Strategic Key Account Manager

About the Company

YER USA is proud to partner with emz – Hanauer, a global technology leader specializing in innovative electronic and electromechanical solutions for the household appliance industry. With decades of engineering expertise and international manufacturing capabilities across Europe, North America, and Mexico, emz develops customized smart solutions for many of the world’s leading appliance manufacturers.

The company combines the agility of a highly specialized engineering organization with the stability and long-term vision of an established international business. As part of its continued growth in the U.S. market, emz is seeking a commercially driven, relationship-focused Strategic Key Account Manager to support and expand key global customer relationships.

The Position

Reporting directly to the SVP Appliances, the Strategic Key Account Manager will serve as the primary commercial lead for several strategic global accounts within the appliance sector.

This individual will be responsible for driving long-term account growth, managing complex customer relationships, coordinating international projects, and leading commercial activities across sales, pricing, forecasting, and contract negotiations. The role requires a highly strategic and customer-oriented professional who can also execute tactically in a fast-paced OEM supplier environment.

The successful candidate will develop and execute long-term account strategies designed to support sustainable revenue growth and strengthen emz-smart solutions’ position within key customer organizations globally.

This is a remote position located in the U.S., with preference for candidates based in the Midwest or East Coast (Louisville, KY area strongly preferred).

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and champion strategic growth plans for assigned global accounts
• Drive revenue growth through proactive account development and relationship management
• Build and maintain long-term relationships with key customer stakeholders
• Lead commercial activities, including pricing, forecasting, contract negotiations, and proposal development
• Coordinate closely with international customer teams and internal stakeholders across the U.S., Germany, and Mexico
• Serve as the primary liaison between customer project teams and internal engineering/program management teams
• Manage the full sales lifecycle, including CRM management, opportunity tracking, forecasting, and customer presentations
• Develop and present business proposals to leadership teams domestically and internationally
• Coordinate customer project activities, sample requests, quotations, and project implementation processes
• Collaborate closely with U.S.-based Application Engineers assigned to customer projects
• Support operational alignment between sales, finance, project management, and product delivery functions
• Monitor pricing structures and support foreign exchange tracking related to customer programs
• Utilize SharePoint and internal systems to manage project documentation and order workflows

Qualifications & Experience

The ideal candidate will be a strategic, commercially driven account management professional with a proven track record in OEM manufacturing environments.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 5+ years of experience in Account Management, Strategic Sales, or Business Development
• Experience within the appliance industry or a related OEM supplier environment is strongly preferred
• Proven success in managing complex global customer relationships
• Strong background in long-term strategic account growth and commercial negotiations
• Experience managing multiple customer programs and projects simultaneously
• Excellent presentation, communication, and relationship-building skills
• Ability to operate effectively in a cross-functional and international business environment
• Strong analytical and organizational skills with attention to detail
• High level of proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, etc.)
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university

Preferred Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• A highly customer-centric mindset
• Strong relationship-based selling capabilities
• Strategic thinking combined with hands-on execution
• The ability to influence both internally and externally
• A collaborative leadership style with strong communication skills
• Resilience and adaptability in fast-paced commercial environments
• Strong business acumen and commercial judgment

Travel Requirements

• Approximately 20% domestic travel (customer visits as needed)
• Quarterly international travel to Germany and/or Mexico

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary ($130,000 – $180,000) plus performance-based bonus opportunity
• Remote work flexibility
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• 401(k) with company matching
• 20 days of paid time off (PTO)
• All business travel expenses fully covered