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 a 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 passion for the FMCG industry.
- 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 volume‐driven, price‐sensitive lines and 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
What We're Looking For
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 18 hours ago Remote United Kingdom More information a[...] in London employer: Lambweston Nl
Contact Detail:
Lambweston Nl Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land National Account Manager – Grocery Retail 18 hours ago Remote United Kingdom More information a[...] in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the grocery retail sector and let them know you're on the hunt for a National Account Manager role. A friendly chat can lead to insider info or even a referral, which can give you a leg up in the application process.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews by researching Lamb Weston and their competitors. Understand their products, market position, and recent news. This will help you tailor your answers and show that you're genuinely interested in the company and its growth strategy.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! You’ll want to clearly articulate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities of managing accounts and driving growth. Role-play with a friend or use online resources to refine your delivery and boost your confidence.
✨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 proactive and serious about joining the team at Lamb Weston.
We think you need these skills to ace National Account Manager – Grocery Retail 18 hours ago Remote United Kingdom More information a[...] in London
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 don’t forget to showcase your P&L management skills. We want to see how you can contribute to our growth!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this role. Mention specific achievements in managing accounts and building relationships, and show us your passion for the food industry.
Showcase Your Commercial Acumen: In your application, demonstrate your commercial thinking and strategic mindset. Share examples of how you've driven profitable growth in previous roles. We love seeing data-driven insights that led to successful outcomes!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply 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 you’re keen on joining our team at Lamb Weston!
How to prepare for a job interview at Lambweston Nl
✨Know Your Accounts Inside Out
Before the interview, dive deep into Lamb Weston’s portfolio, especially their branded and private label frozen potato products. Understand their current market position and recent developments in grocery retail. This knowledge 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. Think about specific instances where your proactive communication or problem-solving skills led to successful negotiations or improved customer satisfaction. This will highlight your ability to position Lamb Weston as a strategic partner.
✨Be Data-Driven
Familiarise yourself with tools like Nielsen, Kantar, and IGD, as they are crucial for category insights and joint business planning. Be ready to discuss how you've used data to inform your decisions and drive growth in previous roles. This will show that you can turn insights into actionable strategies.
✨Demonstrate Your Commercial Leadership
Prepare to discuss your experience with P&L management and Joint Business Plans. Bring examples of how you've successfully managed budgets and forecasts in the past. This will illustrate your capability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution, which is key for this role.