Key Account Manager - Industrials Global Account Program

at  KuehneNagel

Acts as the leading representative of the company towards the customer, ensuring alignment across all KN services and business units. The role involves qualifying account intelligence, translating it into actionable business targets, and maintaining strong customer relationships to drive growth and customer satisfaction.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Sales, Marketing, or a related field. MBA or equivalent advanced degree is a plus.
• Minimum of 5 - 7 years of experience in key account management, sales, or business development.
• Proven track record of managing large, complex accounts and achieving sales targets.
• Experience in negotiating contracts and managing commercial agreements.
• Strong understanding of customer business models, decision-making processes, and competitive environments.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to translate customer needs into actionable business plans.
• Proficiency in CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, CoreLog) and sales management tools.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across business units and functional teams.
• High level of organizational and time management skills.
  About Kuehne+Nagel
  With over 80.000 employees at some 1,300 locations in over 100 countries, the Kuehne+Nagel Group is one of the world’s leading logistics companies.
  As an employer, Kuehne+Nagel stands for equal opportunity and we are committed to diversity in our teams. We believe that you can make a valuable contribution to Kuehne+Nagel and look forward to receiving your application.

YOUR ROLE

Responsible for the end-to-end commercial customer journey, including relationship management and business development activities, for a dedicated portfolio of accounts within the assigned scope of responsibility

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build and maintain direct, personal relationships with key customer stakeholders.
• Act as the primary point of contact for the customer, representing KN across all services and business units.
• Conduct regular and structured review sessions with customers to ensure continuous improvement, innovation, and operational excellence.
• Identify and qualify new business opportunities within the assigned account portfolio.
• Develop and execute account plans/customer strategies in alignment with KN’s Key Account Program guidelines.
• Translate customer requirements into achievable plans and collaborate with business units and functional units to action business opportunities.
• Negotiate rates and service contracts with customers in alignment with business units.
• Ensure all commercial requirements are documented and maintained as needed by the BUs.
• Monitor and achieve sales targets, including pipeline, wins, losses, RFP opportunities, and consulting activities.
• Understand the customer’s organization, decision-making processes, business model, and competitive environment.
• Maintain a deep understanding of KN’s vertical service offerings and leverage this expertise to meet customer needs.
• Ensure the account plan is in place, based on the Key Account Planning Process, and signed off by the respective sales manager.
• Effectively hand over and transition new business into operations to ensure customer requirements and KN commitments are met.
• Monitor monthly performance against set targets, including financial metrics such as Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) and Credit.
• Take immediate corrective actions in case of deviations and ensure timely and accurate reporting.
• Comply with KN sales management processes and systems, ensuring correct and timely updates in CRM systems.
• Follow KN’s guidelines and policies for key account management and commercial activities.