Apply to New Business Development Representative – Automotive (ICE Powertrain)
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced New Business Development Representative to drive new customer acquisition and grow existing accounts within the automotive and industrial markets.
The ideal candidate has a strong background selling automotive metal components, engine components, or ICE powertrain products directly to OEMs and Tier suppliers. This individual should understand the complete automotive sales cycle, including prospecting, RFQs, quotations, commercial negotiations, sourcing activities, and program awards.
This is an excellent opportunity for a sales professional with a strong hunter mentality who enjoys developing new accounts, building customer relationships, and converting opportunities into long-term business.
Key Responsibilities
- Identify and pursue new customers, accounts, programs, and business opportunities.
- Maintain and expand relationships with assigned existing customers.
- Develop and execute new-business and market-entry strategies.
- Manage opportunities from initial prospecting through RFQ, quotation, negotiation, and program award.
- Lead customer meetings, presentations, commercial discussions, and negotiations.
- Build and maintain a strong sales pipeline and provide regular activity reporting.
- Work closely with engineering, operations, estimating, and other internal teams to develop competitive customer solutions.
- Develop relationships with purchasing, engineering, sourcing, and other key customer stakeholders.
- Represent the organization during customer visits, industry events, and trade shows.
- Identify opportunities to increase year-over-year revenue within existing accounts.
- Travel domestically and internationally as required.
Required Qualifications
- Approximately 5–10+ years of automotive or relevant industrial sales/business development experience.
- Experience working within the Tier 1/Tier 2 automotive supplier environment.
- Demonstrated success developing new business and securing new customer programs.
- Experience selling directly to automotive OEMs and/or major automotive suppliers.
- Strong understanding of the automotive RFQ, quotation, sourcing, negotiation, and program-award process.
- Ability to clearly demonstrate personal involvement in winning new business and growing customer accounts.
- Knowledge of ICE powertrain systems and related automotive components.
- Strong negotiation, presentation, communication, and relationship-building skills.
- Self-motivated, persistent, organized, and comfortable working independently.
- Ability to work fully onsite in Romulus, Michigan.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 40%.
Preferred Experience
Experience selling one or more of the following products is highly desirable:
- Castings and forgings
- Cylinder liners
- Pistons and piston rings
- Engine and powertrain components
- Braking components
- Machined metal components
- Related automotive metal products
Experience developing business with Japanese automotive OEMs or Tier suppliers is a strong plus.
Ideal Candidate Profile
The successful candidate will combine technical automotive knowledge with a strong new-business-development mindset. We are particularly interested in candidates who can provide specific examples of:
- Personally identifying and securing new automotive business
- Managing RFQs from opportunity through program award
- Negotiating commercial terms with OEM and Tier customers
- Developing new customer relationships
- Expanding existing accounts and delivering year-over-year revenue growth
- Building long-term relationships with purchasing, sourcing, and engineering contacts
Candidates with a history of stable employment and progressive responsibility within automotive sales or business development are strongly preferred.
Benefits
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Short- and long-term disability insurance
- Life insurance
- Tuition reimbursement
- Paid time off
- Performance-based incentives
- Automotive and phone reimbursement
- Career growth opportunities
This position is fully onsite and is not a remote opportunity.