Account Manager

Yazaki is a global leader in the research, development, and delivery of vehicle power and data solutions.

Yazaki works with virtually every major auto manufacturer globally, and we've strived to maintain strategic and stable growth throughout our 84-year history. Today, we're looking for energetic people with the potential to perform and the ability to strengthen - and thrive in - the positive work environment we pride ourselves on.

Location: Canton, MI, USA  

What we are looking for:

Yazaki is looking for an Account Manager to join our COMBU team in Canton, MI.  The Account Manager is the primary commercial and relationship owner for an assigned strategic automotive OEM account. The position builds customer intimacy, protects and improves current-business profitability, and expands Yazaki’s ECI footprint by promoting the full electronics and electrification portfolio. The role coordinates Yazaki resources to translate customer needs into qualified opportunities, competitive quotations, successful negotiations, and executable commercial agreements.

What you will be doing:

Customer intimacy and account leadership 

• Build and maintain a multi-level relationship network across purchasing, engineering, program management, finance and executive stakeholders. 

• Develop and execute a customer engagement plan, including regular account reviews, open-issue reviews, technology discussions and executive touchpoints. 

• Understand and communicate customer strategy, organization, decision processes, sourcing direction, satisfaction signals and competitor activity. 

• Act as the central commercial and strategic point of contact for the assigned customers. 

Commercial ownership and profitability 

• Lead pricing strategy, quotation presentation, negotiation, contract review and purchase-order closure. 

• Own commercial recovery activities, including engineering resources, tooling, design changes, extraordinary expenses and macroeconomic impacts. 

• Monitor program profitability and coordinate corrective actions with finance, program management, costing and manufacturing. 

• Maintain disciplined commercial issue tracking with clear owners, values, timing and escalation paths. 

Business growth and product promotion 

• Promote Yazaki’s ECI portfolio and connect customer needs with relevant product-line capabilities. 

• Partner with Senior Business Development Associates and engineering teams to identify and qualify pre-RFI, RFI and RFQ opportunities. 

• Create customer-specific value propositions and coordinate technology workshops, capability presentations and pursuit plans. 

• Maintain an account opportunity pipeline and advance opportunities through defined decision gates. 

Internal leadership and execution 

• Coordinate cross-functional quote preparation and ensure commercial assumptions, costing, tooling, packaging and timing are complete. 

• Provide concise customer intelligence, commercial forecasts, risks and decisions required to leadership. 

• Ensure commitments made to the customer are understood, assigned and followed to closure internally. 

What you will bring to the table: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or Engineering or equivalent
• 3-7 years’ experience in Account Management, Program management or technical relationship management.

What we can provide you: 

• A safe collaborative learning work environment that stimulates creativity and exploration
• Diverse teams of experts
• Resources from around the globe
• Supportive leadership and team members to help you do your best work
• Opportunities for professional growth
• Competitive compensation and benefits package including incentive compensation, 401K match, tuition assistance and a generous holiday schedule
• Flexible hybrid schedule

Yazaki North America is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, handicap, veteran status, or other legally protected status or characteristic. Equal opportunity extends to all aspects of the employment relationship. Yazaki North America complies with federal and state equal employment opportunity laws and strives to keep the workplace free from all forms of harassment.