National Account Manager

This role will be accountable for all aspects of the commercial relationship for Tesco within the Major Multiples group.

Responsibilities

• Delivery of account targets for the key defined metrics as specified by the UK Sales Director.
• Ownership of the customer relationship on a day to day basis.
• Manage the customer’s annual promotional plan making appropriate course corrections during the year, including monthly forecasting.
• Develop, execute and monitor the Joint Business Plan, or equivalent.
• Analyse market and customer trends and take appropriate actions to ensure SCJ maintains greater than fair share of voice with the customer. 
• Achieve distribution targets for existing base business and NPD launches during the fiscal year.
• Establish strong customer management skills, developing excellent relationships with key contacts in all functions and at all levels within the customer (i.e. Buying, Marketing, Logistics and Merchandising etc).
• Work closely with the Brand and Category Teams internally to ensure the SCJ team develops a strong understanding of the customer and how they operate.

Ownership of account specific administration and tracking of promotional investment, to include:

• New line forms.
• Promotion proposal forms.
• Accrual tracker.
• PIA Forms.

Requirements

You must be of graduate calibre and have had some good exposure to major retailers in the UK and ideally you’ll have worked with Tesco or one of the Top 4 retailers.  Sales experience gained with UK retail customers is preferred for this role.  Please note that the role will have direct account responsibility for Tesco. Candidates must have a desire to manage all aspects of the SCJ trading relationship with the specified customers.

The skills we are looking for include:

• An ability to negotiate successfully in a challenging environment with experienced buying teams.
• An aptitude to deal with a variety of different people within the customer & to establish contacts where they do not exist.
• The ability to develop and execute fact-based business plans and arguments.
• Excellent communication skills – both in group and individual situations.
• Strong financial management skills – this position requires you to be very close to a customer P&L.
• The ability to work well in a team environment and network cross functionally.
• A desire to ‘challenge positively’ – think big and take a proactive approach to the customer.
• Capacity to course correct the customer/channel plan as appropriate, in a timely manner, in order to exceed SCJ and customer targets.