General Manager and Key Account Director

Job title: General Manager and Key Account Director

Company: Suntop Group

Working arrangement: Hybrid, with regular office, client and project attendance

Employment type: Full-time, permanent

Reports to: Suntop Group executive leadership

Compensation: Base salary of US$180,000 to US$220,000, dependent on relevant experience and evidence, plus annual performance bonus and benefits

Establish and lead Suntop’s Portland organisation

Suntop is a global retail fixture and shopfitting partner providing end-to-end design, engineering, manufacturing and programme-management services. Our international teams support retail clients from early concept and technical development through prototyping, production, delivery, installation support and ongoing fixture lifecycle requirements.

We are now establishing our Portland organisation and are seeking an experienced local leader to combine regional General Manager responsibility with direct leadership of a strategic client account.

This is an opportunity to build a local operation with the support of an established international business. The successful candidate will have substantial previous experience as a General Manager, Managing Director, Country Manager or equivalent senior leader, together with direct responsibility for a few major client relationships.

The initial priorities are to establish the Portland operation, provide senior leadership for strategic accounts and develop a disciplined pipeline of additional retail and brand clients across the United States.

Applicants must already be based in the Portland metropolitan area. This appointment requires an established local presence, knowledge of the regional business environment and the ability to attend client meetings and the Portland office regularly without relocation.

What you will be responsible for:

Regional leadership and office establishment

• Establish the Portland office as a credible, well-governed and commercially disciplined organisation.
• Work with Suntop’s international leadership and professional advisers to implement local operating, financial, employment and administrative arrangements.
• Develop the regional business plan, budget, forecast and management reporting.
• Recruit and lead additional local employees as client demand and approved investment justify expansion.
• Create clear decision-making and escalation routes between Portland and Suntop’s international functions.

Key account leadership

• Act as the senior local owner of an established strategic retail account.
• Build trusted relationships with client stakeholders and maintain a regular account-management and service-review rhythm.
• Understand the client’s retail, design, technical, programme and commercial requirements.
• Coordinate Suntop’s design, engineering, prototyping, manufacturing and programme-management resources to meet agreed commitments.
• Identify opportunities for responsible account growth while protecting service quality, margin and cash flow.
• Address risks and service concerns promptly, openly and constructively.

New-business development

• Develop and implement a focused West and East Coast business-development plan.
• Identify and qualify opportunities with retailers, consumer brands and other organisations that fit Suntop’s capabilities.
• Build relevant senior relationships through credible technical and commercial dialogue rather than high-volume selling.
• Prepare persuasive, evidence-led proposals with the appropriate international specialists.
• Qualify opportunities against delivery capacity, profitability, contractual risk and working-capital requirements.
• Maintain an accurate pipeline with clear next actions and realistic expectations.

Commercial and operational control

• Maintain responsibility for regional financial performance, pricing, forecasting and commercial governance.
• Review contract terms, project scope, change control and delivery commitments with the relevant specialists.
• Ensure that client commitments are supported by confirmed resources and achievable delivery plans.
• Represent Suntop professionally within the Portland and the whole countryt business community.

Experience and evidence required

We are seeking evidence of the following:

• Previous appointment as a General Manager, Managing Director, Country Manager, Account Director or equivalent senior organisational leader.
• Direct personal responsibility for a major strategic client account while holding senior leadership responsibility.
• Experience establishing, leading or substantially developing a local office, regional operation or small senior team.
• A strong record of strategic account retention, service improvement and profitable account growth.
• Demonstrated success in developing new business and converting complex, long-cycle opportunities.
• Sound understanding of financial performance, pricing, margin, forecasting, contracts and working capital.
• Experience coordinating clients with design, engineering, manufacturing, supply-chain or project-delivery functions.
• The ability to work effectively with international colleagues across different time zones and business cultures.
• Excellent judgement, written communication, presentation and client-escalation skills.
• An established professional presence in Portland and knowledge of the regional business environment.

Relevant sector experience could include retail fixtures, shopfitting, retail design, branded environments, commercial interiors, visual merchandising, engineered products, retail construction, experiential production or a closely related client-service and manufacturing environment.

Direct retail-fixture experience is advantageous. We will also consider closely related experience where the candidate can demonstrate the required leadership, account and commercial outcomes.

What Suntop offers

• The opportunity to establish and shape Suntop’s Portland organisation.
• Direct access to international design, engineering, manufacturing and programme-management capability.
• Significant personal responsibility and visibility with Suntop’s executive leadership.
• A combination of strategic account leadership, organisational development and new-business growth.
• A competitive base salary, performance-related annual bonus and benefits.
• Hybrid working, with clear expectations for office, client and project attendance.

Additional information

• Applicants must already reside within practical regular commuting distance of Portland.
• Relocation assistance is not available for this appointment.
• Applicants must have ongoing authorisation to work in the United States; employment sponsorship is not available for this appointment.
• Some regional and international travel will be required.
• Suntop will not request salary-history information. Compensation will be discussed in relation to the published range, the role and the candidate’s relevant evidence.
• Candidates must not disclose confidential information belonging to current or former employers or clients during the recruitment process.

Suntop welcomes applications from suitably qualified candidates and is committed to fair, consistent and inclusive selection. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the recruitment process upon request.

How to apply

Please submit an application describing:

1. Your previous General Manager or equivalent leadership appointment.
2. Your direct responsibility for a major strategic client account.
3. Your experience developing new business.
4. Your current Portland metropolitan location and availability for regular local attendance.
5. Your interest in establishing Suntop’s Portland organisation.

Please do not include confidential client information, proprietary account plans or previous-employer commercial documents.

Salary Disclaimer

The salary range for this role reflects the minimum and maximum compensation for the role. Offers are typically made between the range minimum and the range midpoint. Actual compensation will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process. Compensation may also vary based on where a role is performed.