Account Manager - Fresh Produce

Confidential; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential is seeking an experienced Account Manager to lead key retail customer accounts in the fresh produce sector. You will drive commercial growth, protect profitability and ensure outstanding service levels by closely collaborating with the Commercial Director and team.

You will monitor KPIs, identify opportunities for account expansion, support new product launches and manage pricing and forecasts to optimise performance in a fast-moving market.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing retail customer accounts and developing long-term commercial relationships.
• Strong understanding of sales performance, account profitability, pricing and gross margin management.
• Proactive customer service mindset, with ability to understand and exceed customer needs.
• Confidence working with customer KPIs, sales data, demand forecasts and market information.
• Experience supporting demand forecasting, sales budgeting and account planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day management of key customer accounts, building strong relationships and ensuring expectations are met.
• Deliver excellent service levels and proactively resolve issues to improve the customer experience.
• Monitor KPIs, drive improvements and ensure targets for sales, service and profitability.
• Identify opportunities to develop existing accounts and grow long-term commercial relationships.
• Support planning and execution of product launches, range changes and customer-specific initiatives.
• Balance customer requirements with commercial objectives and gross margin targets.
• Maintain accurate demand forecasts and sales budgets aligned with customer needs.
• Manage customer pricing information, monitor market share and provide insights.
• Maintain up-to-date customer data, reporting and invoicing information.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the business to deliver a consistent, customer-focused service.

Skills

Account Management

Commercial Awareness

Customer Focus

Analytical Skills

Forecasting & Planning

Job description

The Opportunity

Are you an experienced Account Manager looking for an opportunity to build strong customer relationships, drive commercial growth and make a real impact within the fresh produce industry?

Our fresh produce client is looking for a commercially focused and customer-driven Account Manager to take responsibility for key customer accounts, ensuring exceptional service levels while delivering sales growth and protecting profitability.

This is an exciting opportunity to work closely with the Commercial Director and wider commercial team, managing customer performance, identifying opportunities for growth and supporting new product launches and range development.

You'll play a key role in strengthening customer partnerships, improving business performance and ensuring the company continues to deliver outstanding service in a competitive and fast-moving market.

Key Responsibilities

• Account Management: Lead the day-to-day management of key customer accounts, building strong relationships and ensuring customer expectations are consistently met.
• Customer Service: Deliver excellent service levels, proactively resolving issues and identifying opportunities to improve the customer experience.
• Commercial Performance: Monitor customer KPIs, drive improvements and ensure accounts achieve agreed sales, service and profitability targets.
• Customer Growth: Identify opportunities to develop existing accounts, increase sales and strengthen long-term commercial relationships.
• Product Launches & Range Changes: Support the planning and implementation of new product launches, range reviews and customer-specific initiatives.
• Account Profitability: Manage individual account performance, balancing customer requirements with commercial objectives and gross margin targets.
• Forecasting & Sales Planning: Maintain accurate demand forecasts and sales budgets, ensuring customer requirements are reflected in business planning.
• Pricing & Market Analysis: Manage customer pricing information, monitor market share and present relevant commercial insights to key customers.
• Reporting & Data Management: Maintain accurate customer data, weekly reporting and invoicing information, ensuring commercial systems remain up to date.
• Team Collaboration: Work closely with colleagues across the business to support shared objectives and deliver a consistent, customer-focused service.

What You'll Bring

• Account Management Experience: Proven experience managing retail customer accounts and developing long-term commercial relationships, ideally within fresh produce, FMCG or a related industry.
• Commercial Awareness: A strong understanding of sales performance, account profitability, pricing and gross margin management.
• Customer Focus: A proactive approach to customer service, with the ability to understand customer needs and consistently exceed expectations.
• Analytical Skills: Confidence working with customer KPIs, sales data, demand forecasts and market information to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Forecasting & Planning: Experience supporting demand forecasting, sales budgeting and account planning.

Why Apply?

• Commercial Impact: Take ownership of key retail customer accounts and directly influence sales growth, profitability and business performance.
• Relationship Building: Develop long-term partnerships with important customers and play a key role in strengthening commercial relationships.
• Industry Opportunity: Build your career within the fast-moving fresh produce sector, working in a customer-focused and commercially driven environment.
• Variety: Enjoy a broad role covering account management, forecasting, pricing, product launches and customer development.
• Career Development: Work closely with senior commercial leadership, gaining valuable exposure to strategic account management and business growth.
• Team Culture: Join a collaborative environment where customer service, innovation and shared success are central to the business.

If you're a commercially minded Account Manager with a passion for customer relationships, business development and delivering outstanding results, we'd love to hear from you.