Global Key Account Manager – Korea OEM
Sales / Global Key Account Management
Our client is a global leading European powertrain technology company.
Head of Global Key Account Management
South Korea(Remote)
Our client is a global leading European powertrain technology company serving major automotive OEMs and partners across international markets.
The Global Key Account Manager – Korea will be responsible for shaping and driving the company’s global strategic relationships with Korean automotive OEM customers, with Hyundai as a key strategic account.
Based in Korea, the role will act as the senior commercial lead and global strategic coordination point for Korean OEM accounts, ensuring consistent customer engagement, long-term partnership development, and alignment across regional and global functions.
The position will play a critical role in positioning our client as a trusted long-term technology and powertrain partner to Korean OEMs, identifying future business opportunities, developing strategic partnerships, and supporting global commercial growth.
The successful candidate will bring a deep understanding of Korean automotive business culture, OEM decision-making processes, and executive relationship management, combined with proven experience operating in complex multinational automotive environments.
Global strategic responsibility for Korean OEM accounts.
Korea-based executive commercial leadership with cross-regional coordination across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Responsibility for strategic customer activities impacting multiple global entities, business units, and functions.
Frequent interaction with global senior management and customer stakeholders.
Lead strategic global commercial relationships with Korean OEM customers, with Hyundai as a primary strategic account.
Develop and execute long-term global account strategies aligned with the company’s business objectives, technology roadmap, and growth priorities.
Build and maintain senior-level relationships with key decision makers and influencers across Korean OEM organisations.
Act as the executive sponsor and strategic coordination lead for Korean OEM relationships globally.
Serve as the senior escalation point for strategic commercial, relationship, and customer-related matters.
Identify and develop new global business opportunities arising from Korean OEM technology, platform, and product strategies.
Develop comprehensive account plans covering customer strategy, business opportunities, competitive positioning, relationship mapping, and long-term growth potential.
Ensure a consistent global approach to customer engagement, account governance, commercial positioning, and negotiation strategy.
Coordinate internal alignment around customer priorities, investment decisions, product opportunities, and strategic business development.
Lead or support global commercial negotiations and strategic partnership discussions with Korean OEM customers.
Monitor customer strategies, technology roadmaps, market developments, competitor activities, and industry trends.
Identify opportunities related to future mobility, electrification, hybridisation, advanced powertrain technologies, and other emerging automotive technologies.
Drive strategic discussions around future platforms, technology partnerships, and long-term cooperation models.
Represent Korean OEM business and account priorities in global commercial and executive leadership discussions.
Establish trusted relationships with senior executives and key stakeholders within Korean OEM organisations.
Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders across different regions, functions, and cultures.
Act as a cultural and commercial bridge between Korean OEM organisations and the company’s global teams.
Lead and support executive customer meetings, strategic workshops, business reviews, and governance forums.
Ensure customer expectations, commitments, and strategic priorities are clearly understood and aligned internally.
Coordinate closely with Sales, Engineering, Product Management, Program Management, Finance, Operations, Strategy, and other relevant functions.
Translate customer strategy and requirements into clear internal business priorities.
Ensure effective coordination between Korean customer requirements and global product, technology, and commercial strategies.
Support global sales planning, forecasting, pipeline management, and long-term business planning for Korean OEM accounts.
Contribute to strategic resource allocation and commercial prioritisation.
Establish and promote best practices for managing Korean OEM relationships across the global organisation.
Develop a forward-looking view of Korean OEM purchasing, technology, platform, and partnership strategies.
Proactively identify opportunities beyond existing business and technologies.
Develop relationships with relevant Korean automotive ecosystem stakeholders where strategically relevant.
Support the identification and evaluation of strategic partnerships, technology collaborations, and potential joint business opportunities.
Provide market intelligence and strategic recommendations to senior management.
Align on global customer strategy, commercial priorities, account development, and growth objectives.
Provide strategic updates on customer relationships, opportunities, risks, and competitive developments.
Provide senior management with insights into Korean OEM strategies, commercial performance, market developments, and strategic opportunities.
Support executive-level decision making on major customer opportunities and partnerships.
Coordinate customer requirements, technical priorities, product roadmaps, and future technology opportunities.
Facilitate alignment between customer needs and global technology development.
Ensure consistent customer engagement and global account governance.
Coordinate opportunities and customer activities across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Identify and develop strategic partnerships, technology collaborations, and new business opportunities involving Korean OEMs.
Ensure commercial commitments are aligned with programme execution, financial objectives, operational capabilities, and long-term business plans.
Lead customer-facing commercial discussions and strategic negotiations within approved delegation of authority.
Provide strategic direction and influence regarding global Korean OEM account development and commercial priorities.
Lead global account governance and coordination activities for Korean OEM customers.
Influence cross-functional resource prioritisation, investment decisions, and customer engagement strategies.
Escalate material commercial, strategic, and relationship risks to senior management.
Provide recommendations to executive management regarding major customer opportunities, partnerships, and long-term business development.
Bachelor’s degree or above in Business, Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Economics, or a related discipline.
MBA or equivalent advanced business qualification is preferred.
Strong understanding of the Korean automotive industry and OEM business culture.
Strong knowledge of global automotive OEM purchasing, commercial processes, account management, and supplier relationships.
Good understanding of automotive powertrain technologies and industry transformation is highly desirable.
10+ years of senior commercial, sales, business development, or key account management experience within the automotive OEM or Tier 1 supplier environment.
Demonstrated and substantial experience working directly with Korean automotive OEMs, with Hyundai experience strongly preferred and considered essential for the role.
Proven track record of winning and developing complex, high-value international automotive business.
Experience managing strategic global accounts across multiple countries and regions.
Demonstrated ability to build relationships at C-suite, executive, purchasing, engineering, and programme management levels.
Experience working within multinational, matrixed organisations.
International experience, ideally including living and/or working in Korea, is strongly preferred.
Exceptional executive stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
Strong commercial negotiation and influencing capabilities.
Strategic account management and business development expertise.
Strong understanding of Korean business culture and relationship-driven decision-making.
Ability to navigate complex customer organisations and identify formal and informal decision-making structures.
Strong intercultural communication and collaboration skills.
Ability to influence senior stakeholders without direct reporting authority.
Strong strategic thinking combined with commercial execution capability.
Excellent presentation and executive communication skills.
High level of business acumen and commercial judgement.
Ability to operate independently while coordinating effectively across a global organisation.
Resilient, entrepreneurial, proactive, and comfortable working in a fast-changing international environment.
Fluent Korean – required
Fluent business English – required
Additional European language skills would be an advantage.
Success in the role will be measured by the candidate’s ability to:
Establish and strengthen senior executive relationships with key Korean OEM stakeholders.
Develop and execute a robust global account strategy for Korean OEM customers.
Generate and convert new global business opportunities.
Increase the company’s strategic position and share of business with Korean OEM customers.
Develop long-term technology and commercial partnerships.
Successfully coordinate customer activities across global regions and functions.
Improve internal alignment and responsiveness to Korean OEM requirements.
Contribute to sustainable revenue growth and strategic business development.
