Sales Account Administrator (Fixed Term Contract)

Instron; High Wycombe; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Instron seeks a Sales Account Administrator in High Wycombe for a 6-month fixed-term contract. This role supports the EMEA sales team by managing order processing, Salesforce updates, and customer communication. Candidates should have at least 3 years in sales administration and strong Microsoft Office skills.

Applicants must be detail-oriented and able to work closely with teams across various departments including Sales, Service, and Finance. The ideal individual thrives under pressure and has proven organizational skills.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in sales administration, customer service, or office support.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly in Excel and Outlook.
• Experience with Salesforce systems is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Support the EMEA sales team to achieve goals and customer satisfaction.
• Manage order entry and update order progress via Salesforce.
• Coordinate with internal teams on shipping details to customers.

Skills

Strong communication and interpersonal skills

Meticulous attention to detail

Ability to manage multiple priorities

Proactive, can-do attitude

Education

‘A’ level, NVQ, or equivalent qualification

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook, Word)

ERP systems (e.g. IFS, Agile)

Job description

Job Description

Job purpose: We are seeking a proactive, detail‑oriented Sales Account Administrator to support our EMEA sales team on a 6‑month fixed‑term contract.

In this pivotal role, you will manage the administrative functions that underpin our sales operations – from order processing and Salesforce updates to customer communication and documentation handling.

If you are highly organized, thrive under pressure, and enjoy working cross‑functionally with teams across Sales, Service, Finance, and Logistics this could be the role for you.

Key Tasks & Responsibilities

• Support the EMEA sales team to achieve sales goals and customer satisfaction.
• Manage order entry and update order progress via Salesforce (including MOCT creation in Agile) and order acknowledgement to customers.
• Maintain accurate records of leads, prospects, and sales campaigns in Salesforce.
• Coordinate with internal teams to communicate shipping details (ETA, tracking) to customers.
• Follow up on overdue payments and support after‑sales customer satisfaction.
• Update and distribute the weekly Rolling Order Summary Sheet.
• Provide regular reporting on opportunities from Salesforce.
• Raise and process RMA requests, concessions, order amendments, and warranty orders for sales.
• Create and update customer accounts in IFS; complete supplier setup forms.
• Prepare basic quotations and provide lead times to support the sales cycle.
• Liaise with Service teams to ensure coordination on service‑related orders.
• Ensure all documentation (tenders, contracts, transactions) is accurately saved and managed.
• Collaborate with business teams in the USA, UK, Italy and Germany to ensure timely order processing.
• Support with agent commission forms.
• Customer credit checks.
• Review customer terms and conditions on purchase orders in multiple European languages.

Key Competencies & Skills

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Meticulous attention to detail with high levels of accuracy.
• Assertive and confident when liaising with sales engineers and other stakeholders.
• Able to manage multiple priorities and work effectively under pressure.
• Collaborative mindset; team player with a proactive, can‑do attitude.
• Highly organized and process‑driven.
• Ability to confidently communicate and work with multilingual territories within Europe.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in sales administration, customer service, or office support.
• ‘A’ level, NVQ, or equivalent qualification.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills (Excel, Outlook, Word); experience with Salesforce systems and ERP systems (e.g. IFS, Agile) is a plus.

Performance Metrics

Order Processing & Accuracy

• 100% of customer orders processed within 24 hours of receipt (with complete documentation).
• Order confirmation sent to customer within one working day of order entry.
• Error rate in order entry.

Financial / Payment Support

• Follow‑up on 100% of overdue payments weekly, with clear documentation of escalation or resolution.

Documentation and Reporting

• Weekly Rolling Order Summary sent on schedule 100% of the time.
• RMA, concession, or amendment requests actioned within 48 hours.
• All new customer account setups completed within 2 business days of request.

Responsiveness and Communication

• Customer and internal team queries responded to within one business day.
• 100% of orders requiring coordination with Service team communicated at least five days in advance of delivery / site visit.
• No overdue requests > two business days from the sales team without follow‑up.