Key Account Manager Vending & Beverages

Unlock Your Potential as a Key Account Sales Manager

This Key Account Sales Manager position presents a compelling opportunity for seasoned sales professionals looking to drive significant impact within the global food and beverage industry, specifically focusing on the dynamic world of chocolate. If you are a strategic thinker with a passion for building strong B2B relationships and a proven ability to deliver top-line sales growth and bottom-line profitability, this role could be your next career pinnacle.

Advantages for the Aspiring Candidate:

• Global Reach & Strategic Impact: You will be instrumental in managing and growing relationships with the company's largest, globally recognized customers. This role offers the chance to operate on an international scale, influencing strategic partnerships and contributing directly to the company's global success.
• End-to-End Ownership: This position provides comprehensive responsibility for key accounts, encompassing the entire customer lifecycle. You'll have the autonomy to drive sales, manage product development, and ensure exceptional service quality, all while aligning internal departments to achieve customer objectives.
• Career Development & Growth: The role emphasizes driving growth through new product development, market share expansion, and unlocking new opportunities. This focus on innovation and strategic expansion offers a fertile ground for professional development and career advancement.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: You will be empowered to partner with diverse internal teams, including R&D, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Trading/Sourcing. This collaborative environment fosters synergies, leverages existing expertise, and enhances your understanding of the broader business landscape.
• Strategic Partnership Building: A significant aspect of this role involves negotiating and closing multi-year partnership agreements. This is an opportunity to build enduring, mutually beneficial relationships that drive substantial value for both the company and its key clients.
• Flexibility: The role is home-based, offering a degree of flexibility while requiring travel to key UK-based customers and occasional trips to Sweden, providing exposure to different markets.

Key Considerations for Your Career Path:

• Experience is Crucial: With 8-10 years of experience required in a commercial B2B role, this position is best suited for individuals who have already established a strong track record in sales, particularly within the food and beverage sector and with large corporate clients.
• Navigating Complexity: Success in this role hinges on your ability to navigate complex matrix organizations, both internally and externally. Strong stakeholder management and communication skills are paramount.
• Industry Expertise: A deep understanding of the chocolate industry – its products, innovations, key players, customers, and competitors – is essential. The ideal candidate will possess a genuine passion and in-depth knowledge of this specialized market.
• Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in SAP, Salesforce, and the MS Office suite is a prerequisite, reflecting the need for robust data management and sales process execution.
• Analytical Acumen: The ability to analyze sales and marketing data, understand budgetary controls, and master pricing mechanisms will be critical for developing effective sales strategies and ensuring profitability.
• Language Advantage: While English is essential, proficiency in additional languages is a distinct advantage, underscoring the global nature of the role and the company's international client base.

This Key Account Sales Manager role offers a remarkable platform for experienced sales leaders to make a tangible difference, drive strategic growth, and further their careers within a leading global organization. If you are ready to take on a challenging and rewarding opportunity, this position is designed for you.