Senior National Account Manager, Grocery

Hybrid working, 2 days North West, 3 days remote.

The Opportunity

Our client is one of the food industry’s best-kept secrets, a global branded food business with a market-leading UK operation in strong growth. Their portfolio spans both Private Label and Brands, with products holding Number 1 or Number 2 positions across multiple categories and listed across every major UK grocery retailer. This is a business that invests seriously and consistently in Consumer Marketing, Category capability, NPD and Food Development, and Commercial Brand Planning. The result is a team that punches well above its weight and a culture that combines the energy and freedom of an entrepreneurial business with the scale and resource of a global group.

What you will find here is refreshingly different from many FMCG businesses:

• A genuine family feel to the culture, with the backing and ambition of a global organisation.
• Trust and real freedom in how you manage your time and approach your accounts.
• The chance to help shape the UK team culture and commercial approach.
• Very little politics, with a clear focus on growth over process.
• No restrictions on winning business, provided it is profitable and aligns to long-term values.
• Real intellectual stretch from the talented people around you.
• Access to exciting brands and products with significant headroom still to grow in the UK.
• Two days at Manchester HQ with three days flexible working.

The Role

As Senior National Account Manager, you will take full ownership of two key Top 4 grocery accounts, driving category growth, strategic partnerships, and revenue performance. Reporting to the Sales Director, you will be fully supported but the emphasis will very much be on you to show what you can deliver. This is a high-impact commercial role operating in a genuinely fast-paced category, where NPD and category initiatives are central to success and strength of character matters as much as commercial acumen. You will be expected to influence at all levels, internally across Sales, Category, Marketing, Finance and Supply Chain, and externally at senior levels within the retailer matrix.

Key Responsibilities

• Full P&L Ownership: Manage profitability well beyond gross margin level, understanding the full contribution to profit and the wider commercial impact of every decision you make.
• Strategic Customer Management: Build deep, cross-functional relationships with senior retailer contacts across Buying, Supply Chain, Category, Marketing and Finance, influencing long-term strategic planning.
• Joint Business Planning: Lead annual JBP negotiations, securing profitable, category-aligned agreements that deliver mutual growth for both parties.
• Category-Led Selling: Apply data-driven insight to drive distribution growth, range optimisation and strategic merchandising decisions that genuinely move the needle.
• NPD and Innovation: Champion the launch and execution of NPD strategies aligned to consumer trends, leading the communication of category and product solutions to retail partners.
• Business Development: Identify and capitalise on market opportunities, ensuring the business consistently meets ambitious sales and profit targets.
• Internal Influence: Work closely across the commercial team to ensure alignment between brand strategy and retailer requirements, balancing internal priorities with external demands.

Candidate Requirements

We are looking for a commercially strong, results-driven Senior National Account Manager with a proven background in FMCG sales and account management. The ideal candidate will have:

• Proven FMCG sales experience in either Branded or Own Label food and beverage, and ideally both.
• Strong experience managing Top 4 grocery accounts such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA or Morrisons, or major discounters, at NAM or SNAM level.
• Full P&L ownership and JBP experience, with the financial acumen to develop and execute commercial strategies that maximise both revenue and profit.
• A genuine category perspective, able to leverage category insight and shopper data to drive commercial growth and strengthen retailer relationships.
• Confident, credible relationship management skills, comfortable influencing at all levels from peers to Executive Board members.
• The ability to reason and rationalise complex business scenarios, balancing internal strategy with external retailer demands.
• Resilience and commercial ambition, thriving in fast-paced, high-growth environments and playing both the short and long game.
• High-potential candidates currently excelling at NAM level and clearly leading their peer group will also be considered.

If you are ready for the greatest challenge of your career to date, we would very much like to hear from you.