National Account Manager
Location - Flitwick Office (Hybrid)
Reporting to - Senior National Account Manager / Senior B2B Sales Lead
ROLE PURPOSE
The National Account Manager is responsible for owning and delivering profitable, well-executed growth across a defined portfolio of B2B customer accounts. The role operates across the full end-to-end B2B sales process, from pre-season planning and customer strategy through seasonal preview and negotiation, commercial commitment, in-season execution, and post-season review and learning.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a fun, ambitious, and competitive team, working with an exciting mix of brands and a constant pipeline of innovation. It will be hands-on across all areas of the business, bringing a positive, proactive mindset and a genuine appetite to learn, grow, and take on increasing responsibility for customer relationships.
Will need a strong understanding of the sales process and the confidence to build and manage customer relationships effectively and be quick to spot opportunities. Needs to be comfortable managing multiple workstreams, prioritising what matters most, and delivering results in a fast-paced environment with deadlines
ROLE SCOPE & ACCOUNTABILITY
Ownership of a defined portfolio of retail and/or distributor accounts (UK and/or international)
Accountability for account strategy, seasonal planning, negotiation, forecast accuracy and execution
Revenue and Direct Gross Profit (DGP) accountability within agreed targets
Cross-functional leadership with Supply & Demand Planning, Marketing, Product, Design and Finance
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Account Strategy & Pre-Season Planning
Develop seasonal account plans aligned to customer tier
Build external understanding of customer priorities, market dynamics and competition
Define clear selling propositions and commercial hypotheses
Prepare structured commercial proposals covering range, pricing, volume and margin logic
Identify assumptions, dependencies and trade-offs in advance
Seasonal Preview & Commercial Negotiation
Lead seasonal previews and follow-up negotiations
Convert proposals into negotiated outcomes covering listings, pricing, volumes and differentiation
Manage buyer objections with clear commercial rationale
Maintain clarity on agreed, indicative and rejected elements
Escalate risks appropriately
Commitment & Forecast Management
Secure commercial commitments in line with agreed timelines
Ensure forecasts are accurate, time-phased and approved where required
Work closely with supply teams to ensure commitments are buildable
Maintain confidence discipline and exception management
Season Execution & Performance
Manage in-season performance including forecast vs actual and OTIF
Identify and escalate risks early
Maintain clear internal and external communication
Protect margin and delivery credibility
Post-Season Review & Continuous Improvement
Lead structured post-season reviews
Analyse performance vs plan across revenue, margin, forecast accuracy and service
Capture learning and embed into next planning cycle
COMPETENCY EXPECTATIONS
Strategic & Analytical Thinking
Translates customer and market insight into strong account plans
Understands price, mix, volume and margin drivers
Executional Rigour
Plans thoroughly and executes with discipline
Maintains high standards of accuracy and follow-through
Relationship Management & Leadership
Builds credible buyer relationships
Influences cross-functionally and takes ownership
EXPERIENCE & CAPABILITY
Experience in B2B sales or account management (consumer goods preferred)
Strong negotiation, forecasting and commercial planning capability
Advanced Excel, PowerPoint and Word skills
Full driving license
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
Highly organised and detail-oriented
Proactive and solutions-focused
Comfortable in a seasonal, deadline-driven environment