Key Account Manager

Beagle Aircraft; Christchurch; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave

Pension

EAP

Holiday scheme

Long service award

Onsite parking

Job summary

Beagle Aircraft in Christchurch, UK is seeking an experienced Key Account Manager with a strong aerospace or manufacturing background to own strategic customer accounts and act as the link between our customers and our internal manufacturing operations.

This role requires managing RFQ and quotation through Engineering, NPI, Planning, Production, Supply Chain and Quality, ensuring commitments are delivered while safeguarding commercial interests.

Qualifications

• Experience within aerospace, defence, engineering or complex manufacturing.
• Proven responsibility for managing key customer accounts.
• Strong understanding of how customer requirements flow through Engineering, NPI, Planning, Production, Supply Chain and Delivery.

Responsibilities

• Own and develop relationships with key aerospace/manufacturing customers.
• Manage customer requirements from RFQ through NPI, production and delivery.
• Coordinate internally across Engineering, Planning, Production, Supply Chain and Quality to ensure commitments are achieved.
• Manage commercial discussions including quotations, pricing, order book and delivery commitments.
• Support the introduction and industrialisation of new products and customer programmes.
• Monitor orders and programme performance, escalating risks when needed.
• Lead customer communications during issues and coordinate internal resolution.
• Develop understanding of customer programmes to support business planning.
• Build trusted, long-term relationships protecting customer satisfaction and Beagle Aircraft's commercial interests.

Skills

Key account management

Aerospace experience

Cross-functional collaboration

Customer relationship management

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or business

Job description

At Beagle Aircraft, we manufacture precision-engineered components and assemblies for some of the world's leading aerospace programmes.

We're looking for an experienced Key Account Manager with a strong aerospace, engineering or manufacturing background to take ownership of key customer accounts and act as the link between our customers and our internal manufacturing operations.

This isn't a traditional sales role we're looking for someone who understands what happens after the customer places an order from RFQ and quotation through Engineering, NPI, Planning, Production, Supply Chain, Quality and ultimately delivery.

The Role

As Key Account Manager, you'll take ownership of strategic customer relationships, ensuring requirements are understood internally and commitments are delivered.

You'll work across Commercial, Engineering, NPI, Planning, Production, Supply Chain and Quality, giving customers clear visibility of programme performance while driving internal actions to protect delivery, quality and commercial expectations.

You'll also play an important commercial role across RFQs, quotations, pricing, order book management and customer negotiations.

What We Offer

• 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Company pension
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Holiday Purchase Scheme
• Long service awards
• Free onsite parking

What You'll Be Doing

• Own and develop relationships with key aerospace/manufacturing customers.
• Manage customer requirements from RFQ and quotation through NPI, production and delivery.
• Coordinate internally across Engineering, Planning, Production, Supply Chain and Quality to ensure customer commitments are achieved.
• Manage commercial discussions including quotations, pricing, order book and delivery commitments.
• Support the introduction and industrialisation of new products and customer programmes.
• Monitor customer orders, programme performance and delivery requirements, proactively escalating risks.
• Lead customer communication when operational, quality or delivery issues arise and coordinate internal resolution.
• Develop a strong understanding of customer programmes, forecasts and future requirements to support business planning.
• Build trusted, long-term relationships while protecting both customer satisfaction and Beagle Aircraft's commercial interests.

About You

We're looking for someone who combines customer account ownership with genuine manufacturing knowledge.

You'll ideally have:

• Experience within aerospace, defence, engineering or complex manufacturing.
• Proven responsibility for managing key customer accounts within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of how customer requirements flow through Engineering, NPI, Planning, Production, Supply Chain, Quality and Delivery.
• Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) and ideally programmes transitioning into rate production.
• Commercial experience involving RFQs, quotations, pricing and order book management.
• Experience managing customer delivery commitments and resolving operational or programme issues.
• Confidence working with senior customer stakeholders and cross-functional internal teams.
• Experience operating within a structured manufacturing organisation and the ability to quickly take ownership of complex customer accounts.
• You may currently be working as a Key Account Manager, Customer Account Manager, Commercial Manager, Programme Manager, Customer Programme Manager or Senior Account Manager within aerospace or manufacturing.

Why Join Beagle Aircraft?

This is an opportunity to take genuine ownership of important customer relationships within a specialist aerospace manufacturing business.

Rather than simply managing a sales pipeline, you'll be at the center of the relationship between the customer and manufacturing operation understanding their requirements, influencing internal priorities, resolving problems and ensuring commercial and delivery commitments are achieved.

You'll have visibility across the complete product lifecycle, from RFQ and NPI through to rate production and delivery, working closely with senior stakeholders both internally and externally.