Customer Services & Sales Development Executive

Shield Foods (UK) Ltd is one of the largest independent seafood distributors in London, specializing in fresh and frozen products. A privately owned SME, we have big growth plans and to support that we are currently recruiting a number of positions. We are proud to serve a portfolio of leading Michelin-star restaurants, QSRs and hotel chains across London and nationally. We enable responsible menu choices for high-end food service establishments and partners in the gourmet seafood value chain, through a global network of supply chain partnerships, strategic procurement, and strong technical capabilities that meet and exceed regulatory requirements.

You will join a fast-paced, quality-driven environment with a focus on service excellence and sustainability. This is a full-time, on-site role based in our offices in South Ruislip, West London. This role carries a career development path into Business Development Manager over 12-24 months. We will support you in learning the seafood category, if you don't already know it, and ensure you are exposed to growing commercial opportunities to support on-the-job development.

You will be a primary point of contact for customers, responding to enquiries by phone and email, processing orders accurately, and resolving issues in a timely and professional manner. The Executive will support the sales team by maintaining customer records, preparing quotations, developing and tracking new sales opportunities, and following up on leads to drive repeat and new business. You will also take daily responsibility of all customer service for our e-commerce, Hook'd, working with Marketing, Sales, Warehouse, Production, Transport, Stock Control, Sourcing and Finance to drive 5-star customer services at every touch point. In due course, you will be tasked with developing and growing your own accounts, setting the path to step into a Business Development Manager.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Process orders accurately; handle queries, amendments and delivery issues end-to-end.
• Day-to-day contact for small accounts; spot order-pattern drop-off before it becomes churn.
• Management of account pricing and specs.
• Creating quotes to the specification set up by commercial colleagues.
• Learning and understanding trend/margin reporting.
• Coordinate samples and follow up every action step.
• Support Hook'd e-commerce order processing: managing web orders through to despatch, courier tracking and delivery queries, and resolving e-commerce customer issues (refunds, replacements, order amendments).
• Any other key customer service and account support needs.
• Build and maintain channel target lists in Caterlyst with the Head of Marketing, Commercial Director and field team.
• Own the daily “account management” of Hook’d, working closely with the Head of Marketing.
• Outbound prospecting by phone and email; qualify prospects on volume potential, current supplier and review timing.
• Book qualified meetings for the NAM and BDMs with full briefing notes.
• Progressively close smaller independent accounts directly by phone.
• Own CRM data quality and produce the weekly pipeline report for the sales meeting.

KPIS:

• Order accuracy and response times.
• Regular CRM prospecting.
• Qualified meetings booked per month (target calibrated quarterly).
• New phone accounts opened and their 90-day repeat rate.
• CRM data completeness and hygiene.
• 5-star customer service on all Hook’d orders.

COLLEAGUE SPECIFICATION

• Ideally 1–2 years’ experience in customer service, telesales or hospitality. If you don’t have that but feel you are a good match to the role, you are welcome to apply. However, food sector interest is essential.
• Hungry, resilient and coachable — genuinely wants a sales career and will earn it through activity and quality.
• Organised, accurate, numerate and comfortable living in systems all day.
• A basic understanding of D2C and e-commerce — online order platforms, despatch and courier processes, and the standards online customers expect — gained through work or genuine familiarity as a user.
• Confident on the phone, or clearly capable of becoming so quickly. Fluent in written and spoken English.