Retail Account Manager

Position Summary

Retail Account Manager is accountable for building and maintaining strong relationships with Retail community leaders and key account customers, understanding their energy needs, and ensuring high trust and customer satisfaction with NPPD., The Retail Account Manager is an advocate for the customer and proponent for NPPD management business positions, providing outstanding customer service, and resolving customer issues.  Each Retail Account Manager has bottom line accountability for his/her assigned customer accounts and the authority to manage all activities relating to the customer account.

Education, Training and Experience

Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Technical, or related field and 5 years' experience below

(OR)

Associate's Degree in Business, Marketing, Technical, or related field and 7 years' experience. Advanced education in a technical, business or marketing field is preferred. 

Prior Related Experience:
Professional level customer service, engineering, accounting, electrical utility operations, system planning, project management, utility operations, or contract administration experience is required. Knowledge of certified Key Account Executive Techniques is preferred. Leadership experience and supervisory skills training are required.

Demonstrates excellent communication skills.  Listens effectively, communicates information clearly and accurately, and actively seeks feedback and understanding.

Licenses and/or Certifications

Completion of Key Account Certification Training Program within 18 months of position start date. 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Retail Account Manager is responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with Retail community leaders and key account customers, understanding their energy needs, and driving customer satisfaction.
Establish and cultivate strong relationships with key decision-makers and stakeholders at customer accounts. Be the voice of the customer. Act as a single point of contact between NPPD and Retail community leaders and Key Account customers and high-profile customers. Attend applicable council meetings, League of Nebraska municipality conferences, industry and trade shows, training/certification, provide community service and support local community organizations, etc. Customer notification and coordination of operations during system emergencies to attempt to minimize any adverse business impact.
Understand community and key account customer energy consumption patterns, business goals, and potential energy efficiency opportunities. Act as point person in metering or billing disputes with Key Account customers or other High-Profile Customers. Provide technical services, including demographic data, energy rate analysis and project management coordination to new and expanding businesses seeking business investment.
Work closely with Retail community leaders to promote Economic Development and support and coordinate with new load prospects and expansion of existing businesses. Develop and implement strategies to increase business retention and attraction, improve workforce development, and promote community development. Implement business-to-business recruitment strategies to attract new business location, encourage expansion/reinvestment of existing businesses and serve as a conduit for new load/revenue growth.
Ensure high levels of customer satisfaction through effective communication, seek regular feedback, proactive problem-solving, responsive service, and advocating for our Retail communities and customers. Investigate electric service interruptions and provide appropriate level of details to customer on root causes, preventive measures and future expectations. Assist in coordinating maintenance outages.
Negotiate and manage contracts for NPPD provided utility services, rate and rider agreements, and other special agreements. Provide education on rate schedules and rider terms, especially following rate changes as appropriate.  Manage and coordinate large NPPD Retail construction and maintenance projects involving Retail communities and Key Account customers including preliminary engineering requests, reviewing cost estimates, real estate efforts, construction schedules, metering, electrical load information, account setup, etc.
Develop and implement effective account management strategies, including service territory and corporate limits management, communication plans, and customer prioritization. Promote and implement sustainable energy programs to help customers optimize energy consumption and costs. Provide technical development services and public strategy support to assist customers in achieving business development goals.

Act as primary contact point and serve as liaison between the customer account and NPPD internal departments for issues, services, and products. Retail Account Managers will have access to Senior Management (Executive Planning Council) and the CEO as necessary. Effectively recruits and selects team members to resolve issues. Recognizes individual skills and effectively utilizes them. Demonstrate group facilitation skills. Creates and promotes effective team behaviors and a customer focused culture. Positively supports cross-functional efforts. Develop effective working relationships with other business units. Displays self-confidence with humility, a sense of humor, and has high integrity and is trusted. Involves all necessary departments in the discussion and operates in a cross-functional fashion.  

Accountable for other duties as assigned.

Core Competencies