Key Account Manager

EDUCATION:

Degree in Engineering, Degree in Finance or Economics, Bachelor of Business Administration, or similar

EXPERIENCE:

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Key Account Manager serves as the primary interface between Tenneco and strategic automotive customers. This role drives customer satisfaction, business growth, and operational alignment by managing relationships & new business opportunities, supporting program execution, and collaborating across departments within Tenneco.

• Act as the single point of contact for assigned OEM automotive customers.
• Serve as key customer contact. Manage customer portals and ensure timely, accurate communication of customer requirements and updates.
• Conduct regular customer visits to strengthen relationships and support program development. Partner with Application Engineering in developing sales strategies for these programs.
• Work closely with Sales, Application Engineering, Project Management, Manufacturing, Logistics, Research & Development, and Quality to ensure alignment with customer expectations.
• Support Manufacturing Location Decisions (MLD) and coordinate customer approvals for the transfer of parts to other locations.
• Contribute to annual sales plans, strategic growth initiatives, and both medium and long-term sales forecasts.
• Monitor and advise the Sales Department and Application Engineering of customer build schedules, new engine programs, and market trends. Ensure these numbers are included in annual sales plans and strategic forecasts.
• Identify new business opportunities and collaborate with Application Engineering to develop tailored solutions.
• Facilitate pricing strategy development, cost analysis, and quotation preparation in coordination with Sales Support.
• Support contract negotiations and maintain documentation for pricing agreements and supply terms.
• Manage special projects and corporate activities such as material recovery, red ink recovery, SOPS, APO and profit enhancement.
• Track competitor pricing, pricing strategies, market activities, and strategic movements. Keep the Sales Department, Research & Development, and Application Engineering informed.
• Provide benchmarking insights to the Sales Director, when appropriate, to support competitive positioning.
• Assist in resolving delivery issues, coordinating manufacturing location decisions, securing customer approvals for part transfers, and other critical customer issues as required.
• Identify cost reduction opportunities in collaboration with Application Engineering and Operations, as appropriate.
• Deliver timely reports on customer interactions, program status, pricing updates, new business awards, threats, and business wins/losses to Sales Support.
• Maintain accurate records of customer requirements, contracts, and internal communications in close collaboration with Sales Support.