National Account Manager

Lucy Walker Recruitment; West Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Lucy Walker Recruitment is helping a UK healthcare business recruit a National Account Manager to own growth in the Away From Home channel. You will open doors with schools, care homes, and healthcare institutions, and lead a small AFH team as the channel expands.

You will build relationships with decision-makers (Headteachers, School Business Managers, Group Procurement Leads, Clinical Directors) and work with major distributors like EVO, Bunzl, NHS Supply Chain to deliver value and product

Qualifications

• Away From Home (AFH) channel expertise in healthcare or institutional environments.
• Proven track record of identifying, winning and growing new accounts from scratch.
• Experience engaging decision-makers in schools and care homes; familiarity with large UK distributors.

Responsibilities

• Have full channel P&L responsibility including forecasting, budgeting, and profitability.
• Identify and secure contracts with schools, care home groups, and healthcare institutions.
• Implement a direct-to-end-user strategy in AFH channels.
• Expand the portfolio and drive range expansion within existing accounts.
• Collaborate with marketing, R&D, supply chain and procurement for value engineering.
• Lead and mentor a small AFH team as the channel grows.

Skills

AFH channel expertise

New account development

Stakeholder relationships

Distribution network knowledge

Job description

Our client is an established healthcare business who manufactures and supplies quality, affordable healthcare solutions across a broad range of categories to major retailers, the NHS, and institutional customers.

We are working with them exclusively to recruit a National Account Manager to own and accelerate growth in their Away From Home / Out of Home channel.

The price point and quality of their product is a clear advantage over other more well-known brands in their space, and they are ready to launch into schools and care homes. We seek to recruit a candidate who knows how to open doors, build relationships with the right decision-makers, and take the products direct to the end-user.

Day to day you will:

• Have full channel P&L responsibility including forecasting, budgeting, and delivering sustainable, profitable growth.
• Identify and secure contracts with schools, care home groups, and healthcare institutions.
• Implement a direct-to-end-user strategy as you will have previous experience within this area.
• Expand the portfolio, driving range expansion within existing accounts.
• Work with marketing, R&D, supply chain, and procurement to deliver value engineering and product innovation.
• Lead and mentor a small AFH team as the channel grows.

Your Experience:

• Away From Home (AFH) channel expertise - you have proven experience selling non-retail into healthcare, facilities management, or institutional environments.
• You will have a strong track record of identifying, winning, and growing new accounts from scratch.
• You will know who to speak to in schools (Headteachers, School Business Managers, School Nurses) and care homes (Group Procurement Leads, Clinical Directors, Home Managers) - not just facilitators.
• You will have experience working with or alongside large UK distribution groups such as EVO, Bunzl, PHS, Lyreco, Jangro, and NHS Supply Chain.

About you:

If you are a strategic account leader who knows the AFH landscape inside out - we want to hear from you!

You understand that in this channel, you're not just selling a product - you're solving a problem.

You know that cost-per-person matters more than unit price.

You know that schools are budget-tight and need quality at the right price.

You know that care homes need clinical credibility and a partner who understands their challenges.

You have the network, the knowledge, and the determination to open doors.

The Culture

This is a collaborative, open, and supportive environment. The leadership team is accessible and the owner encourages a "solutions-first" mindset. You will be joining a team that values transparency and teamwork. You will be welcomed into a business that genuinely supports its people and backs them to succeed.