Key Account Manager
About the job
- A successfully completed Bachelor's degree in business administration, economics, industrial engineering, engineering, or a comparable qualification.
- Typically at least five to eight years of professional experience in automotive OEM sales, key account management, project controlling, or commercial project management.
- Knowledge of the German OEM customer environment being managed.
- Extensive experience in RFQ management, costing, quotation preparation, price management, contract management, and margin management.
- Negotiation skills, a results-oriented closing approach, and a strong understanding of customer needs and economic relationships.
- An analytical, structured, and self-reliant working style, with strong stakeholder management skills.
- Confidence working in intercultural and cross-functional teams.
- Proficiency with SAP ERP/CRM systems, customer portals, and MS Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint.
- Business-fluent German and English, spoken and written.
- Willingness to undertake international business travel of approximately 10–20%.
- Interest in new automotive technologies and sustainable mobility.
- Monitor and follow up on assigned OEM targets, purchasing behavior, platform developments, and competitor activities.
- Evaluate incoming RFQs and tenders in light of customer and product strategy, pricing requirements, capacity, and technical and commercial feasibility.
- Manage and coordinate the preparation of quotations for series products, tools, development services, and one-time costs with local and cross-functional teams.
- Conduct standard and complex commercial negotiations within defined authority limits.
- Own pricing, price and claims management, contract tracking, and follow-up on nominations and orders.
- Protect margins through disciplined pricing, margin defense, and professional customer-change management.
- Follow up on outstanding receivables, support order-intake planning, and implement measures to improve customer satisfaction.
- Serve as the primary contact for operational and management contacts on the customer side.
- Escalate strategic topics promptly to the Global Key Account Manager or Senior Sales General Manager.
- Provide functional coordination for inside sales, sales support and pricing functions, resident engineers, and interdisciplinary quotation and project teams working on assigned customer topics.
About the company
KOSTAL Group is a global, family-owned German engineering company that develops and manufactures complex electronic and mechatronic products. It operates in four divisions: Automotive Electrical Systems, Industrial Electronics, Connectors, and Test Technology (SOMA), offering components, modules, systems, connectors, and test/automation solutions. About 20,000 employees work at 46 locations in 21 countries to design, produce, and distribute these products with flexible, customer-focused service. Its goal is to provide reliable, tailored solutions across electrification, energy, connectivity, and testing to support automotive, energy, and industrial applications.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Lüdenscheid, Germany
Founded
1912
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- vaylensPay launched UK-wide on May 30, 2025, easing operator payment compliance.
- Tangier plant expansion capacity supports new EV business and customer ramps.
- Compleo now focuses on AC bidirectional charging, with KOSTAL manufacturing expected from 2028.
What critics are saying
- KOSTAL cut 164 jobs in Lüdenscheid and Dortmund on October 9, 2025.
- Abbeyfeale loses 140 OBC jobs by end-2026 after production shifts overseas.
- Compleo closed Wickede and Wambel production, exposing relentless consolidation and execution risk.
What makes KOSTAL Group unique
- KOSTAL combines automotive components, charging hardware, and vaylens software under one group.
- Tangier and Mexico plants give KOSTAL low-cost production and regional customer proximity.
- Compleo’s AC bidirectional charging focus links KOSTAL to vehicle-to-grid infrastructure.
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Benefits
- Flexible Work Hours
- Health Insurance
- Meal Benefits