Manager Strategic Japanese Key Accounts

Overview

Holcim builds progress for people and the planet. As a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions, Holcim is enabling greener cities, smarter infrastructure and improving living standards around the world. With sustainability at the core of its strategy, Holcim is becoming a net zero company, with its people and communities at the heart of its success. The company is driving the circular economy as a world leader in recycling to build more with less. Holcim is the company behind some of the world’s most trusted brands in the building sector including ACC, Aggregate Industries, Ambuja Cement, Disensa, Firestone Building Products, Geocycle, Holcim and Lafarge.

Holcim is 70,000 people around the world who are passionate about building progress for people and the planet through four business segments: Cement, Ready-Mix Concrete, Aggregates and Solutions & Products. If you would like to get more information about our corporate organization in Switzerland specifically, please visit our company profile.

No agencies can be considered for this job posting, and no agency involvement is required unless contractually assigned.

Responsibilities

As we continue to look for more sustainable ways to build, we need world-class talents to join our team. People who are passionate about sustainability, driven by curiosity and want to grow and learn. In our sustainability journey, the importance of globally active Japanese suppliers and partners (e.g. materials suppliers, traders, contractors) is significantly increasing within a Group.

We are looking for a Manager Strategic Japanese Key Accounts to manage contacts on all levels within the Key Accounts and Suppliers and drive a target driven exchange on different levels between suppliers, customers and Holcim Group. You will lead technical sales of Holcim products for Japanese construction firms and be responsible for Japanese exports of mineral materials and chemicals in liaison with Holcim operations and trading. In this role you have the opportunity to drive new Business Development activities with Japanese suppliers and customers, and also monitor and record market changes and demands, collect and provide a full market analysis on competitive and customer data and develop a growth plan for the responsible key accounts.

As Manager Strategic Japanese Key Accounts, you cover the following responsibilities in your scope:

• Lead the export efforts out of Japan for mineral materials, cement and construction chemicals. Manages the commercial development with Japanese contractors
• Develop and execute the mineral materials export strategy in Japan, covering mid- to long-term objectives and measures
• Execute, control and track the key account plan in coordination with other stakeholders: Trading, Innovation Center, Marketing and operations
• Influence the organization to strengthen current destination markets and develop new one in the Holcim footprint
• Is responsible for annual budget, volume and costs optimization for all materials in scope
• Coordinate and manage all communications for the assigned key accounts/suppliers to develop and foster strategic long-term business relationship; serve as a liaison between the management level of the key accounts and Holcim teams
• Anticipate market trends and identify sales/purchase opportunities by utilizing product application knowledge and market intelligence
• Identify and attract new customers/strategic suppliers, pursue new applications leading to profitable future business
• Lead all contract negotiations with assigned accounts and provide operational guidance to the stakeholders to manage the execution of these contracts
• Acquire projects with highest customer commitment and values, prioritize customer projects for key account and align resource requirements with Holcim operations where projects are executed
• Continuously increase market intelligence and update customer and competitor data

Education/Qualifications

• A Master Degree in Process Engineering, Civil Engineering or Chemical Engineering
• An MBA degree is a plus

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience in construction chemicals, mineral materials, trading of these products or other related industries
• Experience in key account management or managing key suppliers; including negotiation skills pricing, profit analysis, customer relationship management

Knowledge & Skills

• Technical & Professional Knowledge
• Proven ability to influence-cross functional teams without formal authority
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills

Language Requirements

Excellent command of written and spoken Japanese and English. Korean and other languages are a plus.

Travel Requirements

up to 50%