Key Account Manager

Canada Royal Milk; Kingston; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the food sector is searching for a Key Account Manager to enhance relationships with key clients. This role emphasizes strategic oversight and operational alignment, ensuring that customer needs are met and business goals are achieved. Candidates should possess 4 to 7 years of relevant experience in managing high-value accounts, alongside strong negotiation skills and a systems mindset. Successful applicants will demonstrate their ability to drive growth and deliver value, contributing to the company's expansion strategy.

Qualifications

• 4 to 7 years of experience managing high-value accounts in complex environments.
• Ability to negotiate and interpret contracts.
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute clear account plans aligned with business goals.
• Build strong client relationships and manage account lifecycles.
• Identify opportunities for expansion and ensure margin integrity.

Skills

Negotiation

Account Management

Cross-Department Coordination

Customer Relationship Building

Job description

Own the Relationship. Drive the Plan. Deliver the Value.

We’re hiring a Key Account Manager to lead the commercial relationship with several of our most strategically significant customers.

Reporting to the Commercial Business Manager, this role is central to our expansion strategy and not a transactional sales position. It is a commercial leadership role with full accountability for revenue delivery, service alignment, issue resolution, and long-term customer value. We are looking for a commercially fluent operator who builds trust through credibility, thinks systemically, and follows through consistently. As we grow, we are also looking for individuals who bring a systems mindset and can build on our existing account management foundations to help evolve them toward best-in-class performance.

About the Role

You’ll serve as the primary relationship owner for designated key accounts, managing the full customer lifecycle: onboarding, growth, retention, and renewal. You’ll translate commercial commitments into operational plans that support growth target— and ensure they’re followed through.

You’ll also act as the cross-departmental subject matter to ensure alignment on customer needs, forecasts, and promotional strategies.Additionally, you demonstrate composure under pressure, deliver consistently, and assume an entrepreneurial mindset for initiative with your firm understanding of our mission.

Your Responsibilities

·develop and execute clear account plans aligned with business goals, margin thresholds, and client objectives.

·lead annual business reviews, map growth opportunities, and ensure internal capacity matches external promise.

·build strong, senior-level client relationships — becoming the point of accountability for commercial and service discussions. You’ll lead with transparency and solve problems before they escalate.

·Identify expansion opportunities, manage renewals, and ensure margin integrity. You understand that protecting the business matters just as much as growing it.

·connect daily account operations with production, logistics, finance, and customer service. You’ll resolve issues quickly and communicate clearly — both internally and externally.

·plan, negotiate, and manage promotions with retail partners — leveraging data, shopper insight, and internal coordination to drive measurable results. You’ll track impact and adjust strategy based on performance.

·help build the commercial infrastructure that scales beyond individual relationships — including playbooks, planning templates, and CRM hygiene.

Your Profile

You bring 4 to 7 years of experience managing high-value accounts in complex environments, ideally in food, consumer goods, logistics, or regulated sectors. You’ve worked at the point where commercial promise meets operational reality—and you understand the responsibility that comes with it.

You’re confident negotiating and interpreting contracts, aligning terms with service capability, and protecting both customer trust and internal execution. Your account plans are structured, your forecasts are accurate, and your decisions are grounded in commercial logic.

You coordinate well across functions not because you’re a liaison, but because you understand how each part of the business affects the customer experience. You know when to push, when to align, and when to say no.

You communicate clearly, act with consistency, and stay steady under pressure. You don’t need supervision to perform, and you don’t need a title to take ownership. You care about the work because the work matters.

Your First 12 Months

Q4 2025

Assume ownership of designated accounts. Establish cadence and expectations.

Q1 2026

Lead structured business reviews. Map renewal and expansion opportunities.

Q2 2026

Resolve inherited issues. Align plans with forecasts, production, and internal priorities.

Q3 2026

Execute renewals and expansions. Codify account workflows into scalable practices.

Why It Matters

Our best accounts don’t want to be managed — they want to be understood. They want responsiveness without chaos. Clarity without overcomplication. They want someone they can trust with their business.

That’s what we’re looking for. Someone who shows up with precision, maturity, and long-view discipline — and builds the kind of customer relationships that last.

To apply, send your CV and a short note outlining your approach to managing high-value commercial relationships.