Key Account Manager - Beers, Wines & Spirits

About the job

NEW VACANCY! (PK8366)

KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER (BEERS, WINES & SPIRITS PACKAGING)

HOMEBASED - LONDON TO M62

Salary £40-48K + Company Car + Pension + Other Benefits TBD

Our client is an independently owned business providing high quality packaging solutions to the UK Food & Drinks industry. A position has arisen for a Central / Midlands based Key Account Manager with a proven track record in the premium drinks or premium foods sector.

The Role: To enable the Company to build & maintain strong stable and long-lasting relationships of value with Customers, by understanding their needs and how to best serve them. Working collaboratively with the National Key Account Manager and colleagues to develop a strategic growth plan, which recognises Customer and Market trends, and seeks to protect and serve Customers and their brands.

The candidate will deliver this by owning and achieving / exceeding their annual sales and retention targets within the assigned territory (London up to the M62 Corridor), across the Beers, Wine and Spirits sectors. The post holder will have a high degree of autonomy in managing their customer base, in line with the Customer Spend Profile, growth and retention. Based from home with visits to Customers and Company offices. Occasional requirement to visit supply chain partner organisations in Europe. Due to practicalities, you must hold a valid driving licence.

Responsibilities:

• To gather and share market intelligence around Customer and Market trends and create and develop a commercial plans to deliver a retention and growth strategy within the assigned territory and associated sectors.
• To identify and prioritise Customers for growth, and develop plans to deliver volume, value and margin goals.
• To provide continuous management, analysis and reporting of pricing, margins and P&L for the sectors across the territory.
• To have ownership of forecasting by sector and individual Customers, and to communicate this to Material Development and Planning colleagues.
• To maintain appropriate face-to-face, video, phone or email contact with existing Customers in line with current / future spend profiles and complete visit schedule and Calendar / Customer Visit Reports.
• To gain an understanding of the Customers' existing product lines and future product requirements so that proactive interventions can be made to support commercial growth.
• To understand and anticipate customer needs for company products and whether they require standard / stock items or a bespoke / made to order items.
• To communicate pricing structures and order lead-times to provide indicative information to customers to aid their strategic decision making process.
• To gain an understanding of the customers' development plans so that the company is in a position to maintain continuity of supply to growing volumes and to win new business.
• To keep abreast of changes in the market and make appropriate introductions to new entrants to the market to gain their business.
• Provide commercial and technical support to customers on product issues or the introduction of new products.
• To represent the company at trade shows and industry events.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience:

• Excellent collaborative working skills.
• Commercially aware, and is able to understand the strategic impact on decisions made.
• Good knowledge of the FMCG manufacturing industry, preferably within food and drink and packaging sectors - specifically knowledge of:
• Packaging materials and specifications.
• Good Manufacturing Practice.
• Bottling line technologies.
• Quality Assurance & Control Procedures & Systems.
• ISO 900/1 & 22000.
• EU/FDA Food Safety legislation.
• Good knowledge of product development process, including lead times.
• Numerically literate.
• Excellent listening skills.
• Excellent communication skills, written and spoken, including presentation.
• Strong Customer focus.
• Attention to detail and excellent analytical and negotiation skills.
• Project Management skills, especially working to deadlines within existing lead times.
• Computer literate with good working knowledge of Office suite products.
• Provide value to the Business' ambitions for growth and sustainability.