Key Account Manager in Horsham

Territory: Sussex, Surrey & Kent

Package: Basic salary up to £48,000 (dependent on experience) plus bonus/commission (OTE up to 100% of salary), company car or allowance, and flexible benefits including up to 27 days holiday (plus bank holidays and additional annual leave purchasing scheme).

Sector: Packaging Distribution & Solutions

Protecting What Matters, Together. We’re dedicated to protecting what matters most – our people, our customers, our communities and the environment. At Macfarlane Packaging, our commitment to customer satisfaction, sustainability and continuous improvement creates a collaborative, supportive, and high‑performing environment where you can build a career that grows.

With over 75 years of industry expertise, we combine stability with ambition. Our fast‑paced, results‑driven culture challenges and stretches our people, while offering genuine opportunities for development and progression. Every colleague plays a part in our success, creating real job satisfaction at every stage of their career. We offer competitive rewards, performance‑led incentives, and a flexible benefits package designed to support you both professionally and personally.

If you’re a commercially driven packaging sector sales professional who thrives on developing key accounts and delivering growth, we’d love to hear from you.

The Key Account Manager Role:

As a Key Account Manager, you will take ownership of a portfolio of high‑value regional and designated national accounts, alongside managing a defined sales territory. This is a strategic, customer‑facing role focused on developing long‑term partnerships, identifying growth opportunities, and delivering measurable increases in revenue and margin. You will act as the primary contact for your key customers, ensuring solutions are aligned to their needs while driving both retention and expansion. Alongside account management, you will also target and secure new business opportunities, with success measured through new product penetration, account growth, and gross profit performance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement a strategic sales plan for your territory and key accounts.
• Take full ownership of major customer relationships, acting as the primary point of contact.
• Manage and grow a portfolio of key accounts, delivering against revenue and margin targets.
• Identify and drive new business opportunities, including new account acquisition and product expansion within existing customers.
• Lead customer review meetings, building strong relationships with key decision‑makers and stakeholders.
• Adopt a consultative, solution‑led sales approach to understand customer challenges and deliver tailored packaging solutions.
• Negotiate commercial terms and agreements aligned to company expectations and profitability targets.
• Utilise CRM (Microsoft Dynamics) to manage pipeline, track activity, and maintain accurate records.
• Collaborate with internal teams including Sales Office, Purchasing, and Logistics to ensure seamless customer delivery.
• Work closely with specialist and national teams to maximise cross‑selling and solution opportunities.
• Engage with suppliers to enhance solution offering and add value to customer propositions.
• Monitor account performance, identifying opportunities to improve margin, efficiency, and long‑term value.

Essential:

• Prior packaging sector sales experience (working for a similar packaging distributor or manufacturer, bringing product knowledge and packaging sales know‑how).
• Minimum one year’s experience operating at a key‑account or national‑account level.
• Demonstrable experience of managing/developing customer portfolio with combined annual spend upwards of £2M.
• Experience managing and growing key or major accounts with significant annual revenue responsibility.
• Strong track record of delivering revenue growth through product expansion and solution selling.
• Excellent negotiation and relationship‑building skills with a consultative sales approach.
• Ability to plan and execute structured sales activity, including prospecting, networking, and referrals.
• High levels of self‑motivation, resilience, and accountability.
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to identify profitable opportunities.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to manage your own diary and prioritise effectively across a territory.
• Strong IT skills including CRM systems and Microsoft Office.
• Valid UK driving licence and willingness to travel within your territory.
• Residence within the territory to support effective customer coverage.

Desirable:

• Experience selling into industrial and/or e‑commerce sector customers/end users.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Dynamics CRM or similar systems.
• Understanding of packaging materials, design, or supply chain solutions.

What You Will Get:

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 27 with service) plus bank holidays.
• Contributory pension scheme.
• Company car or cash allowance (including electric options).
• Geographical salary weighting (where applicable).
• Employee assistance programme.
• Ongoing training, development, and career progression opportunities.
• Employee discounts across major retailers and leisure brands.
• Annual paid volunteering day.
• Simply Health/Dental Cover or BUPA (role dependent).
• Enhanced family‑friendly policies.
• Long service awards.
• Financial support for eye tests and glasses (DSE users).
• EE mobile discount scheme.

Your future with us:

At Macfarlane Group, you’ll have the opportunity to shape your career in a business that actively supports progression and internal mobility. We invest in structured development pathways, combining in‑house expertise with leading external training providers. You’ll have access to leadership and professional development programmes, working with recognised bodies such as the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) and the Institute of Sales Professionals (ISP), ensuring you continue to grow and develop your career long term.

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds irrespective of your age, gender, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, gender expression, religion or sexual orientation. Should you require any specific support or adjustments during the recruitment process, please email our recruitment team directly.