Wholesale National Account Manager

Job Title: Wholesale Key Account Manager - Food Service NI.

Reporting To: Sales Director

Main purpose:The Wholesale Key Account Manager (WKAM) for Northern Ireland will be responsible for driving profitable sales growth, brand distribution and commercial performance across an extensive portfolio of company-owned and agency brands within the Northern Ireland foodservice market.

The role will focus on:

• Managing and developing existing wholesale customer accounts, while identifying and securing new business opportunities to profitably grow the customer base.
• Maximising sales, distribution and profitability across the portfolio of brands.
• Building and maintaining strong, commercially focused relationships with key wholesale customers and their sales teams.
• Identifying end-user opportunities within customer accounts and ensuring these are effectively developed and converted into sales.
• Investigating the marketplace to identify potential manufacturing and private-label opportunities, and supporting the delivery of these opportunities from initial concept through to commercialisation.
• Working closely with the End User IOI Sales Manager and NI End User BDE to ensure a coordinated approach and maximise all potential opportunities across Northern Ireland.
• Developing meaningful relationships with key stakeholders to increase brand awareness, distribution, customer penetration and long-term commercial value.
• Monitoring market trends, customer requirements and competitor activity to identify opportunities for growth and protect existing business.
• Delivering agreed sales, margin, distribution and account-development targets while ensuring sustainable and profitable growth.

Key responsibilities include:

• Optimisation of sales and net margin performance across all relevant NI. wholesale key accounts
• Proactive best in class management of relationships in wholesale key account buyers and local relevant manufacturers
• Build annual/multi-year sales plans for each relevant wholesale key account to progress value and margin in line with the respective commercial business plans
• Identify sales growth & development opportunities within each relevant NI. key account
• Close liaison with the commercial managers and the End user key account team in relation to the general management and development of end user key accounts
• Provide relevant support to the commercial managers in their principal/supplier relationships and communications
• Proactive development and management of all sales operations processes in relation to NI. wholesale key accounts & independent trade
• Create a plan identifying the scale of the manufacturing opportunity within the marketplace and outlining a stepwise plan that would enable the business to unlock the prize.

• Develop and nurture Head Office Trading relationships and develop links with Customer Supply Chain, Finance & Marketing.

• Development of channel and key customer account plans within the designated channels to ensure delivery of targets for forecast / budget revenue, volume, trading contribution. Design & delivery of annual best-in-class Joint Business Plans that deliver profitable growth

• Development of cost effective and insight driven value add and event plans in conjunction with customer trade marketing teams.
• Executing effectively NPD and category development plans.

• Work closely with the End user key account team to develop, execute & measure the effectiveness of all value add pull through activities.

• Identifying and the successful management of tenders and contracts within the NI Food service sector

• Working in conjunction with the NI. customer operations team and customer logistics ensure that key customers receive the appropriate servicing levels

General

• Strong contribution at management meetings, business performance reviews, supplier planning sessions etc leading to ongoing success.
• Total commitment to and leading proponent of can do, collaborative problem solving culture across the organisation

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Profitable Sales Growth: Deliver profitable sales growth and improved net margin across all relevant Northern Ireland wholesale key accounts, in line with agreed annual business plans and financial targets.
• Commercial Account Planning: Develop and execute commercially focused End User and Wholesale plans for key accounts, working collaboratively with wholesale customers, the End User IOI Sales Manager and NI End User BDE.
• Maximise Northern Ireland Opportunities: Ensure a coordinated approach across the End User and Wholesale customers to identify, develop and maximise all potential sales and commercial opportunities throughout Northern Ireland.
• Best-in-Class Communication: Maintain clear, consistent and effective internal and external communication, including account development plans, performance reviews, commercial updates and agreed actions.
• Key Customer Relationships: Build and maintain excellent, long-term relationships with Northern Ireland key wholesale customers, developing strong partnerships that support customer retention, growth and mutual commercial success.

Criteria:

• Significant account management experience within a consumer goods environment.
• Thorough knowledge of the food industry, products and foodservice channel is preferable.
• Strong financial acumen and commercial awareness with experience of full P&L management.
• Proven experience of building credible customer relationship with strong negotiation skills.
• Minimum of three years' experience in a key account role within Food Service / FMCG.
• Highly numerate & analytical with an ability to make challenging & clear arguments out of sales figures.
• Highly Computer literate (MS word, Advanced Excel & PowerPoint,)
• An effective communicator – both written & verbal communication – in informal face to face meetings & formal presentations.
• Organized & efficient with a strong ability to multitask and prioritize.
• Able to work on your own initiative and an ability to deliver under pressure
• Well-developed planning and organizational skills with a keen attention to detail
• The ability to work independently, flexibly and with a high degree of initiative
• Superior communication skills, written and verbal
• Experience with JBP negotiation and proven ability to build and maintain relationships and communicate across all levels in an organization