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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Build strong relationships with customers and drive business growth in the care sector.
- Company: Join apetito, a leading food supplier dedicated to making a difference.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, company car, generous holidays, and bonus schemes.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by supporting care homes and enhancing the lives of vulnerable people.
- Qualifications: Experience in account management and a passion for customer service are essential.
- Other info: Flexible working hours and opportunities for regional travel included.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Location: UK-Home Based | Contract type: Permanent (Full-Time)
Overview
Our Client Development Managers (CDMs) are a key link between our customers and apetito. Customers see their CDM as the face of apetito – they are an instrumental part of the success of apetito partnerships. A successful CDM will be a real, enthusiastic self-starter, who can develop long‑term partnerships with customers and achieve commercial targets including high levels of customer retention and loyalty. Our CDMs manage their own customers whilst having a team of apetito colleagues to support them. This is an important role and gives us a real point of difference in the market.
The Care Homes Team are:
- Dedicated experts in the provision of food for older people
- Genuine partners to Care Homes and their teams
- Proud to create food that is enjoyed and shared
Our Care Homes team have a very forward thinking culture that will really help us to accelerate growth over the next 5 years. We have a mix of experienced managers, food professionals and graduates who are positive and passionate about what we do. We make a real difference.
This role is covering The North England, the ideal candidate will be based around Yorkshire, Durham, Newcastle.
Responsibilities
- Retention: Retention is the key challenge of the CDM role. The targets set are to achieve 95% Account & Value retention on existing accounts.
- Mobilisations: A key element of this role is to ensure that we mobilise our service excellently. This will involve introducing our system, training staff and ensuring that they are appropriately skilled to continue the service.
- Business Development: To work closely with and support KAM’s to develop group opportunities for further business development. Apetito target Groups as opposed to Independents and the development of on-going business is often as a direct result of a successful mobilisation.
- Relationships: External relationships are obviously key to the success of this role, but CDM’s are required to work closely and collaborate with other divisions, to include Marketing, CS&D and Product development, Healthcare, LA and WFF.
The CDM would typically manage a portfolio of around 40 customers with a key focus on budget control, delivering training needs, product presentations and dispute resolution. The role will also be expected to promote apetito throughout the Care Homes marketplace through extensive networking.
About you
Essential:
- Proven experience of achieving and exceeding targets from an Account Management perspective.
- Experience delivering training.
- Consultative, Solutions‑led Sales experience (rather than a hard product sell).
- Strong Commercial acumen – be able to justify a business‑case.
- Objections handling focused around financial issues.
- Good O Levels / GCSEs to support a high standard of business communication skills and numerical analysis.
Desirable:
- Catering experience.
- Experience of food/nutritional/technical standards.
- Experience of the Care sector.
- Customer Service experience.
- A Levels/First Degree.
- Intermediate/Advanced Food Hygiene Training.
- Clean/virtually clean driving licence.
Personal Qualities:
- Self‑motivated individual with proven organisational and training skills.
- Team player who is happy to work within the team to meet joint objectives.
- Passion for this role.
- Credibility with owners and management boards.
- Compassionate and able to show empathy with the customer.
- Constantly looking to improve existing practices; strives for excellence.
- Resilient & determined.
- Excellent influencing and interpersonal skills.
- Attentive to customer's needs.
- Methodical and analytical in approach, but with a results focus.
- Prepared to work flexible hours.
- Able to stay away overnight as needed. Typically no more than 1/night per week.
- Role will include a significant amount of regional travel depending on location.
- Lives or willing to relocate within reasonable distance of the region.
As this role involves working with elderly and vulnerable customers, it is exempt from The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and requires a Basic DBS Disclosure.
Company Benefits
- Competitive salary – accredited Living Wage employer.
- Company car.
- 25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays.
- Option to purchase up to 5 additional days holiday per year.
- Generous annual bonus scheme.
- Pension scheme - employer matched contributions up to 5%.
- Life assurance scheme worth 2x annual salary.
- Free turkey or voucher at Christmas.
- Apetito perks scheme including salary sacrifice options and retail discounts.
Our Values
As a family-owned business, we take great pride in being a company that makes a real difference and is dedicated to creating outstanding meals to be proud of. We develop a range of products designed to enhance health and well‑being for all our customers. We are driven by a passion for service and dedicated to feeding some of the UK’s most vulnerable people. We proudly support British food and farming, focusing on using the best ethical and sustainable produce in alignment with our goal to reach Net Zero by 2040. We embrace inclusion, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds. Our commitment to making a real difference extends to customers, communities, and staff and we're on a mission to build an inclusive workplace where everyone reaches their full potential.
Client Development Manager in Newcastle upon Tyne employer: apetito
Contact Detail:
apetito Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Client Development Manager in Newcastle upon Tyne
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to current or former employees of apetito. Building relationships can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research apetito’s values and their approach to customer service. Think about how your experience aligns with their mission and be ready to share specific examples of how you’ve achieved targets in the past.
✨Tip Number 3
Show your passion! When you’re chatting with potential employers, let your enthusiasm for the role shine through. Talk about why you care about providing excellent service to care homes and how you can contribute to their success.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up! After an interview or networking event, drop a quick thank-you email. It shows you’re keen and keeps you on their radar. Plus, it’s a great chance to reiterate your interest in the Client Development Manager role.
We think you need these skills to ace Client Development Manager in Newcastle upon Tyne
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Client Development Manager role. Highlight your experience in account management and any relevant training you've delivered. We want to see how your skills align with our mission at apetito!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Share your passion for the role and how you can contribute to our Care Homes team. Don’t forget to mention your proven track record in achieving targets and building long-term partnerships.
Showcase Your Soft Skills: We’re looking for someone who’s not just about numbers but also about relationships. Make sure to highlight your interpersonal skills, resilience, and ability to empathise with customers. These qualities are key to being a successful CDM!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows us you’re serious about joining our team at apetito!
How to prepare for a job interview at apetito
✨Know Your Customer
Before the interview, take some time to research apetito and its customer base. Understand their values, mission, and the specific needs of care homes. This will help you demonstrate your knowledge and show how you can build long-term partnerships.
✨Showcase Your Experience
Be ready to discuss your previous experience in account management and how you've successfully achieved targets. Use specific examples that highlight your consultative sales approach and your ability to handle objections, especially around financial issues.
✨Demonstrate Training Skills
Since training staff is a key part of the role, prepare to talk about your experience in delivering training. Share examples of how you've effectively mobilised services in the past and the impact it had on customer satisfaction and retention.
✨Emphasise Team Collaboration
While the role involves a lot of independent work, it's crucial to show that you're a team player. Discuss how you've collaborated with other departments in previous roles to achieve common goals, and express your enthusiasm for working closely with colleagues at apetito.
