Account Director

Wallace Hind Selection; Bedford; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Car allowance

25 days holiday

Job summary

Wallace Hind Selection in Bedford is seeking an Account Director, Contract Manufacturing, to lead a major customer partnership within the UK Defence sector from a hybrid Bedford base. You will lead a three-person Account Management team and drive profitable, long-term growth across the account.

The role requires strategic account leadership, executive stakeholder management, and collaboration across Engineering, Operations, Quality and Commercial teams to deliver exceptional service and

Qualifications

• Proven leadership of customer-facing teams in a contract manufacturing or technical subcontract environment.
• Track record managing large, complex strategic accounts with long-term agreements.
• Strong coaching and mentoring abilities with evidence of developing high-performing teams.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders internally and externally.
• Excellent commercial awareness including forecasting, planning and growth strategy.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of three Account Managers.
• Own a key customer partnership worth ~A£20m ensuring sustainable growth and profitability.
• Build and maintain executive-level relationships with customer organisations.
• Champion cross-functional collaboration to ensure delivery excellence and customer experience.
• Drive account planning, commercial reviews and business development to identify opportunities.
• Partner with the MD to shape commercial strategy and long-term planning.
• Ensure accurate forecasting, budgeting and performance reporting across the portfolio.
• Develop succession, capability and performance plans for the team.

Skills

Leadership

Account management

Strategic thinking

Forecasting & budgeting

Job description

Lead a Major Customer Partnership. Develop High-Performing Teams. Drive Strategic Growth. As an Account Director, you will operate as the business leader for one of our most important customer partnerships.

Responsible for a major account worth circa A£20m, whilst leading a team of three Account Managers. Your success will be measured through customer retention, commercial performance, long-term growth and your ability to develop a high-performing, customer-focused team.

This opportunity will suit an experienced leader who enjoys coaching and developing people, influencing senior stakeholders and shaping long-term business strategy, whilst maintaining a strong focus on delivering profitable commercial outcomes.

BASIC SALARY:

A£65,000 - A£75,000

BENEFITS:

• Up to cA£17,500 Annual Bonus
• Car Allowance of A£6,500 per annum
• 25 Days Holiday

LOCATION:

Bedford - hybrid 50/50

COMMUTABLE LOCATIONS:

Luton, Huntingdon, Leighton Buzzard, Stevenage, Northampton, Milton Keynes, Banbury

JOB SPECIFICATION: Account Director, Contract Manufacturing

This is a strategic leadership role offering the opportunity to take ownership of one of our most significant customer relationships within the UK Defence sector.

Acting as the senior commercial lead for the account, you will be responsible for strengthening customer partnerships, driving profitable growth and ensuring your team is equipped to deliver exceptional service and commercial performance.

Working closely with senior leadership, you will play a key role in shaping account strategy, identifying future opportunities and ensuring delivery excellence across multiple functions within the business.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Account Director, Contract Manufacturing

• Lead, inspire and develop a team of three Account Managers, creating a culture of accountability, ownership and continuous improvement.
• Take strategic ownership of a key customer partnership worth approximately A£20m, ensuring the account continues to deliver sustainable growth, profitability and long-term value.
• Build and maintain executive-level relationships across customer organisations, becoming a trusted partner and key point of influence.
• Champion collaboration across Engineering, Operations, Quality and Commercial teams to ensure delivery excellence and a seamless customer experience.
• Drive account planning, commercial reviews and business development activity to identify opportunities for growth and increased customer engagement.
• Partner closely with the Managing Director to shape commercial strategy, review performance and support long-term business planning.
• Ensure accurate forecasting, budgeting and performance reporting across the account portfolio.
• Develop succession, capability and performance plans for your team, helping individuals reach their full potential.

PERSON SPECIFICATION: Account Director, Contract Manufacturing

To be successful in this role, you will be an accomplished leader who understands how to balance customer expectations, operational realities and commercial performance.

• You will be passionate about developing people, building strong internal relationships and creating long-term customer partnerships that deliver value for both parties.

We are particularly interested in speaking with candidates who can demonstrate:

• Experience leading customer-facing teams within a contract manufacturing, or technical subcontract environment.
• A proven track record of managing large, complex strategic accounts with multiple stakeholders and long-term commercial agreements.
• Strong leadership, coaching and mentoring abilities, with evidence of developing high-performing teams.
• The ability to influence senior stakeholders both internally and externally.
• Excellent commercial awareness, including forecasting, business planning, profitability management and growth strategy.
• A collaborative leadership style that brings together cross-functional teams to achieve shared objectives.

THE COMPANY

As a trusted manufacturing partner to some of the world's leading Aerospace and Defence organisations, we produce critical components that support globally recognised brands and programmes.

With an international presence and strong local values, we pride ourselves on building long-term partnerships founded on trust, technical expertise and service excellence.

Our culture combines commercial ambition with genuine care for our people, creating an environment where collaboration, continuous improvement and customer success are at the heart of everything we do.

Wallace Hind Selection, alongside our client embrace diversity, champion equality, and foster inclusion to create a work environment where everyone belongs and thrives.