Account Manager in Bedford

The Account Manager is responsible for managing customer accounts and ensuring effective delivery of commercial, operational, and service-level commitments. This role is the key link between the customer and the business, playing a vital role in defining and executing customer-specific strategies, driving sales growth, managing risk, and facilitating smooth operational performance. This position combines relationship management, sales execution, operational coordination, and strategic insight, and is central to ensuring satisfaction, retention, and long-term growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Customer Strategy & Relationship Management: Work with Business Development (BD) leadership to define, document, and execute customer-specific strategies. Build and maintain strong networks within the customer’s organization across functions and levels of seniority. Manage customer expectations, ensuring alignment with the business’s capabilities and capacity. Act as the primary point of contact for day-to-day customer engagement and relationship management.
• Commercial & Sales Execution: Manage and maintain an accurate sales forecast across monthly, mid-month, quarterly, annual, and long-term (5-year) horizons. Ensure forecast includes accurate margin calculations and resource alignment. Promote Axis services within customer account as additional revenue streams. Handle RFQs and quotations in collaboration with the Quotations Manager and team; ensure timely, accurate submissions aligned with customer requirements. Monitor and manage sales performance for assigned customer accounts. Maintain and regularly review customer strategy documents and communicate updates to senior management.
• Contract & Order Management: Lead and ensure completion of Contract and Detailed Contract Reviews in line with company procedures. Manage the Customer Order Book and lead OPOR reviews monthly or as appropriate. Review live order books and external customer schedules weekly, ensuring accurate and timely updates.
• Operational Engagement & Support: Attend production schedule reviews and provide input to ensure smooth order execution. Work closely with Operations Engineering (OE), Production, Materials, and QA teams to ensure internal schedules align with customer needs. Ensure risk mitigation strategies are identified and executed as required. Engage with PRR (production readiness review) team for program/project management where appropriate.
• Customer Service & Continuous Improvement: Manage all internal and external customer queries to resolution, ensuring accurate communication and timely response. Drive continuous improvement activities such as SPL, YIT, CAR, CSIP initiatives in collaboration with customers and internal teams. Organize and host Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) and Strategic Business Reviews (SBRs), including agendas, minutes, and action tracking.
• Reporting & Governance: Prepare and deliver business performance metrics and customer dashboards monthly to senior management. Ensure data integrity and reporting accuracy within business management systems. Keep customer KPIs monitored and reported regularly. Log and review customer queries routinely; ensure improvement actions are tracked and completed.

Person Specification

• Experience in customer facing account or project management roles, ideally within manufacturing or electronics.
• Strong organization, planning, and time management skills.
• High attention to detail, particularly in managing forecasts, order books, and reporting metrics.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work across all business functions.
• Proactive approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Competency in ERP and business management systems is essential.
• Familiarity with quality and production processes preferred.