Main responsibilities:         

Reporting directly to the Regional Business Manager Automotive Refinish Region East (RBM), the Business Development Manager (BDM) implements business development strategies for our premium refinish paint brands R-M and Glasurit, including ensuring improvement of market shares and management of customer relationships while focusing as a service and solution provider on individual customers’ needs to optimize business results.

Working closely with the RBM, Marketing Management, Technical Management and Key Account Management, the BDM is a key member of the E-ECR Middle East leadership team, responsible for delivering strategic objectives and business results of E-ECR.

The BDM Middle East acts as the key interface between BASF Production plants, Marketing and Technical community to acquire, develop and support customers and distribution partners in the Middle East. Developing strategic relationships with all key deciders in the distribution partner and customer organizations to ensure sustainable growth of BASF’s automotive refinish business is essential part of the role.

As responsible Business Development Manager for several distribution partners in the Middle East, the BDM fosters the continuous business development of our premium brands in the respective countries. The BDM takes the lead in developing the skills of our distribution partners towards an independent sales approach and professional service offer to ensure business growth as well as satisfied end-users of our automotive refinish coatings solutions.

The BDM ensures full market coverage of the entire region with professional distribution partners in each ME country.

Regional coverage: Middle East, Focus on GCC countries.

Tasks:

1.Develops and maintains long-term business relationships with respective accounts (all decision makers) to promote brand value and generate sustainable sales growth. Analysis and maps decision structures as well as identifies the specific requirements of existing and potential customers, proactively communicates findings to internal interfaces. Develops and implements business and distribution concepts for the respective countries/accounts and independently manages customer complaints.

2.Actively identifies, proposes and tackles new business opportunities and promotes the entire product/service portfolio (i.e. Paint, Paint Related Products, Training and Consultancy) towards end-customers and regional distribution partners in the Middle East.

3.Plans, develops and implements market and customer strategies, marketing and business concepts as well as product and service portfolios for the respective accounts in accordance with corporate strategic goals. Controls and secures co-operations and provides support in business development including the drafting of contracts.

4.Works out proactively market and competitor analyses and communicates demands bottom-up to ensure that local parameters are deeply considered in strategic discussions.

5.Guides and steers distribution partners by preparation and follow-ups of business and action plans, meeting minutes.

6.Takes responsibility for the entire sales process for the relevant countries and key accounts, incl. implementation of Importer contracts, Central billing models, pricing conditions, supply and service concepts for the assigned countries and OEM accounts.

7.The BDM coordinates new customer conversions and ensures with the team and the distributor network across the Middle East, that all end-users of our premium brands are fully equipped with the BASF Automotive Bodyshop Software, incl. licenses, trainings, updates, incident support.

8.Leads a virtual team of sales and technical staff of our distribution partners across Middle East. Coaches the staff along the whole sales process. Does a structured As-Is and To-Be analyses about sales and service concepts of distribution partners as well as competencies of each individual team member. Takes initiatives and full responsibility to close these gaps.

9.In the assigned territory, the BDM takes over full responsibility to achieve the annual quantitative and qualitative sales targets for the premium brands R-M and Glasurit. The BDM leads the regular monitoring and follow-ups on the sales, distribution and service performance of our brands with the assigned channel partners, including initiating necessary counter-measures and improvement plans.

Minimum Education and Qualification Required for the Position

Education: Education & training required (vocational plus additional)

•Min. requirement: Finished apprenticeship in the automotive bodyshop industry and/or automotive refinish paint industry with experience in Automotive Bodyshops or Refinish sales function

•University degree in business administration, marketing or comparable education are an advantage

Working Experience:

•Experience of min. 5 years in automotive bodyshop industry and/or automotive refinish paint / aftersales industry

•Automotive aftersales market experience, ideally in the Middle East

•Sales experience with regular customer interaction, i.e. Sales, Business Development and Consultancy

Technical, Professional Knowledge & Skills:

•Strong relationship management and negotiation skills

•Project and Conflict Management Skills as well as proactive communication with external and internal interfaces

•Selling and business development skills

•Presentation and communication at all levels of seniority and departments e.g. GM, sales, marketing, technical, finance

•Knowledge of automotive bodyshop processes, refinish coatings portfolio and application

•Ability to work in and adapt to a multi-cultural work environment

•Interpersonal collaboration skills to work in complex teams

•Ability to lead, motivate and coach a team

IT skills:

•Microsoft Office user skills (i.e. Powerpoint, Excel, Word, Outlook)

•Automotive Bodyshop Software user skills are an advantage

Language skills:

•Good command of English

•Arabic, Hindi, Urdu or German language are an advantage