In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.
The Key Account Manager for Defense & Security will be employed by Thales Ukraine.
Thales Ukraine is part of EUROPE Area of Thales International Development (DGDI) organization. DGDI is responsible for leading the development of Thales in Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Latin America. DGDI is part of Thales Group, which employs 80,000 people in 68 countries. Thales Group consists of 7 Global Business Units which in total consist of 29 Business Lines.
Reporting to the Ukraine Country Director, the Key Account Manager for Defense & Security will be responsible for all aspects of customers’ management within the defined perimeter. This position will primarily be responsible for Defense and Security markets. This includes developing and maintaining customer relationships, understanding the customers’ procurement needs, building partnership with local industrial players and connecting the customer with the appropriate Thales Business Line.
Key Responsibilities and tasks:
Key Account Manager for Defense & Security:
- Understanding customers’ needs and requirements in order to meet or exceed financial targets for the account perimeter;
- Promoting Thales’ Defense & Security products, systems and solutions;
- Fostering long-term industrial partnerships and alliances with Thales’ partners.
Skills and experience:
Mandatory
Skills - KAM
- Have a thorough understanding of Ukraine Defense & Security market, including but not limited to, a clear understanding of the customers’ operational needs and their technical and commercial procurement processes;
- Can interact with the customers’ community in a proactive, analytical and coherent manner in order to identify opportunities that Thales businesses can address. Aiming to become a trusted partner for each customer, in order to create an order intake pipeline;
- Act as the Capture Lead for complex or high value business opportunities. Have an ability to manage, influence and motivate internal stakeholders from Technical, Operational, Commercial and Legal disciplines as well as an ability to structure the capture from a route-to-market perspective;
- Can run the account process within the given perimeter, using Thales’ best practices throughout the win cycle;
- Can actively promote the group’s capabilities and advise the Business Lines on how they can maximize their return of investment;
- Be able to develop customer intimacy through actions designed to foster long-term relations, including ensuring customer satisfaction by dealing with possible non-compliance and complaints;
- Can track market dynamics and foster close customer working relationships in order to anticipate future requirements;
- Can ethically obtain and share marketing and commercial information for customers and competitors and provide advice to the Business Lines based on locally obtained knowledge;
- Can provide necessary reports, plans and data and update the Customer Relationships Management tool in timely manner together with the Sales & Marketing Team in DGDI
- Can identify and build key strategic industrial partnerships (with local or foreign partners) that will help Thales to foster its footprint and increase its captures in the region.
Experience - KAM
- Sales experience from a comparable position in similar business
- Typically requires experience of working with Defense & Security customers in Ukraine.
Personal skills
- Must have a positive attitude i.e. high level of social skills, with an ability to quickly create strong relationships and intimacy, at all levels, both internally and externally;
- Be solution-oriented with a broad understanding of military operational and technical areas and in running a business in general;
- Must have political awareness and the ability to act autonomously but with a clear team focus;
- Must understand how to operate in an environment where Customers, Competitors, Partners and Suppliers are interchangeable;
- Be a trusted advisor/partner and have confidence in their own capability;
- Thorough knowledge of methods and best practices as applied to military sales;
- Excellent communication skills and an ability to present at exhibitions and conferences;
- Must be fluent in Ukrainian and English in writing and oral. Knowledge of French is a plus.
Travel:
- This position demands an ability to travel.
Other
- Ukrainian residency is required.
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