Commercial Account Manager in Carlisle

About Carlisle Brass
We are one of the UK’s most recognised architectural hardware brands, synonymous with architectural ironmongers, builders’ merchants, and major DIY retailers since 1986. Located in Cumbria, home of the English Lake District, we operate a next day service, nationwide and beyond. We are passionate about our products, people, and customers. Part of the ASSA ABLOY group, the global leader in access solutions.

Purpose of the role
To drive category growth and commercial performance across key merchant and retail accounts through strategic account management, data driven decision making, and effective cross functional collaboration. This role is responsible for delivering best in class product content, optimising digital merchandising, and ensuring that customer ranges, pricing, and product information are fully aligned with commercial objectives. The Commercial Account Manager will act as the primary commercial lead for major accounts, strengthening relationships, identifying growth opportunities, and ensuring that product and category strategies meet customer and market needs.

Key responsibilities

• Category, Product & Commercial Delivery
  • Drive the development and execution of category strategies for key accounts, including own brand ranges, ensuring relevance, competitiveness, and commercial success.
  • Collaborate with Product Development to optimise product assortments, ensuring ranges meet customer requirements and market opportunities.
  • Work closely with Technical Managers to ensure all products supplied to customers comply with relevant standards and specifications.
  • Analyse customer, product, and category performance to identify trends, growth opportunities, and risks, presenting insights and recommendations to the business.
• Account Management & Sales Performance
  • Own the commercial relationship for major customers including Toolstation, Wickes, Amazon, Howdens, Ironmongery Direct, and Wayfair from onboarding through to ongoing strategic management.
  • Drive sales and profitability across assigned accounts, ensuring targets, margins, and service expectations are consistently achieved.
  • Support with the management of Kingfisher accounts, contributing to category planning, commercial proposals, and joint business plans.
  • Act as the lead commercial contact for key customers, building strong working relationships through regular communication, meetings, and on-site visits.
• Digital Merchandising & Product Data Excellence
  • Work with Marketing to deliver best in class digital merchandising, ensuring customers receive high quality product information, imagery, and optimised content.
  • Ensure product data and technical documentation are accurate, up to date, and aligned across customer platforms.
  • Support continuous improvement of digital listings to maximise conversion, visibility, and category compliance.
• Cross Functional Collaboration & Operational Support
  • Work with wider team to ensure smooth day to day management of customer accounts, providing cover and support where required.
  • Collaborate with the wider Merchant Channel teams to support commercial initiatives, sales activities, and customer projects as needed.
  • Contribute to process improvements that enhance customer experience, operational efficiency, and commercial outcomes.
• Customer Engagement
  • Foster strong, trust-based relationships with key stakeholders across assigned customer accounts.
  • Maintain a regular cadence of meetings, reviews, and site visits, ensuring proactive communication and alignment on commercial priorities.
  • Represent the business professionally at customer engagements, range reviews, and business planning sessions.

Skills, competencies, qualifications and personal experience

• Proven commercial experience within a retail, merchant, or B2B environment.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to analyse data, identify opportunities, and translate insight into actionable account and category plans.
• Experience managing large or complex customer accounts and building effective, senior stakeholder relationships.
• Confident negotiator with sound problem solving skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Customer focused, self-motivated, and able to work independently while collaborating effectively across functions.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence internally and externally.
• High level of proficiency in MS Office, particularly Excel; experience with Phocas is desirable.
• Dip GAI qualification or relevant product/industry accreditation is desirable.

Please note that all job descriptions are for guidance only and can change as and when the needs of the business dictate.

We are the ASSA ABLOY Group
Our people have made us the global leader in access solutions. In return, we open doors for them wherever they go. With nearly 63,000 colleagues in more than 70 different countries, we help billions of people experience a more open world. Our innovations make all sorts of spaces – physical and virtual – safer, more secure, and easier to access. As an employer, we value results – not titles, or backgrounds. We empower our people to build their career around their aspirations and our ambitions – supporting them with regular feedback, training, and development opportunities. Our colleagues think broadly about where they can make the most impact, and we encourage them to grow their role locally, regionally, or even internationally. As we welcome new people on board, it’s important to us to have diverse, inclusive teams, and we value different perspectives and experiences.