Senior National Account Manager - Discounters

Nestlé SA; Welwyn Garden City; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global breakfast cereals company is seeking a Senior National Account Manager to manage discounter accounts in Welwyn Garden City. The role involves developing business strategies, negotiating customer terms, and building strong relationships to drive sales growth. Ideal candidates should have proven experience in FMCG and strong negotiation skills. This position offers competitive benefits, including an attractive salary and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Attractive salary

Car allowance

Flexible working days

Potential bonus

Other fantastic benefits

Qualifications

• Experience in a customer-focused role.
• Demonstrated success in sales performance.
• Ability to manage complex negotiations effectively.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate customer terms to secure distribution.
• Develop a business plan for customer accounts.
• Conduct regular business reviews with stakeholders.
• Coordinate promotional activities and monitor performance.

Skills

Proven experience in FMCG sales

Strong commercial acumen

Complex negotiation skills

Customer relationship building

Analytical skills

Job description

Senior National Account Manager - Discounters

Position Snapshot

Business Area: Nestlé Cereal Partners
Senior National Account Manager – Discounters
Location: Field based
Attractive Salary + car allowance + potential bonus + 12 flexible days in addition to holiday entitlement + other fantastic benefits

Championing diversity and inclusion is so important to us; when we embrace different perspectives and give everyone the chance to be the best they can be, we can think in new, creative ways that grow and enhance our business.

At Nestlé, we are proud to support and provide equality of opportunity that supports employees to effectively blend their work life and commitments through hybrid and flexible working arrangements, so speak to us to understand what this could look like for you.

Position Summary

We are Cereal Partners and together we make breakfast better. This belief is the foundation upon which Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW) is built. As a unique joint venture between General Mills and Nestlé, we are a leading global breakfast cereal company in our own right - with a very special culture. Partnership is the secret ingredient in our business, and that means we have created a culture of togetherness that helps us do things better.

Better Food, Better Lives, Better Planet and a Better CPW are promises that we try to live and work by, and that all adds up to a better breakfast. To us, that means providing consumerswith tasty and nutritious breakfast cereals that make them feel good for the day ahead; workingwith customersto get the best cereal products and brands on the shelf; and supporting one another, as colleagues, to be the best we can be. That’s how we’re able bring to market some of the best-loved breakfast cereals in the world, including SHREDDIES, SHREDDED WHEAT, NESQUIK and CHEERIOS

We aim to make breakfast betterto helppeople start their day in the best possible way. And we do itby working to shared values that we look for in each other: Collaboration, Commitment, Courage and Capability.

We like to think our culture of togetherness makes us unlike any other cereal company – and a place where we can all thrive together.

We have a fantastic opportunity to join the Cereal Partners Sales team based in Welwyn as a Senior National Account Manager for our key discounter accounts. You’ll be responsible for identifying specific business strategies for the customer to effectively deliver business objectives, managing day to day relationships in order to efficiently deliver the customer business plan.

This is a high profile and strategically important role, where you will have the opportunity to drive and accelerate our fantastic product portfolio for our customers in the UK.

A day in the life of a Senior National Account Manager …
Key responsibilities will include:

• Effectively negotiate customer terms to secure quality space, distribution. Manage all negotiations and customer contacts for accounts/sub accounts you are accountable for
• Develop business plan for Customer estate in conjunction with Business Unit Controller, identify opportunities for CPUK which jointly improve margin, value sales and share position
• Alongside the Business Unit Controller, review performance monthly v JBP, ensuring customer and CPUK volume, revenue and Customer contribution objectives are being delivered, recommend action as appropriate
• Identify specific business strategies for the customer and analyse data to recommend appropriate courses of action to improve promotional efficiency, distribution, NPD launches and overall share of CPUK business
• Conduct regular business reviews with relevant customer contacts/stakeholders, both Internal and External, to develop effective relationships and identify opportunities to grow CPUK business
• Identify promotional efficiency improvements and produce an action plan with key deliverables for implementation, record and manage trade plan expenditure
• Build a thorough understanding of the customer's strategy including they key levers to achieve our objectives, monitoring competitor promotions and making recommendations to amend our plan as appropriate
• Co-ordinate execution of promotional activity throughout the supply chain, ensuring stock availability and excellent in store execution. Manage the timely and accurate passage of promotion activity with focus on pre and post evaluation ensuring key learning's are communicated and actioned in the plan
• Liaise with commercial colleagues to ensure Customer Plan supports overall CPUK commercial strategy, APO and conflicts with other customer plans are resolved
• Ensure the Customer Service team have all available information to support excellent customer service and step in as necessary to handle any issues arising.

What will make you successful
Proven experience in an FMCG customer focused role e.g. Sales, Customer Marketing, Category Management is essential as well as a good knowledge and understanding of working with key discounter accounts.

You will have already demonstrated successful performance within sales and will be passionate about building high value customer relationships, be able to demonstrate strong commercial acumen and have a strong and determined focus on delivering results.

You will be able to demonstrate your experience of complex negotiations which has resulted in securing large contracts and winning new business. Your ability to think strategically, be resilient in the face of challenging situations and be able to influence both internally and externally will be key.

Other key attributes will include:

• Self-starter and motivator, positive can-do attitude, skilled in “managing up” as well as with peers
• Successfully delivered on KPIs, especially top and bottom-line business results
• Experience of managing Customer investment plans, especially geared towards optimizing and driving growth.
• Established Customer Key Account management skills focused on collaboratively driving Joint Business plans aligned at a Top-to-top level between the Customer and Nestlé Cereal Partners.
• The ability to analyse complex situations, lots of data, "join the dots", build insights based on analysis and develop plans to address the opportunity.
• Understand the link between Supply, Category, Finance and Sales

What you need to know
We will be considering candidates as they apply and we will occasionally close job advertisements early in the event we receive sufficient applicants, so please don’t delay in submitting your application.

At Nestlé, our values are rooted in respect. When we embrace diversity and give everyone the chance to be the best they can be, we can think in new, creative ways that grow and enhance our business. People of all gender identities, ethnically diverse individuals, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBT+ community are strongly encouraged to apply. If there is anything we can do to accommodate you to participate fully in the application process, please let us know. We take pride in championing inclusion and diversity, our people make up a number of Colleague Networks who represent different experiences and communities who hold us accountable in creating a sense of belonging for all, and our values create the conditions for us to respect the unique contribution you bring. Find out more about our Colleague Networks here: Diversity, equity and inclusion | Nestlé (nestle.co.uk)

We are committed to equal opportunity for all and we may collect relevant data for monitoring purposes during our candidate registration process.Be yourself, everyone else is taken!