National Account Manager

Ornua; Leek; On-site; GBP 44,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus scheme

Car Allowance

Matched Pension up to 8%

Discounted Cheese and Butter

Subsidised Staff Canteen

Sports & Social Club

Staff Lottery

Discount on Bikes & Tech Scheme

Confidential Employee Assist Programme

Job summary

Ornua seeks a proactive National Account Manager in Leek to lead relationships with UK retailers, deliver volume and profit targets, and Synchronise retailer plans with our brands. You will drive opportunities, collaborate across functions, and support price and promotion strategies.

The role emphasises cross-functional teamwork, strategic plan execution, and sustainable growth within Ornua Foods UK.

Qualifications

• Experience working with UK retailers, including discounters if possible.
• Proven project management capabilities and strong communication skills.
• Strong numeracy, analytical thinking and business development experience.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain day-to-day relationships with Buyers and Assistant Buyers.
• Deliver budgeted volume and profit targets across allocated accounts.
• Identify opportunities for new business and drive private label plans with retailers.
• Collaborate with internal teams to deliver retailer Joint Business Plans and cost-saving initiatives.
• Monitor sales, forecast demand, and prepare sales reports for stakeholders.
• Work with Marketing to implement brand plans, pricing, promotions and price increases.

Skills

Experience with UK Retailers

Project management

Excellent verbal and written skills

Numeracy and analytical skills

Business development

Persuasion & negotiation

Job description

Job title: National Account Manager

Reports to: New Customer and Channel Expansion Controller

Location: Leek, Foods UK

Salary: £44,000 to £50,000 per annum depending on experience

Hours: 36.25 hours per week

Benefits

• Bonus scheme
• Car Allowance
• Matched Company Pension up to 8%
• Discounted Cheese and Butter
• Subsidised Staff Canteen
• Sports & Social Club
• Staff Lottery
• Discount on Bikes & Tech Scheme
• Confidential Employee Assist Programme

Ornua (meaning “new gold”) is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, proudly bringing the unique taste of Irish dairy to the world for over 55 years.

Are you an innovative, energetic and passionate National Account Manager looking for the challenge of taking a mission driven organisation to its next level of success?

Ornua is actively seeking a National Account Manager to join our commercial department as we continue our growth trajectory.

As our National Account Manager you will play a critical role within Ornua, this role translates strategy into execution, ensuring the joint strategic plan is delivered across both OL & Brands.

Working alongside the New Customer and Channel Expansion Controller and wider business unit ensuring a consistent, disciplined delivery of the plan.

Why Ornua?

• Ornua operates as a commercial organisation from 10 business units worldwide, including 12 production facilities located in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa.
• The commercial organisation is responsible for the marketing and sales of Ornua’s consumer brands including Ireland’s most successful food export: Kerrygold.
• It also manages the procurement of Irish and non-Irish dairy products, the sale of dairy ingredients to food manufacturing and foodservice customers globally, and the implementation of de-risking and trading strategies to manage market volatility.
• Our co-operative ethos lies at the heart of how we do business as a purpose and values-led organisation, creating value for Irish dairy farming families.
• Our Values lie at the core of everything we do. Our five values encourage us to Seek and Embrace New Ideas, Make It Happen, Be Our True Selves, Show You Care, and Achieve Great Things Together.
• Dynamic Working policy in place which facilitates flexible hours and hybrid working
• We invest in our people and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Career Progression including Global Mobility opportunities.
• Comprehensive Benefits with regional specific offerings.

Why This Role Is Valuable:

As our National Account Manager, you will be responsible for leading on;

• Customer Relationships: Build and maintain strong and sustainable day to day relationships (Buyer & Assistant Buyer) that strengthen the position of Ornua within your allocated accounts.
• Target Delivery: Deliver budgeted volume and profit targets in all accounts
• Business Development: Investigate, make recommendations, and progress any agreed opportunity for the generation of new business.
• Deliver Our Private Label Business Plans: Understand and deliver the packing commercial priorities in each retailer, ensuring good communication and strong relationships and optimisation of the synergy between Ornua Foods UK and our retailer customers. Ensure YoY creation and delivery of all cost saving and efficiency initiatives.
• Business unit: Collaborate with internal and retailer cross functional teams, to deliver on the retailers JBP and retailer needs on a day-to-day basis.
• Sustainability: Work to deliver Ornua and Customer alignment on strategies and targets. Ensure progress and communication of all initiatives.
• Sales and Forecasting: Monitor sales performance across accounts, share updates and recommend/implement plans as needed. Responsible for forecasting and interaction with the planning team. Creating keys sales reports and negotiating cost price increases.
• Brands: Work with the Marketing team to implement the brand plans including EDP/NPD delivery, managing pricing, promotions and price increases.
• Monitor market trends and competitor activities to identify opportunities and threats.
• Internal Relationships: Be an advocate of great ways of working between the commercial function and all other functions of the business. Deliver on the JBP, retailers needs and internal business plans on a day-to-day basis.
• Personal Development: Expand network and contacts across the industry and supply base. Support the New Customer and Channel Expansion Controller in the delivery of the 5-year Strategic Plan.

What You Bring To The Role:

• Experience of working with UK Retailers (Experience working with discounters would be advantageous)
• Project Management experience
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Strong numeracy and analytical skills
• Business development experience
• Persuasion & negotiation skills and experience

Our interview process is designed to be thorough yet supportive. This process includes a first stage via Teams to allow us to get to know you better and to understand your skills and experiences and, if successful, a second stage face-to-face interview that will build upon the first stage and give you the opportunity to get a feel for Ornua and the environment in which you will be working.

Ornua has ambitious growth plans and we’re building a team to help enable and accelerate that growth. We are looking for people who share our values, are curious, forward-looking, take ownership and work together to build a future for themselves and Ornua.

Would you like to make an impact?

To learn more, please visit Ornua at www.ornua.com

Ornua values diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds. We also strongly encourage women and other underrepresented groups in the manufacturing industry to apply. Your unique perspectives and experiences are highly valued and will be instrumental in driving our company’s continued success. Join us in shaping a more innovative, inclusive, and sustainable future.

Ornua is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace. We will make every effort to provide for any reasonable accessibility needs you may have during your employment with us. If you require accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process or in your role, please let us know — we’re here to support you.