Overseas Client Development Specialist Job at Yicheng Jincai Linfen China
Yicheng Jincai Import and Export Trading is hiring an Overseas Client Development Specialist in Linfen, Shanxi with monthly salary ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 RMB. This position focuses exclusively on developing overseas buyers and maintaining client relationships while the company’s procurement team handles domestic factory selection, quality control, and logistics.
What makes this opportunity particularly interesting for international professionals is the clear division of responsibilities. You focus purely on what you do best—connecting with overseas buyers and understanding their needs—while a dedicated Chinese procurement team handles the complex domestic sourcing and logistics. This specialized role plays to your language and cultural strengths without requiring you to navigate Chinese manufacturing complexities independently.
Understanding the Client Development Role
Your core positioning serves as a bridge for demand connection between overseas clients and the domestic team. You’re the vital link ensuring foreign buyers’ needs are accurately communicated to Chinese procurement specialists who then execute the actual sourcing and quality control.
Targeted overseas client development means identifying and reaching out to potential buyers in your language market, whether English-speaking countries, Spanish markets, French regions, or Arabic-speaking nations. You’ll proactively find businesses needing Chinese products and introduce them to your company’s services.
Communication and Order Management
Client demand connection and communication involves understanding what overseas buyers need, translating those requirements for the domestic procurement team, and ensuring both sides understand each other despite language and cultural differences.
Order follow-up and payment collection assistance means tracking orders through the fulfillment process, keeping clients informed about progress, and helping ensure payments are received on time. You coordinate between clients and the finance team to resolve any payment questions or issues.
Relationship Building and Market Intelligence
Customer maintenance and repeat order promotion focuses on building long-term relationships that generate ongoing business rather than just one-time transactions. Satisfied repeat customers are far more valuable than constantly chasing new leads.
Market information collection and feedback means sharing insights about what overseas buyers want, what competitors offer, pricing expectations, and market trends. Your frontline position provides valuable intelligence helping the company adapt to international market demands.
Social media promotion assistance involves helping market the company through platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn where international buyers increasingly discover suppliers. Your language skills and cultural understanding make you more effective at overseas social media outreach than domestic Chinese colleagues.
The Available Position
Yicheng Jincai Import and Export Trading is hiring one Overseas Client Development Specialist for their Linfen, Shanxi location. This position specifically targets non-Chinese nationals who can bridge overseas markets with Chinese manufacturing capabilities.
Who Can Apply for This Position
The requirements emphasize language abilities, work authorization, cross-cultural communication skills, and client development experience.
Nationality and Language Requirements
Non-Chinese nationality is required, with native speakers of mainstream foreign trade languages like English, Spanish, French, and Arabic preferred. Your native language proficiency provides authentic communication with overseas buyers that non-native speakers cannot fully replicate.
Chinese proficiency reaching daily communication level (HSK Level 4 or above preferred) enables you to connect with the domestic procurement team without barriers. You need sufficient Chinese to coordinate effectively with Chinese colleagues, though you don’t need business-level fluency.
Work Authorization
You must be able to cooperate with the company to apply for “Work Permit for Foreigners in China” and “Residence Permit for Work Purposes” or already hold valid work documents in China. The company assists with this process, but you need to be eligible and willing to work legally in China.
Priority is given to talents meeting Class B or above of China’s “Classification Standards for Foreigners Working in China.” This classification system considers factors like salary, education, work experience, and Chinese language ability, with higher classifications receiving preferential treatment.
Skills and Experience
Business negotiation skills allowing you to accurately understand clients’ pain points and clearly convey the company’s service value are essential. You’re a salesperson who must understand buyer problems and explain how your company solves them.
One to three years of experience in cross-border B2B client development or foreign trade sales is preferred, with familiarity with procurement habits and decision-making processes of overseas small and medium buyers. Understanding how businesses (not individual consumers) buy products internationally gives you advantage.
Being good at customer acquisition through social media platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn or having experience developing clients through overseas industry exhibitions demonstrates modern B2B lead generation capabilities.
Basic customer file management capabilities with proficiency using tools like Excel, Lark, or DingTalk to record customer information and follow up progress ensures you systematically track your sales pipeline rather than losing opportunities through disorganization.
How to Apply for This Position
Applications go through eChinaCities job platform.
Visit the Yicheng Jincai job listing where you’ll find the complete position description and application system.
Review the full requirements carefully, particularly the work permit eligibility and Chinese language expectations, to ensure you genuinely qualify before applying.
Prepare your resume emphasizing your native language, any B2B sales or client development experience, Chinese language proficiency level, social media marketing capabilities, and understanding of international trade or cross-border business.
Write a cover letter explaining your interest in client development work in China, your relevant language and cultural bridges you can provide, your sales approach, and why you want to work specifically in Linfen for Yicheng Jincai.
Gather supporting documents including passport copy, Chinese language certificates if you have them (HSK results), work permit documents if you already have them, and examples of successful client development or sales achievements.
Submit your application through the eChinaCities platform, ensuring all information is complete and clearly demonstrates your qualifications for bridging overseas buyers with Chinese suppliers.
Benefits and Working Conditions
The position offers five social insurances and one housing fund in accordance with policies for foreign employees in China, providing social security benefits though specifics may differ from Chinese nationals’ coverage.
Assistance in handling work and residence documents helps navigate China’s sometimes complex bureaucracy for foreign workers.
Flexible working hours with no strict office attendance (though you need to be online during client communication hours) accommodates the reality that overseas buyers work in different time zones. You might work unusual hours to match European or American business times.
Holiday benefits and annual team building provide social connection and breaks. Outstanding performers can enjoy overseas business trip subsidies for activities like participating in industry exhibitions, allowing travel while working.
Application Timeline
No specific deadline is mentioned, suggesting rolling recruitment until they find the right candidate. Positions for foreign nationals in specific Chinese cities can take time to fill, so they likely review applications as received.
Additional Opportunities
While exploring this opportunity, check out other positions like foreign trainee positions for more international career opportunities in China.
Common Questions About This Role
Do I need previous China experience or can I apply from abroad?
You can potentially apply from abroad since the company assists with work permit applications, though having existing work authorization in China gives you advantages. However, understand that moving to Linfen, Shanxi represents relocation to a smaller Chinese city rather than Beijing or Shanghai. Research Linfen’s lifestyle, international community size, and amenities before committing. The company likely prefers candidates already in China who understand the environment, but motivated candidates abroad willing to relocate could be considered. Demonstrate serious commitment to working in China and understanding of what life in a smaller Chinese city involves.
How does the flexible schedule work with overseas time zones?
Flexible working hours accommodate the reality that your overseas clients work in different time zones than China. If you’re developing European clients, you might work afternoons and evenings China time to match European morning business hours. For American clients, you might work late evenings or split schedules. The key requirement is being available when your clients are, not adhering to strict 9-5 China time. This flexibility helps but also means potentially irregular hours. Discuss specific expectations during interviews based on which markets you’ll target. The autonomy requires self-discipline to maintain productivity without traditional office structure.
What does Class B classification for foreign workers mean for this position?
China’s classification system for foreign workers has categories A (top talent), B (professional talent), and C (ordinary workers). Class B typically requires bachelor’s degree plus 2 years relevant work experience, or master’s degree, along with decent salary levels. Meeting Class B criteria provides advantages like faster work permit processing and better treatment. The job explicitly prioritizes Class B candidates, suggesting they prefer experienced professionals over entry-level foreigners. If you don’t meet Class B, you might still qualify as Class C but face more competitive selection. Your education level, work experience years, and Chinese language ability all factor into classification. Higher classification improves both your application competitiveness and your experience working in China.
Final Assessment
The Overseas Client Development Specialist position at Yicheng Jincai offers interesting opportunity for foreign nationals with B2B sales experience seeking careers in China. The salary of 15,000 to 20,000 RMB monthly provides reasonable compensation for Linfen’s cost of living, and the focused role on client development rather than full trade operations clarifies expectations.
The position suits native speakers of major trade languages who have some Chinese ability, B2B client development experience, and interest in living in smaller Chinese cities. The clear separation between your overseas client-facing work and the domestic team’s procurement execution creates manageable responsibilities.
If you’re a non-Chinese national with relevant language skills, 1-3 years B2B experience, HSK 4+ Chinese proficiency, social media marketing capabilities, and willingness to work in Linfen while navigating Chinese work permit processes, this position deserves consideration. The combination of focused client development work, flexible scheduling for time zone accommodation, and assistance with work authorization makes this accessible for qualified international professionals. Prepare strong applications demonstrating your bridge-building capabilities between overseas buyers and Chinese suppliers, and apply to this opportunity for international business development work in China’s trading sector.
