the project and as issues arise.
• Drives internal estimate reviews, internal kickoff meetings, and external critical customer meetings.
• Manages internal and external critical customer meetings.
• Builds and maintains deep, long-term relationships with the end users and integrators we serve, serving as a trusted partner across multiple projects and engagements.
• Complies with safety policies, ISO QMS requirements, and operational procedures.
• Ability to maintain an acceptable driving record (MVR).

Education & Experience

• One-year certificate from college or technical school; or one to three years’ experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Experience with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams required.
• Several years of business development, sales, and/or project management experience with Fortune 500 companies in the automotive industry (e.g., General Motors, Ford, Stellantis) strongly preferred.
• Established network of relationships with decision-makers, engineering, and procurement contacts at automotive manufacturers beyond General Motors, with a demonstrated ability to open doors and create new business opportunities.
• Familiarity with controls, automation, and/or electrical integration in a manufacturing environment preferred.
• Resides in, or is willing to relocate to, the Detroit, Michigan metropolitan area preferred.