Senior National Account Manager, gifting

• Hertfordshire
• Hybrid (2 days in office)
• £65,000

We are exclusively recruiting for an established gifting business with a strong portfolio of products and licensed brands, supplying retailers across the UK and internationally.

The business is now looking to appoint a Senior National Account Manager to increase its presence across UK and Irish retail. The role has a strong new business focus, alongside responsibility for developing the accounts that are secured.

A particular priority will be building the business within UK Grocery, while continuing to identify opportunities across other national retail channels.

The position:

This is a commercially focused role for someone who understands how national retail works and is comfortable taking responsibility for the full sales process.

You’ll be expected to identify which customers represent a realistic opportunity, establish the right relationships, develop an appropriate proposition and negotiate through to a successful range launch. Once an account is secured, you’ll remain responsible for its commercial development.

The role will involve regular interaction with buyers and senior commercial contacts, as well as close collaboration with the internal creative, product, operations and leadership teams.

Your responsibilities:

Retailer acquisition

• Research and qualify prospective national retailers across the UK and Ireland.
• Develop a clear approach for priority customers, based on their strategy, customer base and category requirements.
• Establish relationships with relevant buyers and commercial teams.
• Present product and brand propositions tailored to individual retailers.
• Manage negotiations from initial discussions through to agreed ranges, commercial terms and launch.
• Attend relevant buyer meetings, trade shows and industry events.

Growing the accounts you win

• Develop relationships beyond the initial buyer contact and establish strong working relationships across relevant customer teams.
• Agree account plans and priorities for each customer.
• Review account performance and agree actions where sales or margin are behind expectations.
• Develop longer-term plans with key customers where there is a clear opportunity to do so.

Financial management

• Prepare annual budgets and regular forecasts for your accounts and prospective business.
• Negotiate pricing, margins, volumes, promotional activity and trading terms.
• Ensure customer commitments are understood internally and can be delivered operationally.

You’ll bring:

• A strong track record of selling to UK national retailers.
• Demonstrable success in winning new accounts and taking them through to launch.
• Existing relationships with relevant retail buyers and commercial contacts.
• Experience across Grocery and/or other major retail channels.
• A strong understanding of the commercial mechanics of retail, including ranging, pricing, margin, promotions and terms.
• Experience managing significant revenue and delivering against sales and profitability targets.
• The ability to build credible commercial proposals and negotiate confidently with buyers.
• Strong forecasting, pipeline and account planning skills.
• Experience working across multiple internal functions to deliver retailer requirements.
• The confidence to operate independently while keeping senior stakeholders informed.
• A practical, commercially minded approach and the ability to prioritise where time and resource will have the greatest impact.
• Experience in gifting, lifestyle, consumer products or licensed products would be particularly relevant.

Diversity & Inclusion: ILMJ values diversity, equality and inclusion and encourages applicants from all backgrounds and identities.