National Account Manager in Foodservice

£60k - Home based contract

WFH with Midlands Customer Base

Why would you apply for this commercial role over the others in the market right now?

Number one - this company does not have a high turnover in the commercial team.

People join and stay - some for promotion in commercial or to stay in the role they enjoy, others have taken a completely different direction in their career and stayed in the business.

Number Two - this is a mature environment. There is respect in this close-knit team with a good mix of WFH, being with customers and ideally an average of one day a month in the office.

Experience in the foodservice sector would be an advantage but what this client is really looking for is someone who can see where the opportunities are, to get under the skin of the category and build on the existing customer base adding to it with new revenue streams. An opportunistic and positive attitude to fit with the team.

The business has expanded in recent years, growing their product portfolio and branching out into different channels. Having visited the site there is a genuinely positive vibe from the minute you arrive, the walk around the factory and being involved with the senior team in meetings. Everyone said hello, made contact and we felt welcomed.

Some more information on this National Account Manager role?

• It's combination of account management and new business. Some great work has been done and those accounts can be picked up, managed and developed going forward. A third of the role will be a strategic map of the market to dig out those new customers and start the networking process.
• Working with the other members of the team to align with their customer and commercial objectives - this is a close-knit team and working collaboratively enables shared knowledge and the support to meet the objectives.
• As in all commercial roles, putting together a yearly commercial plan.
• Working through the numbers to set out budgets to include volume plans, price, cost and margin.
• Working closely with the development team on the new ideas coming through, relaying feedback from the customer base.
• An in-depth knowledge of the market and where you sit in the category. This can be developed with support from the team - always having that UpToDate knowledge is a vital element of the role.

As mentioned above, foodservice experience would be an advantage, but what's important here is the experience in commercial and the ability to demonstrate your commercial acumen and how to tackle challenge with fresh ideas. In summary:

• Commercial experience as a Junior National Account Manager or maybe you are at the National Account Manager level and looking for a change.
• Solid examples of the development accounts you have managed, building trusted relationships and having the ingenuity to develop new customers.
• Previous experience in FMCG or food product categories where you have been the point of contact able to build relationships and network effectively in the sector.
• Good with numbers and able to interpret sets of data and budgets.
• Confident in your approach contacting new customers and internally to grow those all-important relationships in the business.
• An interest in food manufacturing and knowledge of food trends and what is happening in the market.
• Professional negotiation skills. Training is provided on a formal basis and with experienced members of the commercial and leadership team to build on those skills already developed so far.
• An upbeat and open personality. Eager to think differently and challenge the norm.

There are no restrictions on your time. You will be trusted to use your own initiative and work autonomously. Some time in the office is critical to bond with the team and understand the business but there is no clock watching in this mature environment.

For more information, please get in touch with the Novus Team for this and other commercial roles we are working on.