Axalta

Business Director

Greater Detroit Full time

Axalta is currently anticipating a future opening for a Business Director in our Mobility business unit. Please note that this posting is intentioned to collect interest for an anticipated upcoming vacancy.

This role will drive execution of the regional account strategy while ensuring customer intimacy and satisfying the customer’s business needs. The Business Director is responsible for ensuring strategic and operational alignment within the region as well as with the technical and operational functions. Responsible to manage and grow sales while delivering financial targets for assigned areas of responsibility.

Essential Functions

Strategy and Execution of Account Plan

  • Deliver the annual budget commitments

  • Keep tight controls on account receivable and past dues

  • Operationalize the Global Account Strategy in region and grow market share

    • Identify and prioritize core business priorities

    • Identify targets and put success factors in place to realize

    • Find new opportunities through strategic projects and develop unique value preposition

    • Determine competitive pricing and internal investment

    • Forecast, track, report customer/business needs, industry trends and performance indicators

    • Manage and update the demand plan

    • Ensure effective product plan for region

  • Implement raw material indexation following strategy from Global business Director

  • Responsible to make sure the Campfire system and Salesforce.com are always updated

  • Forecast, track, report customer/business needs and performance indicators

  • Effectively manage and grow sales for the regional account

    • Proactively manage costs to serve selling expenses

    • Explores, identifies, and develops new businesses

  • Partner with Product teams to set priorities

  • Monitor competitors’ activities

  • Identify opportunities to increase earnings from services. Follow strategy from Global account Director

Customer

  • Build formal customer relationship plans and customer intimacy through good relationships, customer knowledge and managing customer satisfaction, drive customer intimacy to the local account team

    • Take the voice of the customer and deliver to executable actions

    • Drive profitability by optimizing cost to serve, formula, technical cost, etc.

    • Responsible for providing accurate and timely feedback to Global Business Director

  • Interface with functions to ensure product quality and availability

  • Promote the introduction of newly developed technologies to customers

Leadership Excellence:

  • Build, lead, and develop regional teams.

  • Coach and mentor employees, providing career development planning and succession opportunities.

  • Empower employees to take responsibility for their jobs and goals. Delegate responsibility while providing regular feedback.

  • Maintain transparent communication. Appropriately communicate organization information through department meetings, one-on-one meetings, and appropriate email

Culture Champion:

  • Cultivate a strong team culture by enhancing and building highly effective and collaborative cross-functional relationships throughout the business.

  • Through integrity and dependability, build relationships at all levels to help support change initiatives that help teams deliver value.

  • Continuously identify ways to improve by engaging with staff and bringing perspective on new ideas.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, Engineering or Business required; Master's degree in technical field or MBA preferred.

  • The ideal candidate will have at least eight 10+ years of automotive, chemical, or related industry experience to include a combination of sales, technical and marketing experience displaying finance and business acumen. 

  • Experienced at strategic account planning; led negotiation and management of complex accounts

  • Knowledge of Automotive OEM Finishes and the OEM’s is desired

  • Effective communication skills with the ability to work with all levels of the organization and customers

  • Experience in negotiation and management of complex customers

  • Entrepreneurial mindset

  • Good ability to take complex decisions and be accountable, demonstrating managerial courage and taking responsibility while managing risks

  • Results oriented with outstanding communication skills

  • Strong financial acumen.

  • Demonstrated experience in leading change and driving sales excellence

  • Proven leadership skills with the ability to motivate cross functional business teams

  • Record of successfully developing future leaders

  • Ability to travel up to 30% - 40%

Our Company:

Axalta has remained at the forefront of the coatings industry by continually investing in innovative solutions. We engineer technologies that protect customers’ products – whether they are battling heat, light, corrosion, abrasion, moisture, or chemicals – and add dimension and beauty with colorful finishes. We have a vast and ever-evolving portfolio of brands primed to play an important part in everything from modernizing infrastructure around the world to enabling the next generation of electric and autonomous vehicles.  

 

Axalta operates its business in two segments: Performance Coatings and Mobility Coatings, which serve four end markets, including Refinish, Industrial, Light Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle, across North America, EMEA, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Our diverse global footprint allows us to deliver solutions in over 140+ countries and coat 30 million vehicles per year. We’ve recently set an exciting 2040 carbon neutrality goal, in addition to 10 other sustainability initiatives, and we take pride in working with our customers to optimize their businesses and achieve their goals.

Axalta may use technology-assisted tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), to support certain aspects of the recruitment and selection process. These tools may be used to help manage applications, identify job-related qualifications, and assist recruiter review. All hiring decisions involve human oversight and review.

Recruitment Fraud Alert: We take candidate safety seriously. If you believe you’ve encountered a fraudulent job posting claiming to represent our company, please include a link or screenshot and report it to TA-Support-Center@axalta.com.

1.2 - First/Mid Level Officials and Managers (EEO-1 Job Categories-United States of America)