National Account Manager - Drinks

About the role

An established, highly successful FMCG manufacturer with a turnover of over £20m and more than 500 customers is recruiting a newly created National Account Manager focused on accelerating growth across the Drinks sector. The role is hybrid, with two days per week in the office in Kent, and pays £50,000 to £55,000 plus bonus. It is a genuine hunter-nurturer role: you will open the door, win the customer and then keep and grow the relationship.

Key responsibilities

• Identify and win new business opportunities across the UK drinks market
• Build a strong pipeline across drinks manufacturers, branded businesses, own-label producers and other relevant partners
• Develop relationships with key commercial decision-makers and use your network to open new doors
• Own the full sales cycle, from prospecting and presentations through negotiation, implementation and ongoing account development
• Create account growth plans that increase revenue, volume, margin and long-term customer value
• Use market, customer, competitor and pricing insight to identify new commercial opportunities
• Work closely with Supply Chain, Operations, Finance and the wider Commercial team so opportunities can be delivered profitably
• Play a visible role in shaping the future growth of the Drinks division

Required profile

• Proven commercial experience within Drinks, ingredients, FMCG or a related B2B environment
• Drinks ingredients experience and an established industry network would be particularly attractive
• A track record of winning new business and opening doors
• Ability to demonstrate long-term account development and sustained customer growth
• Commercially astute, with confidence around pricing, margin, forecasting and negotiation
• Natural relationship builder who can establish credibility with customers and internal stakeholders
• Proactive, entrepreneurial and comfortable working with autonomy
• Collaborative, as this is a close-knit business where cross-functional work matters