Employment Type: Full-Time
Location: Houston, TX, 77049
We are seeking a commercially driven Account Manager – Export Sales (Mandarin Speaking) to develop and grow our international business, with a particular focus on Mandarin-speaking customers, distributors, suppliers, and business partners.
Fluency in Mandarin Chinese is a mandatory requirement for this position. The successful candidate must be able to communicate confidently and professionally in Mandarin in a business environment, including customer meetings, commercial negotiations, presentations, telephone/video calls, and written correspondence.
The role will be responsible for developing new export opportunities, managing existing international accounts, achieving sales and profitability targets, and coordinating export business from initial enquiry through order execution, shipment, and payment collection.
- Fluent Mandarin Chinese is required.
- Must be able to conduct business discussions and commercial negotiations in Mandarin.
- Must be comfortable communicating directly with Mandarin-speaking customers and business partners.
- Strong written and verbal Mandarin communication skills are required.
- Professional working proficiency in English is also required.
- Candidates who are not proficient in Mandarin will not be considered for this position.
- Develop new export business opportunities across assigned international markets, with a strong focus on Mandarin-speaking customers and partners.
- Identify, approach, and onboard new customers, distributors, agents, and channel partners.
- Use Mandarin language capabilities to establish and strengthen relationships with key customers and decision-makers.
- Manage and grow existing international customer accounts.
- Achieve assigned export sales, volume, and profitability targets.
- Generate enquiries, prepare quotations, and actively follow up to convert opportunities into confirmed orders.
- Conduct customer meetings, presentations, negotiations, and business reviews in Mandarin when required.
- Negotiate pricing, volumes, payment terms, delivery schedules, Incoterms, and other commercial conditions.
- Identify opportunities to increase sales across existing accounts through new products, applications, and business opportunities.
- Act as the primary point of contact for assigned Mandarin-speaking customers and business partners.
- Develop strong, long-term relationships with customers and key stakeholders.
- Communicate effectively across cultural and business environments.
- Understand customer requirements, purchasing processes, commercial expectations, and market dynamics.
- Provide prompt and professional responses to customer enquiries and commercial requests.
- Coordinate internally to resolve customer concerns and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction.
- Conduct international customer visits and participate in exhibitions, trade fairs, and business meetings as required.
- Coordinate the complete export order cycle from customer enquiry and purchase order through production, documentation, shipment, and delivery.
- Work closely with production, supply chain, logistics, finance, quality, and other internal departments.
- Coordinate export documentation, including commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, shipping documents, and other required documentation.
- Monitor shipment and delivery schedules and proactively communicate updates to customers.
- Coordinate with freight forwarders, shipping lines, and logistics partners where required.
- Ensure customer specifications and agreed commercial terms are accurately communicated and executed.
- Research and identify new customers, markets, applications, and sales opportunities.
- Monitor competitor activities, pricing, market trends, and customer requirements.
- Leverage Mandarin language skills to gather relevant market and customer intelligence from Mandarin-speaking markets and business networks.
- Provide management with regular updates regarding market opportunities, competitive developments, customer feedback, and pricing.
- Support the development of market-specific commercial strategies.
- Monitor account profitability and ensure sales are aligned with approved pricing and margin requirements.
- Follow up on customer payments and ensure receivables are collected according to agreed terms.
- Coordinate with finance regarding letters of credit, advance payments, credit terms, and other international payment arrangements.
- Maintain accurate customer information, quotations, opportunities, and sales activities in CRM/ERP systems.
- Prepare regular sales reports, forecasts, pipeline updates, and account development plans.
- Export sales revenue and volume
- Gross margin and account profitability
- New international customer acquisition
- Development of Mandarin-speaking customer accounts
- Growth of existing export accounts
- New market and business development
- Customer retention
- Sales pipeline conversion and forecast accuracy
- On-time export order execution
- Receivables and payment collection
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, International Business, Marketing, Commerce, Engineering, or a related field.
- Fluency in Mandarin Chinese – mandatory.
- Strong professional working proficiency in English.
- 3–7 years of experience in export sales, international business development, B2B sales, or key account management preferred.
- Proven ability to develop customer relationships and generate new business.
- Experience working with Mandarin-speaking customers or markets is strongly preferred.
- Good understanding of export procedures, Incoterms, international shipping, and export documentation.
- Knowledge of international payment terms, including advance payments and letters of credit, is preferred.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience with CRM/ERP systems.
- Willingness and ability to travel internationally as required.
- Fluent Mandarin and strong English communication
- International B2B sales and business development
- Cross-cultural communication and relationship management
- Commercial negotiation and closing
- Key account management
- Export and international trade knowledge
- Customer acquisition and market development
- Sales forecasting and pipeline management
- Strong follow-up and execution
- Commercial and financial awareness
- Ability to work effectively across multiple departments
- Self-motivated, target-oriented, and results-driven
Mandarin fluency is an essential requirement of this role and not simply a preferred qualification. The Account Manager will be expected to use Mandarin regularly to build relationships, conduct commercial discussions, negotiate business, and support the growth of our export customer base.
