Key Account Manager in London

To build strong partnerships with assigned retailers, shaping and realising joint strategies to grow sales and profit, increase market share, respecting at all times the image and priorities of the Givenchy brand.

To define and agree with Head of Sales Annual the commercial strategy and marketing proposition for each given retailer. To seize any opportunity to increase both sell-in and sell-out and improve space/location and image in all relevant doors.

Main Responsibilities

• Strategic Direction: Define a vision and strategy for assigned retailers, outlining the ambitions to improve sales, profit and brand image, and the initiatives needed to achieve those ambitions. Coordinate other functions to ensure long-term objectives and budgets are aligned by championing retailer needs and priorities to the greater business. Review progress monthly and annually to ensure delivery is on track and adapt plans as appropriate.
• Business: Establish and monitor budget investment, trading terms and conditions to drive the business and ensure profitability per account. Negotiate annual Commercial Agreements, agreeing the vision and strategy for assigned retail partners, to support annual budget. Define and implement retailers’ specific Joint Business Plans (JBPs), reviewing the progress quarterly with the retailers to ensure delivery and adapt plans as appropriate. Define retail and wholesale targets and review monthly performance. Anticipate challenges and fluctuations in performance and develop and deliver proposals to mitigate risks. Prepare/co-ordinate sales strategy documents for company strategy meetings and present retailer specific strategy to retailers, ensuring their buy-in. Secure appropriate allocation and sell-in for the new launches & review the sell-in and sell-through of all the key projects. Analyse sales forecasting, stock levels and returns to drive the objectives of the agreed annual retailer strategy. Partner with other functions to ensure all retail opportunities are maximized. Present at sales conferences an overview of retail and trade marketing plans with emphasis on key initiatives to ensure retail support from field team. Liaise with sales force to identify, agree and monitor regional staffing opportunities and local action plans and to understand store performance and brand positioning in each retailer.
• Account Management: Establish key relationships with all retailers’ headquarters and retail teams in key stores and deliver the strongest and most professional relationship within the category. Act as a primary contact for all communications with retailer partners. Develop engagement plans to enhance reputation of Givenchy within given retailers and continue to build close working relationships across relevant retailer departments (Trading and Operations, Marketing, CRM, Online, Supply Chain, Staffing). Coordinate other functions as needed to ensure engagement plan is delivered. Support, coach and develop Key Account Executive. Set annual objectives, monitor performance and provide feedback in line with company PCR process. Work with the finance department to ensure underpayments are cleared monthly and all internal trackers are completed on time and accounts are in line with budget. Build a peer network across other LVMH brands.

Profile Specification

• 5+ years relevant sales’ experience (preferably Beauty industry)
• Experienced Key Account Management
• Experience of UK retailers
• Good understanding of and appreciation for the luxury goods industry
• Personal affinity with Givenchy
• Experience of working in cross-functional teams
• Experience of producing trade marketing plans desirable
• Senior management potential, with strong personal impact
• Competent in usage of MS Office applications

Key Leadership / Managerial Skills:

• Business planning: Constructs a compelling annual strategy and translates it into concrete annual plans with SMART objectives and detailed action plans; plans business in short, medium and long terms.
• Ability to be both proactive and reactive and work under pressure
• Driven and with ability to drive direct reports and other team members around them.
• Negotiation: Uses both hard and soft negotiation techniques to secure win-win results; is able to adapt approach quickly in order to secure better results
• Influencing & stakeholder management: Articulate and able to adapt personal style to influence others better; uses a broad range of techniques to build consensus and secure support; actively manages network to influence all stakeholders
• Analytical skills: Compiles and interprets financial, market and category information, translating insights into action plans; is focused on delivering insight and action from the analysis
• Team player
• Able to coach and develop junior members of the team
• Customer and relationship focused
• Able to deliver and manage vision and purpose
• Great attention to detail

Additional Information

• Reports To: Head of Sales
• Direct Reports: Key Account Executive
• Internal: Senior Management team, Marketing & Merchandising Department, Training Department, Finance Department, Field Sales Team, Customer service, LVMH Peer Group
• External: Designated Retailers, Buying teams, Merchandising teams, Marketing and CRM, Online and Digital, Logistics teams, Store management
• Contract: Permanent Job
• Experience: Minimum 5 years
• Type: Full Time
• Function: Sales