Job Description
Job Title: National Account Manager
Reporting to: National Account Controller
Location: Hybrid role - Includes an opportunity to work from home however, you must be able to work from our Theale office (RG7 5AW) at least two days a week and therefore ideally you will be living within 30 minutes of this address.
Role Summary:
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join an award-winning speciality food and drink wholesaler as the newest member of our national accounts team. You will focus on managing existing accounts and unlocking new business opportunities within some of the most highly sought after national accounts in the retail & travel/leisure sectors.
Championing a specific customer sector/s, you will be working closely with our suppliers, as well as our internal supply chain, customer services and buying teams to help grow revenue within your portfolio of accounts. These accounts all require a “Consolidation Sell” rather than selling an individual brand.
This role will suit someone ready to take on more responsibility by having full management of key accounts within the business.
Key responsibilities (but not limited to):
· Manage and develop relationships with key accounts across high end independent retailers, online retailers, and garden centre groups.
· Deliver the company annual sales and margin targets in your portfolio and identify new opportunities for future sales growth within existing and new accounts.
· Negotiate terms, promotions, and pricing with key decision-makers.
· Collaborate closely with internal teams on category insights, forecasting, and commercial strategy.
· Regularly travel across the UK to meet customers in order to build up relationships face to face (both head office & stores)
· Constantly look at how to increase the average order values and develop more profitable customers therefore meeting the business sustainability agenda around consolidation.
· Ensuring National Accounts are buying into our new seasonal ranges including AYR, Christmas, Easter, and Valentines
· Ensure account records including customer relationship management data are kept up to date on the ERP system.
· Provide customers with data (including pricing) and any information they need after new catalogues are issued, allowing them to update their systems.
· Attend weekly conference calls, regular sales meetings and relevant trade shows as directed and assist as required
About You:
The successful candidate will have a passion for food and drink, ideally know the speciality food and drink sector, however candidates from other sectors will be considered. You are determined to achieve success and will understand the benefit of relationship building, great service and sales development.
Career History & Experience:
* A minimum of 3 years sales experience in retail sales and preferably in the food retail sector.
* Knowledge of the speciality food market and current trends within it
* A proven track record in gaining new business and growing existing accounts.
* Worked with a portfolio of accounts to in an organised and structured manner.
· IT competency with experience of Microsoft Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook is essential as is a good standard of numeracy and literacy.
* CRM experience would be desirable but not essential
Desirable Personal Qualities and Attributes:
· Highly motivated, self-starter, organised, and capable of managing a large and complex set of retail accounts.
· Relationship-orientated and able to develop fruitful business relationships across a wide range of sectors.
· Ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team.
· Excellent oral and written communication skills
· Able to work on own but also a desire to share learnings & success with others in the team.
· Resilient, tenacious, and determined to succeed.
About Cotswold Fayre
Cotswold Fayre is an award-winning business, having won 10 awards over the past few years: including being named in 2023 as the Elite Business No. 1 SME in the UK, The Lloyds Bank Purpose Before Profit Business of the Year and most recently a coveted Grocer Gold Award.
We are a speciality & fine food wholesale distributor, leading the way by offering a consolidation service to supply retailers with premium food and drink products, both ambient and chilled, sourced from the best producers in the UK and across the globe.
We aim to inspire, delight, and make a difference to people’s lives and to the planet through our shared passion for food.
We are proud to be a certified B-Corporation! This accreditation is increasingly recognised as a label which highlights companies with exceptional environmental and social standards. Using a business as a force for good to benefit both people and planet. We are pleased to be a member of the Living Wage Foundation and since August 2019 all our business activities have been Carbon Neutral.
We are constantly seeking ways in which to minimise the impact of our supply chain on the planet and seek to encourage delivery consolidation as part of the process. We differ from other wholesalers by working in close partnership with our suppliers, many of whom we count as friends, not just suppliers! This means that customers are ‘close’ to the people making the food and drink they are selling.
We have an experienced, diverse team that collectively, provide extensive market knowledge and offer retailers an appropriate delivery solution that benefits both their business, local community, and the planet.
Interested? We offer an attractive package including:
* Competitive salary
* Generous benefits package.
We are looking for a person who, like us, believes business should be a force for good and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and with all levels of ability. Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of what we stand for. We want our people to grow and develop their confidence and responsibilities treating our customers with kindness and care; all within an atmosphere of fun and rewarding hard work.