Key Account Manager Automotive France (m/f/d)

Your role

Strategic Account Management & Business Development

• Relationship: Establish, navigate, and maintain high-level relationships within leading French OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers across the French region, Central Europe, and beyond.
• Identify key stakeholders and decision-makers (R&D, Procurement, Quality) to communicate the technical and commercial advantages of Hongfa’s product portfolio.
• Strategy Implementation: Develop and execute comprehensive account strategies in collaboration with the Sales Management to exceed annual sales targets and long-term KPIs.
• Deal Leadership: Lead the entire sales cycle—from initial hunting and business development to the final closing of major contracts and platform wins.

Market Intelligence & Planning

• Market Analysis: Continuously monitor market trends, competitor activities, and technological shifts to identify new project opportunities and "blue ocean" potentials.
• Sales Operations: Ensure data integrity by permanently maintaining CRM and SAP systems, including monthly forecast updates, budget planning, and project tracking.
• Reporting: Deliver regular, insightful reports on sales performance, pipeline health, and strategic milestones to the executive management.

Project & Acquisition Leadership

• Strategic Acquisition ("Hunting"): Proactively identify and win new business opportunities, focusing on high-volume platforms and strategic programs.
• RFQ Management: Orchestrate strategic RFQs for new platforms. This includes defining the quotation strategy, coordinating commercial/legal documentation, and aligning with Department Leaders and the Program Management team.
• Commercial Negotiation: Define final negotiation strategies and secure commercial commitments. Negotiate at the management level with both the customer and Hongfa’s internal BUs.
• Life-Cycle Involvement: Own the strategic relationship during the early acquisition phase and ensure a seamless handover/collaboration with Program Managers.

• Representation & Escalation Management
• Management Interaction: Represent the account in strategic meetings, including Year-End Reviews, PBD-Analysis, and "Gate" reviews.
• Escalation Lead: Act as the primary point of contact for high-level escalations (e.g., Quality/H-ELP issues) to ensure swift resolution and maintain customer trust.
• Global Mobility: Travel regularly to customers, international trade fairs, and production facilities to strengthen the partnership and HFE’s brand presence.

Your strengths

• technical skills achieved through a bachelor degree in engineering or similar technical background
• More than 5 years professional experience
• Fluent French and English, other language skills would be an advantag
• International work experience
• Intercultural skills, Presentation and Management skills
• Ability to manage the complex selling process, consisting of engagement at all levels, from engineering & technical teams to senior management - including an understanding of when and why
• Natural leader by personality - not by Organisation chart
• Good negotiation skills
• Team player and strong communicator
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Enthusiastic
• High level of energy and dynamic, self-driven personality
• Self-motivation, confident
• Ability to set and achieve goals
• Good sense of humour

Here's what you can look forward to

Become part of an internationally active organization and make an active contribution to the development of the company with your ideas and experience. We offer a corporate culture in which it is a pleasure to contribute ideas, energy and initiative. You can expect exciting tasks, performance-related pay, regulated working hours/flexitime and a pleasant working atmosphere. In addition, well-equipped workplaces with the appropriate technical equipment are a matter of course for us.

What we offer:

• Company bonus (voluntary)
• 40 hours per week
• 30 days’ annual leave
• 1 day’s special leave for every 5 years’ service
• Opportunities for further training
• Celebration of work anniversaries, birthdays, etc. (including vouchers)

In addition to our general conditions

• A corporate culture where it’s enjoyable to contribute ideas, energy and initiative
• A rapidly growing company offering scope for creativity
• Exciting roles and performance-related pay
• An international working environment with exciting projects
• A pleasant working atmosphere and supportive teams
• Company events
• Structured, role-specific and tailor-made onboarding plans
• Well-equipped workstations with modern technical equipment

Let’s talk - Your contact person

Jason Rogowski - HR Business Partner