Key Account Manager - Packaging in Nottingham

Cheshire East

Salary: £DOE + Car / Car Allowance + other benefits

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:15am - 4:30pm (with flexibility as and when needed). Hybrid working on offer – If further afield you will be expected to come on site once a week and if close by twice a week.

Company – Established over 30 years, this is a packaging converter market leader in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry.

Overview

Manage all aspects of a portfolio of customer accounts, from conception through to payment. Working with the customer services team, pre-press, and production teams to deliver bespoke packaging solutions that meet our customers' aspirations. Continually develop and grow new business, bringing new opportunities to quote on.

Areas of Responsibility

• Act as the external point of contact for your portfolio of customers.
• Be a proactive team player with the ability to work on your own initiative.
• Manage your own diary, assess current market trends, and target new business you have sourced.
• Set strategic plans for new business development.
• Guide the business on future investment needs for the Company.
• Respond to design briefs, pricing and tender enquiries in a timely manner, liaising with relevant departments to ensure responses are technically and financially accurate.
• Agree critical path timings and liaise with the various production sites' technical/production teams, customer service teams, estimating and external sales colleagues, to ensure a seamless transfer of information.
• Visit customers and host visits to site (depending on customer location, overnight stays may be required on occasions).
• If required, cover for colleagues during time of absence.
• Maintain regular meetings with customers, covering all areas of their business (purchasing, packaging technologists, QA, manufacturing and accounts teams).
• Liaise with internal customer service teams to manage the daily requirements of the business and provide supporting information when and where necessary.
• Document all action points from external meetings and brief internal teams accordingly.
• Manage your customer's expectations to maintain a positive and progressive supply partnership.
• Retrieve relevant information and prepare reports/price requests using their system.
• Liaise with customers and QA on quality complaints; arrange return of goods, where appropriate, with the customer service team and warehouse manager.
• Have a working knowledge of the high standards we manufacture against.
• Ensure good working relationships with superiors, peers, customers and any 3rd party visitors at all times.
• Continuously strive for improvement in personal performance through cooperation with, and participation in, the Company's training programme.
• Provide monthly reports to the Managing Director detailing visits, sales activity, and current pipeline.
• Recommend initiatives that would generate sales and increase added value to the Managing Director.
• Ensure adherence at all times to the Company's Quality Assurance Policies and Procedures and maintain compliance with appropriate standards.
• Carry out work safely in compliance with current legislation and Company Environmental, Health & Safety procedures.
• Any other tasks associated with this role, which are suited to the individual's abilities and level of training as directed by the Line Manager.

Essential Experience

• Proven experience as a Key Account Manager.
• Experience in sales and providing solutions based on customer needs.
• Experience within a manufacturing environment (ideally print and/or packaging).
• Knowledge of Pharmaceutical Industry preferred.
• Preferably from the carton packaging industry.
• Commercial awareness focused on profit.
• Computer skills including Microsoft Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word; high degree of literacy to use Avante system (training will be provided).
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, able to give clear written and verbal instructions and to explain technical and commercial issues to customers.
• Ability to identify areas of weakness within processes and customer-specific procedures and help find innovative solutions.
• Highly responsible, reliable and flexible with a strong work ethic.
• Excellent prioritisation and adaptability to a varied and changeable workload.
• Punctual, presentable and projecting a professional company image at all times.
• Good attendance and willingness to be flexible to accommodate customers' needs.