Sales Assistant - Entry Level, Welcome!

▶︎ Job Details
・ Job Title: Sales Assistant
・ Client: Japanese Automotive
・ Work Location: Farmington Hills, MI
・ Work Style: On-site
・ Employment Type: Permanent / Full-time
・ Salary: DOE (20-24 per hr.) + Benefits
・ Visa Support: No
・Language Requirement: English / Japanese language skills are a big plus

▶︎ Position Overview
This position performs sales support activities including order processing, prototype order coordination and inventory control. They are mainly responsible for supporting sales account managers. This position manages new model and prototype orders received from customers and administers the company EDI system.

▶︎ Key Responsibilities
• Oversees the entire process of a prototype and new model order request to Japan Headquarters and ensuring the final delivery to the customer.
• Manages all event prototype(sample) PO from customers, and requests plant side to make samples.
• Under the direction of the sales account manager or rep, understand the flow of event schedules leading up to mass production of new programs, understand our prototype production lead-time, and urge customers to issue their POs as necessary.
• Confirm prototype shipment date with our plant side, and if it doesn’t match customer delivery deadlines, contact the customer or our plant side to make adjustments.
• Create, summarize, and submit documents during the parts development process (i.e. Production Part Approval Process – PPAP).
• Creates Yoseihyo (request form) to Japan Headquarters and maintains Yoseihyo log as needed.
• Ensures to submit shipping documents once samples departed from plant facility.
• Issues invoices to customers and monitor the payment status for prototype order.
• Manages all prototype(sample) inventory for event sample usage.
• Submits sales related document requested by customer according to customer’s requirement.
• Prepare and ship customer packages or order materials for R&D purpose to Kurabe Japan. Create PO and shipping documents.
• Create monthly reports for management using ERP and Excel spreadsheets.
• Assist Account Managers/Account Representatives with ad hoc assignments that include handling databases for client onboarding. Email communications, translating and transcribing documents, creating PPT presentations for client onboarding and product introductions, and confirming numbers for quotes.
• Finalizes/summarizes customer requested documents.
• Notify estimated date of delivery to customers, based on the inventories and delivery schedules.
• Create various surveys/reports requested by customers. (production capacity reports, CSR reports, sustainability reports, energy consumption reports)
• Work with account managers/account representatives to keep account activities up to date.
• Shares customers’ needs, price targets, spec information, delivery requirements, production information and quality issues to multiple departments both internally and with Japanese headquarters.
• Manages schedule and performance of product developments and finds solutions for problems in a timely manner.
• Participate in meetings with customers, create minutes, and share account activity updates with the entire teams.

▶︎ Qualifications
・Associate’s degree (A.A.) from two-year college or technical school preferred; or 2+ years of sales-related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred.
・English and Japanese language skills to be able to communicate with Kurabe Japan key members – Native or native-like Japanese proficiency preferred.
・Strong interest in the automotive industry