Key Account Manager (Tiger Brands – Plumbago) at DHL March, 2024

Job Purpose

• Support of DSCs growth agenda by building and maintaining profitable key accounts – through managing the account P&L;
• Build high quality and trusted business relationships within the customer’s leadership team;
• Identification, assessment, pursuit and closure of additional share of wallet within the assigned accounts in addition to effective management of a proactive pipeline;
• Pro-actively manage the renewal agenda and ensure that customer satisfaction is sustained

Key areas of responsibility include:

P&L

• Own the financial performance of the account – as per the operational, financial and investment plans;
• Achieve annual EBIT targets on the key account;
• Manage the P&L of the key account to deliver on the agreed GP target;
• Be the face of the operational delivery to the customer
• Customer Relationship Management
• Develop and leverage constructive C-Suite relationships within assigned accounts (that are business and issue-based, as opposed to transactional);
• Act as key contact for customer on a local level;
• Maintain access to key decision makers and establish coach network

Share of Wallet

• Ensure a year on year increase in DSC’s percentage share of the customer’s logistics spend;
• Sponsor the building and maintenance of a quality account pipeline – focusing on proactive and single-sourced opportunities;
• Continuously review business potential and identify potential business opportunities;
• Work with BD to develop and meet plans to rpsell within account, e.g. VAS;
• Conduct annual, formal planning meetings with the customers;
• Present solution proposal and business fit to decision makers, engage in negotiations and close the deal;
• Collaborate with internal functions that support the sales process (BD, Solution Design, HR, IT, Real Estate, Legal, Finance, etc.), gather required input and coordinate actions

Stakeholder management

• Ensure quality of delivered services and proactively address customer issues;
• Facilitate knowledge/ best-practice sharing between DSC community in South Africa

Strategising

• Develop local strategy and plan for assigned accounts

Managing P&L

• Develop targets and annual budgets for the key account – in consultation with the regional and solution leaders;
• Report on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis on the account financial performance;
• Spend a high proportion of time on site working with the customer and the DSC operational team;
• Work effectively in a matrix structure with the operations leaders to deliver the day to day solutions and meet the annual and long term growth aspirations on the account;
• Co-develop account investment and commercial plans for Transport and Warehousing with leaders.

Growing share of wallet

• Pro-actively identify opportunities within assigned accounts;
• Work with BD to develop proactive solutions and answer incoming RFQs for accounts;
• Lead account planning meetings to identify customer’s supply chain requirements and business objectives;
• Sponsor opportunity assessment for identified opportunities and develop recommendation on pursuit or cancellation based on financial attractiveness, risk and fit of customer requirements with DSC capabilities;
• Work with BD and Solutions to identify DSC’s value proposition and high level solution parameters based on customer requirements;
• Sponsor the win-plan that is created by BD – when required;
•  Present solution to customer demonstrating clear business value, engage in negotiations and close the deal;
• Sponsor BD in collecting customer feedback after opportunity and sponsor internal Post-Opportunity Review

Maintaining

• Built and maintain strong relationships with key decision makers and establish customer network on a working level (coach network);
• Organize and hold quarterly business review meetings (QBRs) with the customer;
• Prepare and conduct customer satisfaction and value assessment research meetings;
• Monitor KPIs, ensure quality standards and performance targets are being met;
• Act as key contact for customer, channel communication to internal functions coordinate actions in case of large operational issues;
• Manage the renewal agenda, ensure current business is profitably maintained

Team Management/ Coordination

• Coordinate the resolving of operational issues and push for process improvements;
• Assemble input from opportunity team, prepare proposal and BCA;
• Plan the sales process and coordinate the opportunity team throughout the sales process;
• Collect and share knowledge and best practices (also cross-country);
• Review input from opportunity team, ensure quality and commercial standards are met;
• Act as an interface between customer and DSC internal functions, collect and distribute required information

Solution Designing

• Analyze collected data together with functional experts (Solution Design, IT, HR, Real Estate, etc.) and support solution development;
• Independently design standard solutions (supported by functional experts)

People Management

• No direct reports but close collaboration with all Operational Leaders, Business Development and Finance.

Qualifications

• Grade 12 / Matric – Essential
• Relevant degree or equivalent qualification will be a distinct advantage
• More than 5 Years DHL Supply Chain Experience
• More than 5 Years Sales Experience
• More than 5 Years Operational experience will be a distinct advantage
• More than 5 Years Logistics Sector experience