Account Manager - Caterpillar Lafayette Facility, Lafayette , IN

At Konecranes, we believe that great customer experience is built on the people behind the Konecranes name. Everything we do, we do with passion and drive. We believe diversity drives business success and is the foundation for our growth. We welcome different backgrounds and skills that enrich our community, and we promote a place where we can ALL be ourselves. This is what makes Konecranes a unique place to work.

JOB POSITION SUMMARY

The Account Manager – Caterpillar Lafayette serves as the single point of contact (SPOC) for all commercial, technical, and strategic engagement at the Caterpillar Lafayette facility. This role owns the end-to-end customer relationship, ensuring alignment between Caterpillar stakeholders and internal teams across sales, service, engineering, modernization, and project execution.

The primary objective is to protect and grow the Caterpillar account by delivering consistent customer experience, proactively identifying risk, and driving long-term service and lifecycle strategies across the crane and lifting equipment fleet.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Account Ownership & Customer Relationship Leadership

• Serve as the Caterpillar Lafayette SPOC across all business lines (service, modernization, equipment, safety, technology).
• Own escalation management, issue resolution, and executive alignment.
• Maintain weekly contact with all assigned Caterpillar stakeholders; document all activity.
• Build trusted relationships with maintenance, engineering, reliability, safety, plant, and site management.
• Conduct annual (or more frequent as needed) business review presentations.
• Represent Caterpillar’s voice internally and Konecranes’ capabilities externally.

2. Strategic Account Planning & Lifecycle Management

• Develop and maintain a multi‑year account strategy aligned with Caterpillar operational, safety, and capital planning goals.
• Lead creation of modernization roadmaps, fleet assessments, and lifecycle planning.
• Identify opportunities for:
  • Engineered modernizations
  • Controls, automation, and area control solutions
  • Safety and compliance upgrades
  • Reliability and lifecycle extension initiatives
• Proactively identify operational risks before incidents occur.

3. Commercial Ownership & Opportunity Leadership

• Own the commercial strategy for all Caterpillar Lafayette opportunities.
• Ensure opportunities are properly qualified, scoped, reviewed, and priced.
• Prepare quotes, estimates, and proposals; maintain CRM (Siebel) compliance.
• Move opportunities through the funnel using correct sales stages.
• Support collection efforts for problem accounts.
• Maintain visibility on pipeline, backlog, and forecast accuracy.
• Review and negotiate all non-standard Terms & Conditions.

4. Sales Execution & Activity Management

• Ensure effective sales growth consistent with strategic objectives.
• Engage in direct sales activity to meet/exceed established quotas.
• Participate in weekly sales meetings and required planning processes (budget, forecasting, strategy).
• Participate in required monthly reporting including Rush reports.

5. Cross‑Functional Coordination

• Coordinate internal alignment between:
  • Sales Engineers
  • Application Engineering
  • Field Operations & Service
  • Project Management
  • Product/Technology/Engineering SMEs
• Ensure technical solutions are compliant, appropriate, and executable.
• Prevent fragmented communication or duplicated efforts.
• Facilitate internal approvals before customer commitments.

6. Safety, Compliance & Risk Leadership

• Serve as advisor on crane safety, compliance, and risk mitigation.
• Ensure recommendations align with OSHA, ASME, CMAA, and Caterpillar expectations.
• Reinforce that solutions reduce risk but cannot fully eliminate it.
• Ensure compliance with local, state, federal regulatory requirements.

AUTHORITY & ACCOUNTABILITY

• Accountable for overall account health, customer satisfaction, and long-term growth.
• Authorized to coordinate and prioritize internal resources in support of Caterpillar Lafayette.
• Responsible for ensuring no work proceeds without proper technical and commercial review.

REQUIRED SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Self‑starter with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong PC/software skills (CRM, MS Office, applicable systems).
• Demonstrated leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Strong systems thinking, risk awareness, and cross-functional leadership.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• Minimum two (2) years of leadership or customer-facing account experience.
• Basic mechanical and electrical understanding (minimum 2 years).
• Prior experience with cranes or industrial equipment preferred.
• Experience managing large, complex industrial accounts strongly preferred.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Must maintain a good driving record.
• Must be willing and able to travel.
• Ability to relocate may be required for advancement.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• Caterpillar receives consistent communication from a trusted single point of contact.
• Reduced friction, duplication, and escalation across internal functions.
• Sustainable long-term strategy for service, modernization, technology, and safety.
• Increased customer confidence in Konecranes’ execution and expertise.
• Measurable growth in account performance, lifecycle conversions, and customer satisfaction.

What we offer:

Benefits: Medical Plan, Dental, Vision, 401k plan with a match from day one, identity theft protection, accident insurance, travel insurance and so much more!

Vacation: 2 weeks of vacation per year (pro-rated for the first year depending on start date). 5-12 years of service, 3 weeks. 13+ years of service, 4 weeks.

Sick Leave: 5 days of Sick Leave per year. Pro-rated the first year after 90 days of service

Holidays: 10 paid holidays per year

Konecranes moves what matters. Konecranes is a global leader in material handling solutions, serving a broad range of customers across multiple industries. We consistently set the industry benchmark, from everyday improvements to the breakthroughs at moments that matter most, because we know we can always find a safer, more productive and sustainable way. That's why, with 16 000+ professionals in over 50 countries, we are trusted every day to lift, handle and move what the world needs.

Konecranes is committed to ensuring that all employees and job applicants are treated fairly in an environment which is free from any form of discrimination. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer - Minorities/Women/Protected Veterans/Disabled/Other Protected Category.

Konecranes, Inc. and its affiliates will not accept resumes from external recruiters or agencies without a Service Agreement and Agency Portal submission. Any resumes sent without a Service Agreement and Agency Portal submission with Konecranes, Inc. are void of any fees and free for internal use. Applicable Konecranes data protection obligations are the responsibility of the agency.