National Account Manager – Grocery Retail in London
National Account Manager – Grocery Retail

National Account Manager – Grocery Retail in London

London Full-Time 36000 - 60000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Drive growth for Lamb Weston by managing grocery retail accounts and building strong relationships.
  • Company: Join a fast-growing food business that values integrity, teamwork, and empowerment.
  • Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, travel opportunities, and a supportive work culture.
  • Why this job: Take ownership of your accounts and make a real impact in the grocery sector.
  • Qualifications: Experience in account management and a background in FMCG is essential.
  • Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for personal and professional growth.

The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.

As the National Account Manager for Grocery Retail, you will be responsible for growing Lamb Weston's retail business with grocery multiples and discounters. You'll own your accounts end-to-end, reporting into the UK & Ireland Sales Director for Retail, Cash & Carry. You will contribute to setting the strategy, and be directly responsible for securing listings, managing promotions, and building strong, productive relationships with retail partners. The focus is on delivering sustainable, profitable growth through disciplined execution, strong commercial thinking, and effective collaboration both in-store and with the retail buying team.

This role is responsible for the commercial leadership and growth of a portfolio of UK grocery multiple and discounter customers, spanning both branded and private label frozen potato products, with a strong focus on new business development. This is a true ownership role, leading Joint Business Planning, and delivering profitable growth through strong customer relationships, disciplined execution, and cross-functional collaboration.

Home-based in the UK, with regular national travel to customers and internal teams, and occasional international travel to European manufacturing and central functions.

Key Responsibilities
  • Take full commercial ownership of a portfolio of UK grocery multiple and discounter accounts across branded and private label.
  • Develop and deliver annual customer strategies, Joint Business Plans, and trading plans aligned to Lamb Weston's growth, margin, and volume objectives.
  • Lead P&L management for assigned accounts, including forecasting, budgeting, and performance tracking.
  • Translate customer strategy into clear commercial priorities, ensuring focus on the opportunities that drive sustainable growth.
  • Build deep, high-impact relationships with retail buying, category management, technical, NPD and supply chain teams, through to day-to-day trading.
  • Position Lamb Weston as a strategic partner, not just a supplier, through insight-led conversations and proactive problem solving.
  • Own all annual customer negotiations, including pricing, trade terms, promotional mechanics, and range decisions.
  • Drive listings, range extensions, and shelf-space optimisation across the frozen potato category.
  • Manage the dual complexity of branded and private label portfolios, balancing brand value-added, differentiated products and innovation.
  • Develop category and shopper insights alongside the Category Management Team to support value-added selling and joint business planning using tools such as Nielsen, Kantar and IGD.
  • Lead the preparation and presentation of commercial proposals, tenders, and promotional concepts.
  • Ensure consistent strategic execution of key account in collaboration with International Key Account Managers for customers across the EMEA region.
  • Project Manage the NPD and innovation pipeline, ensuring developments are commercially viable and aligned to UK retailer needs and manufacturing capability, in line with internal policies and procedures.
  • Deliver high customer satisfaction through proactive communication, accurate forecasting, and OTIF order execution.
  • Support retail customers with product knowledge, category insights, and activation concepts.
  • Coordinate customer visits, product presentations, and innovation launches.
  • Act as the commercial lead internally for your customer base, aligning Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, Customer Service, and NPD behind clear priorities.
  • Coordinate with UK & European manufacturing sites and central teams to ensure availability, service, and customer-specific development are delivered flawlessly.
  • Champion pace, accountability, and clarity of execution across the wider business.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
  • Successful listings and range expansions
  • Promotional effectiveness & profitability
  • Forecast accuracy
  • Customer complaints
Experience
  • Proven experience as a National Account Manager (or equivalent) managing UK grocery multiple and/or discounter customers.
  • Additionally experience with wholesalers or cash & carry serving retail is a strong advantage.
  • Bachelor level working and thinking capability.
  • Strong background in FMCG, ideally within food or frozen categories.
  • Demonstrated experience managing both branded and private label retail propositions.
  • Clear evidence of P&L ownership, JBP delivery, and commercial negotiation.
Capability & Mindset
  • Commercially astute, with the ability to balance strategic thinking and hands-on execution.
  • Confident, credible relationship builder who can operate at buyer and senior stakeholder level.
  • Data-literate, able to turn insight into clear, actionable commercial decisions.
  • Resilient, proactive, and comfortable working in a fast-moving, matrix, international environment.
  • Willing and able to travel regularly within the UK, with occasional international travel.

This is a challenging role in a fast-growing food business where you'll be trusted with real responsibility. At Lamb Weston, we believe people grow best when they're given ownership, support and the space to develop, and we expect our teams to grow as the business grows. Our culture is grounded in Integrity, Teamwork, Inclusion, Drive for Results and Empowerment.

National Account Manager – Grocery Retail in London employer: Lamb Weston EMEA

Lamb Weston is an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of integrity, teamwork, and empowerment, making it an ideal place for the National Account Manager in Grocery Retail to thrive. With a strong focus on employee growth and development, you will have the opportunity to take ownership of your accounts while collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive sustainable growth. The home-based role offers flexibility alongside regular travel, ensuring a dynamic work environment that values your contributions and insights.
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Contact Detail:

Lamb Weston EMEA Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land National Account Manager – Grocery Retail in London

Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the grocery retail sector. Attend industry events, join relevant online groups, and don’t be shy about reaching out to potential contacts on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!

Tip Number 2

Prepare for those interviews! Research Lamb Weston and understand their products, values, and market position. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals, especially around building strong customer relationships and driving profitable growth.

Tip Number 3

Showcase your commercial acumen! During interviews, highlight your experience with P&L management and Joint Business Planning. Use specific examples to demonstrate how you've successfully managed accounts and driven sales in the past.

Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the team at Lamb Weston. Let’s get you that National Account Manager role!

We think you need these skills to ace National Account Manager – Grocery Retail in London

Commercial Leadership
Account Management
P&L Management
Joint Business Planning
Customer Relationship Management
Negotiation Skills
Category Management
Data Analysis
Project Management
Cross-Functional Collaboration
FMCG Knowledge
Problem-Solving Skills
Communication Skills
Strategic Thinking
Adaptability

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the National Account Manager role. Highlight your experience with grocery multiples and discounters, and showcase any relevant achievements in P&L management and customer relationship building.

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter should tell us why you're the perfect fit for this role. Use it to demonstrate your understanding of the grocery retail landscape and how you can contribute to Lamb Weston’s growth strategy.

Showcase Your Commercial Acumen: In your application, be sure to highlight your commercial thinking and strategic execution skills. We want to see examples of how you've driven profitable growth and managed complex accounts in the past.

Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows your enthusiasm for joining our team!

How to prepare for a job interview at Lamb Weston EMEA

Know Your Accounts Inside Out

Before the interview, make sure you research Lamb Weston’s grocery retail accounts thoroughly. Understand their current market position, recent promotions, and any challenges they might be facing. This will help you demonstrate your commercial acumen and show that you're ready to take ownership of the accounts.

Showcase Your Relationship-Building Skills

Prepare examples of how you've built strong relationships with retail partners in the past. Be ready to discuss specific strategies you've used to engage with buyers and category managers. Highlight your ability to position yourself as a strategic partner rather than just a supplier.

Demonstrate Your P&L Management Experience

Be prepared to talk about your experience with P&L management. Bring examples of how you've successfully forecasted, budgeted, and tracked performance in previous roles. This will show that you have the financial savvy needed for this role and can contribute to Lamb Weston’s growth objectives.

Prepare for Joint Business Planning Discussions

Since this role involves leading Joint Business Planning, think about how you would approach creating a trading plan aligned with Lamb Weston’s goals. Prepare to discuss your process for developing customer strategies and how you’ve executed them in the past, ensuring you can articulate your thought process clearly.

National Account Manager – Grocery Retail in London
Lamb Weston EMEA
Location: London
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  • National Account Manager – Grocery Retail in London

    London
    Full-Time
    36000 - 60000 £ / year (est.)
  • L

    Lamb Weston EMEA

    1000-5000
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