Head of Key Accounts

William Jackson Food Group Limited; Nelson; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days holiday (inclusive of Bank Holidays)

Generous employee discounts

Volunteering day off

Cycle to Work Scheme

Charity donation through pay

Holiday Purchase Scheme

Employee assistance services

Job summary

William Jackson Food Group Limited is seeking a Head of Key Accounts based in Nelson, Lancashire. The successful candidate will manage key relationships with prestigious hospitality groups, drive sustainable growth, and lead a team to exceed sales and margin targets.

This role requires proven leadership experience within the hospitality, foodservice, or FMCG sectors and a strong track record in negotiation and relationship management.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in a senior key accounts or account management role within hospitality, foodservice, or FMCG.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience managing large or procurement-led accounts.
• A track record of leading negotiations and building long-term strategic partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Own and develop relationships with key strategic customers.
• Lead customer reviews, contract negotiations, and long-term growth planning.
• Identify opportunities to increase retention, profitability, and share of wallet.

Skills

Leadership experience

Commercial acumen

Negotiation skills

Relationship-building

Analytical ability

Stakeholder management

Job description

Head of Key Accounts

Location: Nelson, Lancashire

About the Role

We’re looking for a commercially driven, relationship-focused Head of Key Accounts to lead and shape our key accounts function at Wellocks.

In this role, you will own relationships with some of the UK’s most prestigious hospitality groups, driving sustainable growth, strengthening long-term partnerships, and delivering outstanding commercial performance. You’ll lead a high-performing team while acting as a key ambassador for the Wellocks brand across the premium hospitality sector.

What you will do:

• Own and develop relationships with key strategic customers, ensuring strong partnerships at every level
• Lead customer reviews, contract negotiations, and long-term growth planning
• Identify opportunities to increase retention, profitability, and share of wallet
• Represent Wellocks at meetings, events, and industry forums
• Lead the Key Accounts team to exceed sales, growth, and margin targets
• Develop and execute strategic account plans aligned with business objectives
• Analyse performance data and market trends to unlock growth opportunities
• Lead commercial negotiations, including contracts and rebate structures
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Key Account Managers and a Key Account Executive
• Set clear objectives and drive a high-performance, customer-focused culture
• Support talent development, succession planning, and team capability growth
• Work closely with Sales, Purchasing, Marketing, Operations, and Finance teams
• Ensure a seamless customer experience across all touchpoints
• Collaborate on innovation, product development, and customer events
• Drive best practice in forecasting, pipeline management, and CRM usage
• Use data and insights to inform decision-making and strategic planning

What you will need:

• Proven leadership experience in a senior key accounts or account management role within hospitality, foodservice, or FMCG
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience managing large or procurement-led accounts
• A track record of leading negotiations and building long-term strategic partnerships
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams
• Exceptional relationship-building and influencing skills
• Highly commercial, strategic thinker with strong analytical capability
• Confident negotiator with strong stakeholder management skills
• Collaborative leader who inspires and develops others
• Resilient, adaptable, and solutions-focused

Let us tell you some benefits you would receive at Wellocks:

• 33 days holiday (inclusive of Bank Holidays)
• Generous employee discounts on all our products
• Fancy volunteering? We will give you one day off a year to take part in volunteering.
• Cycle to Work Scheme that offers discounted bikes and cycling equipment.
• Donate through your pay to a charity of your choice. The money is simply deducted through your pay before tax, so for every pound you donate, the 20p that usually goes to tax will go to the charity instead!
• Holiday Purchase Scheme
• We also have a range of employee assistance services which can be tailored to give you support on things such as finances, health and wellbeing.

About us

Wellocks, is one of the leading UK fresh food distributors using the finest ingredients we support chefs with quality ingredients. We offer pre prepared veg items to our customers which is an integral part of our service.