Regional Account Executive - France

Regional Account Executive

Why Valvoline Global Operations?

We’ve been inspiring and enabling what moves the world forward for more than 150 years, starting with the invention of the world’s first branded motor oil. Today, we’re a leading worldwide marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants, automotive and industrial chemistries, and a business solutions provider to our customers and partners, driven every day by a people-centered focus on innovation and customer excellence.

We’re proud to be The Original—the first to see potential in things others overlook. Originals are the first to develop sustainable solutions. Originals move the world forward. At Valvoline Global Products, that’s what we do every day in over 140 countries worldwide. We create future-ready products that improve the performance of automotive and industrial equipment and services that help our businesses grow and thrive. As The Original, we’ve been innovating to solve problems for over 150 years. And we’ll continue to invent and reinvent the way forward, to always meet our customers’ needs – today and in the future.

Living out our values is what makes our company, our employees, our partners, our customers, and the communities we serve, great. It is our responsibility. It is what drives us. It is who we are.

We’re looking for people who care, operate with integrity, strive for excellence in everything they do, are eager to develop new skills to win, and show passion for delivering on our commitment to all our stakeholders. We are looking for Hungry, Humble, and Smart individuals. If this is you, you’ve come to the right place, and we invite you to join The Original!

Careers for the Driven

Valvoline Global Operations EMEA has a rewarding opportunity for a Regional Account Executive for France, a key commercial role in the Sales Department with the primary goal to manage and develop strategic key account relationships with distributors and end customers on the assigned territories. The RAE reports to the Northwest European Sales Manager.

This is a key sales role which main goal is to set up, build and maintain the business by attracting, developing and managing current and new customers in every market segment. The position will drive business growth across multiple commercial channels and segments in France. The RAE will manage multiple complex priorities, and the role requires continuous interaction with various internal and external stakeholders such as customers, sales colleagues, legal, technology, technical services, sales field developers etc. The successful execution of aggressive business growth initiatives will be an essential success factor. Key responsibilities include expanding sales and market presence, ensuring consistent communication of our value proposition, and maximizing profits through effective market penetration. This position requires strong strategic thinking, collaboration, and performance monitoring skills.

Role & Responsibilities

• Act as an ambassador for Valvoline business and products, providing sales leadership on all matters. Contribute to creating a winning mindset within the sales team and the business unit
• Act as a key contributor for the Western Europe team, and represent Valvoline Global Operations Europe organization, supporting and driving end to end strategic projects (CX, continuous improvement) to maximize customer satisfaction and key account value towards Valvoline
• Contribute to Valvoline strategy build-up supporting the European management team and responsible of translating and operationalizing that strategy in responsible assigned territories
• Achieve annual business plans and metrics (volume, profit) in responsible territories, including proactive management of pricing strategies and aftermarket deployment programs
• Responsible for building and growing the direct and indirect sales business and network within the defined segments to market.
• Expand distribution channel throughout France with dedicated distributors, including prospection and conversion of new distribution partners. Connect with and visit major customers together with distributors to obtain and/or grow the business further.
• Act as linking pin between customers and the various internal departments such Technology or Technical Services to obtain customer confidence.
• Create awareness at customers of Valvoline product segment and act as total product ambassador and support cross-platform sales opportunities.
• Sharing best practices of usage at different customers, to create confidence and ease of doing business.
• Work in partnership with the respective in-country Sales Field Developers to ensure right support and care for distribution companies under responsibility (including traditional distributors, wholesale distributors, OEMs, and end customers)
• Be the first point of contact for any technical or commercial queries for assigned territory. Work with Legal department (contracts, due diligence) and act as escalation point for operational issues that cannot be troubleshoot by Customer Service team (invoicing, deliveries, credit, ….).
• Responsible to support regional cross sell and up sell activities within assigned accounts to strengthen cooperation and business between customers and Valvoline
• Utilize effectively all key sales performance tools that are part of our digital agenda such as SalesForce.com.
• Using customer and market insight to develop effectively and execute business development programs that enable rapid business growth opportunities.
• Develop and implement market specific sales & marketing programs and share best practices across the organization.
• Provision of customer, competitor and market insight to the marketing team to assist in the development and execution of differentiated, value-based product platforms and campaigns.
• Stay updated on current and future developments in the lubricants, greases, coolants industry.
• Contribute fully to the creation of a winning culture within the sales team and the overall Business Unit.
• Adhering to occupational health and safety measures in accordance with regulations and employer's internal acts. Respecting work discipline, internal employer regulations, and rules of business conduct.

Dimensions of the role

• Responsibility of France. Expectation to potentially expand into more territories within the region in the future

What you'll need in this role

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in the field of engineering, marketing, business, or related disciplines. MBA a plus.
• Minimum of 5+ years in similar roles within the lubricants or automotive industry or related fields.
• A track record of initiating, structuring, and executing commercial agreements with external stakeholders, in direct and indirect channels
• Cross-business collaboration experience. Demonstrated prior work with multiple disciplines is required (commercial, technical, financial, legal)
• A demonstrated ability to build customer intimacy, productive working relationships at all levels both externally as well as internally.
• Excellent time management and project management skills.
• Computer savvy, feel comfortable with both software and hardware as a remote worker.
• Excellent French communication skills, ability to negotiate in this language. Good English communication skills to work across the European organization.
• Hybrid virtual position expected 50% of business travel, mainly across France but also punctually across European region.

Knowledge, skills & competencies

• Demonstrated capability in developing close relationships with customers, fostering productive working relationships at all levels, externally and internally, acting as team player
• Demonstrated capability of being Hungry, Humble and Smart.
• Ability to translate technical requirements into business opportunities, applying consultative B2B selling and understanding the value of Total Cost of Ownership in driving Premium product sales across Lubricants, Greases and Coolants
• Outstanding and effective communication skills, able to communicate with diverse client groups (from production line workers to CEOs and managers).
• Organized, stable, independent, and self-sufficient. Takes initiative and can successfully handle multiple tasks with minimal direct supervision.
• Self-motivated with the ability to successfully handle complex multiple tasks with little direct supervision.
• Flexible, proactive, positive and with a can-do mindset and player attitude.

Valvoline provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Are you good at what you do? Join us.

The Company endeavors to make its recruitment process accessible to any and all users. Reasonable accommodations will be provided, upon request, to applicants with disabilities in order to facilitate equal opportunity throughout the recruitment and selection process. Please contact Human Resources at 1-800-Valvoline or email 1-800Valvoline@valvoline.com to make a request for reasonable accommodation during any aspect of the recruitment and selection process. The contact information is for accommodation requests only do not use this contact information to inquire about the status of applications.