Opportunity: Strategic Account Manager (Defense) Location: Sterling Heights, MI or Lima, OH The Strategic Account Manager will participate in the management of operations and client relationships with a large and strategic defense customer. This role will also involve liaising between customers and cross-function internal teams to ensure the timely and successful delivery of our solutions according to customer needs. RESPONSIBILITIES • Collaborate with the operations team to ensure efficient and effective coordination of operational changes, as well as minimize impact on business processes. • Ensure the timely and successful deliver of solutions according to customer needs and objectives. • Counsel operations team on meeting the SLA commitments and development of intake proposals, as well as assist in operational planning against budgeted commitments. • Work with operational leaders across the USA, UK & Canada. • Work with operations team to forecast future skill needs to acquire and develop a workforce with the appropriate mix of business knowledge, technical skills, and competencies. • Provider leadership, coaching, and direction as it pertains to policies and procedures. • Manage the content of the Monthly and Quarterly Business Reviews working with internal partners to ensure professional quality documents are deliver to the client. • Build and maintain relationships with the client to develop a clear understanding of the business' needs, ensuring cost-effective delivery of services. • Be an advocate of the client balancing the current and future needs of the client and contractual commitments of the company. • Achieve objectives through collaboration and influencing rather than directives. • Travel to sites in Canada, US, and UK as required. • Lead quality and continuous improvement initiatives across the strategic account, partnering with operational leaders in the USA, UK, and Canada to improve service performance, consistency, and customer satisfaction. • Apply Lean Six Sigma methodologies to identify process gaps, reduce variation and waste, and deliver measurable improvements in quality, productivity, and cost. • Partner with operations and quality teams to investigate service failures and nonconformances, conduct root cause analysis, and implement corrective and preventive actions to prevent recurrence. • Establish and monitor quality and continuous improvement KPIs, incorporating performance trends, corrective actions, and improvement results into Monthly and Quarterly Business Reviews. • Develop and prioritize improvement projects based on customer requirements, operational performance, and business impact; define objectives, timelines, ownership, and measurable outcomes. • Collaborate with internal teams and the customer to standardize best practices, strengthen process controls, and sustain improvements across locations. SKILLS & Experience • 5-8 years' Client/Vendor Relationship Management experience with strong negotiating skills • 3-5 years' experience in manufacturing supply chain environment • Experience applying conflict resolution techniques to prevent and mitigate issues. • Experience working effectively and collaboratively with employees at all levels/areas of the organization. • Strong business acumen and knowledge of business concepts, including strategy development and financial analysis. • Strong MS Office skills. • Experience working with ERP and WMS systems and with projects involving system integration. • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. • You align team members through clear articulation of direction and expectations. • You deliver on accountabilities through a reasonable appropriation of time and resources. • You apply critical thinking an analytical skills when problem solving. • You utilize tools and processes effectively to support people and business operations. • You can build professional business cases and present them to gain support and approval from internal and external stakeholders. • Must be US Passport holder with the ability to maintain security clearance • Prior military service preferred. • Strong hands-on experience applying Lean Six Sigma methodologies, including DMAIC, root cause analysis, process mapping, and statistical analysis, within a manufacturing, logistics, or supply chain environment. • Demonstrated success leading cross-functional improvement projects that deliver measurable gains in quality, service performance, productivity, and cost. • Experience developing quality metrics, implementing corrective and preventive actions, and establishing process controls to sustain improvements. • Ability to translate operational data into actionable recommendations and communicate improvement priorities and results to customers and senior leaders. • Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification preferred. EDUCATION • Bachelor's Degree in a related field Why Join Us • Work in an environment where safety is our first priority • The opportunity to build a career with a growing company • Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental and vision • Life and disability insurance • Wellness programs to support your family’s well-being • A 401(k) plan with company match • Company team wear allowance • Company sponsored social events • Community volunteering