At a Glance
- Tasks: Build relationships and manage key accounts in the defence sector while promoting life-saving products.
- Company: Join NP Aerospace, a leader in armour technology with a mission to protect lives.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, flexible hours, generous holiday, and career development opportunities.
- Other info: Dynamic team culture focused on innovation and collaboration.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by contributing to products that genuinely save lives.
- Qualifications: Sales experience or technical background with strong communication skills required.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
Location: Coventry, UK (Foleshill Enterprise Park)
Core Hours: 08:00–16:35 (Mon–Thu) | 08:00–15:10 (Fri)
Vacancy Type: Full-time, Permanent (potential hybrid working subject to operational needs + regular UK/international travel)
Salary: £40,000 – £50,000 per annum (subject to experience) + bonus + benefits
About the role
Help bring products to market that genuinely protect lives. This is an opportunity to represent world-class personal protection products across international defence and law enforcement markets, building relationships with global partners while developing your sales and account management career in a fast-growing defence business. You’ll thrive in this role if you enjoy building relationships, identifying opportunities and working with technically advanced products that have real-world impact. This role offers genuine exposure to international defence markets, customer engagement, exhibitions, bids and partner development, making it an excellent opportunity for someone looking to broaden their commercial and technical sales experience within the defence and security sector. Working alongside engineering, bid and operations teams, you’ll support solutions designed to protect frontline personnel operating in some of the world’s most demanding environments. If you want a role where your work contributes to products that genuinely save lives, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.
What you’ll get in return
- Performance rewards – discretionary bonus opportunities
- Flex your day – flexible start and finish times (subject to manager approval and operational needs)
- Time to recharge – 25 days’ holiday + 8 bank holidays, with the option to buy more through our Holiday Purchase Scheme
- Support for Defence – two weeks’ paid leave for Reservists and Cadets, plus paid leave for Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs)
- Future security – competitive pension scheme (9% combined employer/employee contributions)
- Peace of mind – life cover at 3x base salary
- Health & wellbeing first – BHSF Cash Healthcare Plan to support everyday health costs
- Grow with us – career development and advancement opportunities within a global business
- Supportive environment – a team culture built on innovation, collaboration, and purpose
What you’ll be doing
Your role is to support the growth of NP Aerospace’s global personal protection business, including ballistic plates, helmets, shields and EOD suits, by developing and managing a network of distribution partners and managing a small number of key customer accounts, while contributing to the generation and conversion of new business opportunities. You’ll work closely with distributors, resellers and agents, supporting onboarding activities, partner engagement and ongoing performance management while building valuable experience in channel sales and international account development. Alongside this, you’ll contribute to business development activity by supporting tenders, quotations and technical proposals, maintaining CRM records and coordinating demonstrations, exhibitions and customer engagement activities. You’ll collaborate closely with engineering, bids and operations teams across the business, giving you broad exposure to the full sales and delivery lifecycle. The role includes regular UK travel and occasional international travel, providing opportunities to attend exhibitions, visit customers and represent NP Aerospace within global defence and security markets.
What we’re looking for
We’re looking for someone who combines strong relationship-building skills with commercial awareness and the ability to communicate technical solutions confidently. This could suit someone already working in sales/account management or someone from a technical, engineering or military background looking to move into a more commercial role. You’ll ideally have:
- Proven experience in sales, business development, account management or a customer-facing technical role
- Experience working with customers, distributors, partners or resellers
- Experience within defence, security, manufacturing or engineering sectors
- Strong commercial awareness and interest in business development and sales growth
- Ability to understand and communicate technical products and solutions
- Experience using CRM systems and Microsoft Office tools
- Degree-level qualification or equivalent
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Full clean UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly within the UK and occasionally internationally
Desirable
- Experience within personal protection products or related portfolios
- Exposure to international customers and markets
- Experience supporting bids, tenders or structured sales processes
We recognise that strong commercial people can come from a range of backgrounds. If you have technical or engineering experience and excellent communication skills, we’d still encourage you to apply.
What do we do at NP Aerospace?
NP Aerospace is a global leader in armour technology manufacturing and vehicle integration, delivering high-performance, lifesaving solutions for the defence and security industry. Our mission is to improve and protect lives, and our vision is to be a leading provider of innovative solutions that solve our customers' complex challenges. Our values — Respect, Collaboration, Integrity, and Dedication — form the bedrock of our culture. Our extensive range of combat-proven body armour, from ballistic helmets, plates, and shields to bomb disposal suits, incorporates some of the most advanced composite materials available. Alongside this, we deliver highly engineered vehicle systems and armour platforms used by some of the world’s most respected defence organisations. Founded in 1926, NP Aerospace has served the defence industry for over 40 years and continues to expand across the UK and North America.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: NP Aerospace is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Data Privacy: NP Aerospace respects the privacy of all applicants. Please note: Successful candidates will be required to sign the Official Secrets Act and pass necessary checks before employment.
Key Account Executive in Coventry employer: NP Aerospace Limited
Contact Detail:
NP Aerospace Limited Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Key Account Executive in Coventry
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the defence and security sector. Attend industry events, exhibitions, and meet-ups to build relationships that could lead to job opportunities.
✨Tip Number 2
Show your passion for personal protection products! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, make sure to express your enthusiasm for the role and how you can contribute to saving lives through innovative solutions.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by researching NP Aerospace and its products. Understand their mission and values, and think about how your skills align with their goals. This will help you stand out as a candidate who truly gets what they’re about.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team and contributing to our mission of protecting lives.
We think you need these skills to ace Key Account Executive in Coventry
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Key Account Executive role. Highlight your experience in sales, account management, and any technical knowledge that aligns with our products. We want to see how your background fits into our mission of protecting lives!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're passionate about working in the defence sector and how your skills can contribute to our team. Be genuine and let your personality come through – we love seeing the real you!
Showcase Your Relationship-Building Skills: In your application, emphasise your ability to build relationships with customers and partners. Share specific examples of how you've successfully managed accounts or developed partnerships in the past. We’re all about collaboration here at StudySmarter!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website for the best chance of success. It’s super easy, and you’ll be able to keep track of your application status. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to connect with us directly!
How to prepare for a job interview at NP Aerospace Limited
✨Know Your Products
Before the interview, make sure you have a solid understanding of NP Aerospace's personal protection products. Familiarise yourself with their features, benefits, and how they stand out in the market. This will help you confidently discuss how you can contribute to their sales and account management efforts.
✨Showcase Relationship-Building Skills
Since this role heavily relies on building relationships with distributors and partners, prepare examples from your past experiences where you've successfully developed and maintained professional relationships. Highlight your communication skills and how they’ve helped you in previous roles.
✨Demonstrate Commercial Awareness
Research the defence and security sectors, including current trends and challenges. Be ready to discuss how these factors could impact NP Aerospace and how you can help navigate them. Showing that you understand the commercial landscape will set you apart from other candidates.
✨Prepare for Technical Discussions
Given the technical nature of the products, be prepared to discuss how you would communicate complex technical solutions to customers. Think of scenarios where you've had to explain technical concepts in a simple way, as this will demonstrate your ability to bridge the gap between technical and commercial aspects.