Account Manager (Utility)

General Information:

Our Hitachi Energy business is currently seeking a seasoned sales professional to serve as an Account Manager and contribute to our Utility Sales team.  This position will be based in the Raleigh, NC area.

The Account Manager (AM) is a key part of Hitachi Energy’s strategy and maintains and expands relationships with strategically important customers. Assigned to one or more accounts, the AM is responsible for achieving sales targets, pipeline management, relationship management and strategic account planning while maintaining customer satisfaction as measured by the Net Promoter Score. The AM represents either the entire range of Hitachi Energy products, systems and services to an account or a defined subset where multiple Account Managers may work on the account. The Account Manager will lead the account planning cycle and ensure their needs and expectations are met by the company. The Account Manager will report to the Strategic Account Manager for the customer account.  

Your Responsibilities:

• Account Strategies – Participates in the development of sales strategies for accounts by providing the customer’s current business and long-term plans within an account team environment.
• Sales Targets – Proposes sales targets and inputs to grow margins for the account and ensures their achievement with a structured follow-up process
• Account plan – Leads the development and implementation of the account plan to include designing the executive relationship strategy and coverage plans, prioritizing the opportunities, identifying a target for each solution element.  Proposes recovery plans in case of potential order shortfalls
• Customer Relations – Establishes and develops account relationships based on a defined strategy.  Acts as focal point for problem resolution and monitors customer claims.  Plans, facilities and conducts customer negotiations.
• Customer Knowledge- Develops, maintains and shares detailed knowledge of the customer’s business strategy, purchasing behavior, organization, decision-makers, customer business drivers, economic trends, and competition.
• Volume and Profit – Sells products/solutions/services to customers, focusing on volume, mix and profitability targets.
• Market Activity – Monitors competitors’ activity with each account and ensures that appropriate response strategies are formulated and implemented.
• Sales – Creates added value for the customer and Hitachi Energy by ensuring a deep understanding of the customers applications.  Communicates details in accordance with Hitachi Energy supply, offering and strategy.  Instills customer confidence based upon strong technical understanding of products/systems and communication of that knowledge into customer solutions.  Challenges internal and external to explore new options and solutions.
• Marketing – Coordinates the use of internal or external resources (e.g. – technical, advertising and marketing) in order to provide value added service to accounts. 
• Living Hitachi Energy’s core values of safety and integrity, which means taking responsibility for your own actions while caring for your colleagues and the business.
   

Your Background:

• Ability to implement sales strategies with businesses, provide insight to customers by navigating options & alternatives, and coordinate activities involving multiple functions across a variety of businesses.
• Strong analytical/communication skills required to determine, evaluate, and report reasons for success, as well as obstacles, anticipate market change, and forecast/communicate customers' buying patterns & product requirements.
• Ability to manage multiple projects while remaining organized & strategic to carry out the sales account plans.
• Successful candidate must have an understanding of customer and company’s organizational structure, as well as strong business acumen / sense to determine when escalation is required.
• Anticipates roadblocks, and alerts internal & external stakeholders appropriately.
• Fosters teamwork that drives collaboration and teamwork.
• Required Qualifications:
• Candidates with the following combination of education and experience will be considered:
• Bachelor’s degree with minimum of 7 years’ relevant sales experience
• Master’s degree will also be considered a minimum of 5 years’ relevant sales experience
• Experience above should be in some combination of Engineering, Project Management, Sales, and/or Marketing
• Sales/Business Development experience working with clients in the utilities and/or energy markets
• Willingness to travel moderaterately
• Strong customer relationship skills; Exceptional analytical skills and attention to detail abilities.
• Preferred Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering-related field preferred with relevant sales experience
• 2-5 Years of experience working with large investor-owned utility clients is a plus.
• Recent experience working with the sales & marketing of Power Distribution products (e.g. transformer systems, switchgear, circuit breakers, etc.).