Key Account Manager

Key Account Management & Relationship Development Own and manage relationships with assigned strategic accounts, particularly major QSR, restaurant chains, and foodservice customers. Develop strong relationships with key decision-makers across Purchasing, Procurement, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, and senior management. Understand each customer's business model, purchasing structure, product requirements, commercial priorities, and growth plans. Serve as the primary commercial point of contact and ensure consistent engagement with key accounts. Develop and maintain long-term partnerships that strengthen customer retention and increase the company's share of wallet. Account Growth & Business Development Develop and execute account-specific strategies to grow sales, revenue, margin, and product penetration. Identify opportunities to introduce additional products, categories, SKUs, and solutions into existing accounts. Identify opportunities to expand business across new branches, locations, concepts, categories, or business units. Develop new business opportunities within the assigned market and strategically targeted accounts when required. Conduct account mapping and identify decision-makers, influencers, procurement structures, and potential entry points. Convert identified opportunities into sustainable commercial relationships. Sales & Revenue Ownership Deliver assigned sales, revenue, volume, and profitability targets. Prepare accurate sales forecasts and communicate expected demand, opportunities, and risks to management and internal teams. Monitor account performance against targets and proactively develop corrective action plans when performance falls below expectations. Analyze customer purchasing patterns and identify opportunities for volume growth and improved profitability. Maintain strong discipline in pipeline management, opportunity tracking, and sales reporting. Commercial Negotiation & Account Development Lead commercial discussions involving pricing, volume, payment terms, contracts, promotions, rebates, and other customer requirements. Prepare commercial proposals and business cases for management approval. Negotiate strategically while protecting company margins and commercial interests. Evaluate customer requirements and balance customer expectations with product availability, cost, margin, and operational feasibility. Monitor contract terms, pricing agreements, and commercial commitments to ensure proper implementation. Customer Requirements & Cross-Functional Coordination Translate customer requirements into clear internal action plans. Coordinate closely with Procurement regarding product sourcing, availability, specifications, and pricing. Work with Logistics and Operations to ensure reliable fulfillment and delivery. Coordinate with Finance regarding credit terms, collections, account status, and payment concerns. Work with Management on special customer requirements, major negotiations, tenders, and strategic opportunities. Escalate critical customer or commercial issues appropriately and ensure timely resolution. Product & Market Development Develop a strong understanding of the company's beef, pork, poultry, lamb, seafood, and other relevant product categories. Understand customer specifications, quality requirements, volume requirements, and purchasing cycles. Monitor market conditions, competitor activity, pricing movements, and customer trends that may affect the account. Gather market and customer intelligence and translate these insights into actionable commercial opportunities. Provide feedback to Procurement and Management regarding customer demand, product gaps, pricing, and market opportunities. Strategic Account Planning Develop and maintain comprehensive Key Account Plans for assigned strategic customers. Establish account objectives, sales targets, growth opportunities, risks, action plans, and timelines. Conduct regular business reviews with key customers and internal management. Identify account risks and develop strategies to protect and retain high-value business. Continuously assess the customer's long-term potential and identify ways to deepen the commercial partnership. Customer Retention & Issue Resolution Proactively monitor customer satisfaction and identify potential risks to account retention. Address customer concerns related to pricing, product quality, availability, delivery, documentation, and service. Coordinate internally to resolve issues quickly and professionally. Manage difficult commercial conversations while protecting the long-term customer relationship and company interests. Reporting & Management Updates Provide regular updates to the Sales Director regarding: Sales performance Account growth Pipeline and opportunities Forecasts Customer requirements Pricing and commercial negotiations Competitor activity Account risks Collection concerns Strategic initiatives Prepare account reviews, sales reports, forecasts, and business proposals as required. Requirements Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Management, Food Technology, or a related field. MBA or relevant postgraduate qualification is an advantage but not required. At least 5–8 years of relevant B2B sales, key account management, or strategic account management experience, preferably in: Foodservice QSR Restaurant chains FMCG Food manufacturing Food distribution/trading Hospitality Institutional/industrial food supply Experience handling large national or multi-branch accounts is strongly preferred. Experience dealing with sophisticated procurement organizations and centralized purchasing teams is highly preferred. Proven experience managing significant revenue accounts and achieving aggressive commercial targets. Benefits Paid Leave Credits Sales Incentives HMO Company Events