Account Manager Retail ( m/f/d)

Symrise AG; Holzminden; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Symrise AG, a global leader in scents and flavors, is seeking a hands-on Senior Key Account Manager to drive growth in Central Europe. You will own the full customer lifecycle with major retail accounts, from pipeline building to execution and long-term development.

You will lead cross-functional teams and coordinate regional initiatives across Europe to ensure sustainable growth. You will strengthen retailer partnerships, manage pricing and margins, forecast demand, and ensure compliance with

Qualifications

• Degree in Business, Sales, Marketing or related field.
• Solid B2B sales / key account management experience in the Food & Beverage retail sector.
• Proven track record handling complex accounts in a retail environment.
• Extensive experience working with retailers and understanding of retail structures and processes.
• Strong commercial skills in pricing, negotiation and forecasting.
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders across regions and functions.
• Fluent English and German; French is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute the retail strategy across Central Europe for assigned key accounts.
• Build, manage, and convert a strong commercial pipeline.
• Lead full Key Account Management scope: innovation pipeline development, pricing negotiations, margin steering, forecasting and demand planning.
• Develop and implement clear Customer Development Plans to drive sustainable growth.
• Strengthen customer relationships and ensure close proximity to decision-makers.
• Coordinate cross-regional retail initiatives across Europe.
• Lead and align cross-functional account teams to deliver on customer priorities.
• Drive transition of new wins from scale-up to full production.
• Track performance against targets and take corrective actions.
• Manage pricing agreements, rebates, credit and account budgets within guidelines.
• Handle and resolve customer complaints quickly and effectively.
• Act as main point of contact for customers and ensure strong internal alignment.
• Ensure ESG, regulatory, and internal guidelines compliance.

Skills

English fluency

German fluency

Retail knowledge

Key account management

Forecasting

Pricing negotiations

Education

Business/Sales/Marketing degree

Job description

At Symrise we create inspiring scent and taste experiences for products that are a staple part of every life, such as perfumes, personal care products, detergents and household cleaners, beverages, snacks, sweets, pet food and baby food. With over 9,000 employees in 90 different countries, we have established ourselves as one of the world's leading companies in our industry. Our scents, flavors, cosmetic ingredients and functional ingredients can be found in more than 30,000 products in around 160 countries.

Aufgaben

Your Role

You will drive growth across key retail accounts in Central Europe by managing strategic partnerships end-to-end. This is a hands‑on commercial role where you own the full customer lifecycle, from pipeline building to execution and long‑term development.

You are not just managing accounts. You are responsible for growing them.

• Own and execute the retail strategy across Central Europe for assigned key accounts
• Build, manage, and convert a strong commercial pipeline
• Lead full Key Account Management scope:
  • Innovation pipeline development
  • Pricing negotiations and margin steering
  • Forecasting and demand planning
• Develop and implement clear Customer Development Plans to drive sustainable growth
• Strengthen customer relationships and ensure close proximity to decision‑makers
• Coordinate cross‑regional retail initiatives across Europe
• Lead and align cross‑functional account teams to deliver on customer priorities
• Drive smooth transition of new wins from scale‑up to full production
• Track performance against targets (Sales, Gross Profit, win rate) and take corrective actions
• Manage pricing agreements, rebates, credit and account budgets within guidelines
• Handle and resolve customer complaints quickly and effectively
• Act as the main point of contact for customers and ensure strong internal alignment
• Ensure compliance with ESG, regulatory, and internal guidelines

Profil

About You

• Degree in Business, Sales, Marketing or a related field
• Solid experience in B2B Sales or Key Account Management (Food &Beverage industry)
• Proven track record managing complex accounts in a retail environment
• Extensive experience working with or for retailers, combined with a strong understanding of retail customer needs, organizational structures, and business processes.
• Strong commercial skills: pricing, negotiation, forecasting
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders across regions and functions
• Fluent in English and German, French is a plus

Wir bieten

Important note

Please be advised that a valid work permit for Germany is required for non‑EU citizens. Unfortunately, applications without a valid work permit and sufficient German language skills may not be considered.

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