National Account Manager in Witham

Community Foods Limited is one of the UK’s largest suppliers of dried fruit, nuts and seeds to the UK food industry, with customers in both the manufacturing and the retail sectors. Our site at Witham, Essex is a fully allergen-controlled site, with multiple capabilities to pack products for large supermarkets and process dried fruits, nuts and seeds in bulk for bakeries and manufacturers. We also own several brands, including the UK’s largest organic dried fruit and nut brand, Crazy Jack.

Job Purpose

To manage and develop key grocery retail accounts, delivering profitable sales growth, strong customer relationships, and outstanding execution. The role will combine business development and day-to-day account management, ensuring excellence in service, forecasting, promotions, and cross-functional collaboration.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Lidl Account Management
  • Take ownership of commercial relationships with Lidl in the UK.
  • Develop tailored account plans, pricing proposals, and promotional strategies to build sustainable growth.
  • Manage listings, range reviews, and innovation proposals, ensuring compliance with local trading terms.
  • Drive growth with Lidl, leveraging excellent service and product quality to win tenders and drive efficiencies.
• Tesco Account Management
  • Manage day-to-day activity on the Tesco’s Organic range account.
  • Manage promotional planning, forecasting, and data analysis to optimise sales performance.
  • Maintain strong relationships with Tesco’s Organic buying and supply teams, ensuring alignment on service levels, NPD timelines, and category performance.
  • Lead the development of CFL business in other areas of Tesco.
  • Lead significant tenders for large pieces of new business.
  • Ensure CFL are at the front of innovation and NPD discussions across all Tesco categories that have DFN&S.
  • Drive the development of Community Foods brands (ie: Crazy Jack & Natural Days) within all of the Tesco business units.
  • Manage the relationship with Booker for foodservice products.
• Ocado Relationship Lead
  • Act as the primary contact for Ocado, managing all commercial activity and promotional planning.
  • Lead growth initiatives in e-commerce, including digital marketing activation, range expansion, and online merchandising.
  • Analyse online performance metrics to optimise sales and visibility.
  • Collaborate with Marketing and Category teams to enhance brand presence and conversion online.
• Commercial Planning & P&L Accountability
  • Deliver annual sales, margin, and distribution targets for assigned accounts.
  • Accurately forecast demand by SKU and promotional period, ensuring robust supply planning.
  • Manage and control trade spend budgets, tracking ROI on promotions and discount investments.
  • Identify risks and opportunities and propose corrective actions to achieve or exceed budget.
• Business Development
  • Help to identify and secure new business opportunities in the UK retail market and within UK online channels.
  • Develop compelling commercial proposals supported by category data and shopper insights.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with Marketing, Category, NPD, and Supply Chain to ensure excellence in customer execution.
  • Ensure promotional and innovation plans are delivered on time and in full (OTIF).
  • Provide the "voice of the customer" internally to help shape innovation pipelines and pack formats suited to European markets.
• Governance & Compliance
  • Ensure all trading practices comply with GSCOP, company policies, and relevant EU regulations.
  • Maintain accurate customer documentation, promotional approvals, and product specifications.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Net Sales Revenue and Margin Delivery (by account and market)
• New Business Wins in German Retail and Online Channels
• Forecast Accuracy & Service Level Performance
• Promotional ROI and Trade Investment Efficiency
• Range Distribution and Category Share Growth
• Customer Satisfaction Scores (Tesco / Ocado / German Retailers)
• Innovation Listing Success Rate
• Budget Management and Timely Reporting

Confidentiality

During the course of your employment you may have access to, see or hear information of a confidential nature and you are required not to disclose such information, particularly that relating to service users and staff. You must not make any disclosure to any unauthorised person or use any confidential information relating to the business affairs, unless expressly authorised to do so by the company.

Requirements

• Degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field.
• 5–8 years’ FMCG sales experience, ideally with exposure to UK grocery accounts.
• Proven success managing or supporting major retailer accounts (Tesco or Ocado experience preferred).
• Strong understanding of German discounter retail environment.
• Proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, and CRM systems; familiarity with Nielsen/Kantar data.

This job description is intended to outline the general nature and key responsibilities of the role. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities associated with the position, as these may change or evolve in response to the needs of the business.