Director, Account Management (Automotive)

Who You Are

As a Director of Account Management with a focus on the automotive market, you will be responsible for shaping strategy and cultivating strong customer relationships. You will work with our automotive customers to identify, qualify, and progress commercial opportunities in collaboration with technical and commercial stakeholders within Sila. You will be responsible for crafting contractual agreements for these engagements and multi-year forecasts across customers. You will manage a team and coordinate with contractors on a global scale. 

Responsibilities and Duties  

• Sales & Forecasting: Develop and execute sales strategies to achieve revenue targets within the automotive sector. Forecast demand across key automotive accounts, creating multi-year projections to inform strategic planning and resource allocation.
• Customer Relationship Management: Cultivate and strengthen relationships with key decision-makers at automotive customers, both for yourself and other team members. Understand customer business needs, technical requirements, and long-term goals. Act as a trusted advisor and advocate for Sila's solutions. Manage customer expectations and communicate progress effectively.
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Alignment: Collaborate closely with internal teams (product management, engineering, etc.) to ensure customer needs are met and Sila's product roadmap aligns with market demands. Help the team prioritize among various automotive customer requirements.
• Market Intelligence: Stay informed about industry trends, competitor activities, and emerging technologies within the automotive sector. Share market insights with the team to inform product development and sales strategies.
• Mentorship & Best Practices: Mentor junior team members on effective customer engagement strategies, sales techniques, and best practices for managing automotive accounts. Contribute to the development and refinement of customer interaction workflows.
• Recruits, interviews, hires, and trains new staff.
• Oversees the daily workflow of the team and portfolio.
• Provides constructive and timely performance evaluations.
• Handles discipline and termination of employees in accordance with company policy.
• Assumes administrative management responsibilities for the team.
• Manages employees and contractors to support sales activities with key partners and gather competitive intelligence.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements 

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant technical field or equivalent combination of experience and education; MBA or equivalent is a plus.
• Proven experience in account management, project management, and team leadership
• 7-10 years of experience selling into automotive supply chains; experience with batteries or battery components is preferred.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills in English. Fluency in German is a plus.
• Strong negotiation and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficiency in understanding complex technical and commercial concepts.
• International experience and familiarity with Asian and European markets.
• Ability to adapt and thrive in a fast-paced, innovative, and customer-centric environment.
• Previous experience in technology or related industries is preferred.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Operate a computer and other office equipment, such as a laptop, copier/printer, etc in a fixed location
• At least 50% travel required, both domestic and international

The starting base pay for this role is between $198,000 and $250,000 at the time of posting. The actual base pay depends on many factors, such as education, experience, and skills. Base pay is only one part of Sila’s competitive Total Rewards package that can include benefits, perks, equity, and bonuses.  The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. #LI-Onsite