Strategic Account Manager

Canada Life; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the financial sector, Canada Life UK is seeking an experienced B2B account manager focused on fostering relationships and expanding business. The role involves engaging key contacts, strategic planning, and ensuring regulatory compliance while maintaining high professional standards. The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional communication skills and a proactive approach to problem-solving, contributing significantly to the company's customer-centric transformation.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

Bonus scheme

Private medical insurance

Income protection

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Must have multiple years' experience in the group health and protection industry.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Astute problem solver with evidence of overcoming barriers.

Responsibilities

• Own the relationship with your designated accounts.
• Achieve or exceed annual growth and retention targets.
• Negotiate the best possible terms for your designated accounts.

Skills

B2B account management

Consultative selling

Collaborative problem solving

Presentation skills

Strategic/Key account planning

Curiosity

Job description

Canada Life UK looks after the retirement, investment and protection needs of individuals, families and companies. We help to build better futures for our customers, our intermediaries and our employees by operating as a modern, agile and welcoming organisation.

Part of our parent company Great-West Lifeco, Canada Life UK has operated in the United Kingdom since 1903. We have hundreds of respected and supported employees committed to doing the right thing for our customers and colleagues.

Canada Life UK is transforming to create a more customer-focused business by providing our customers with expertise on financial and tax planning, offering home finance and annuities propositions, and providing collective fund solutions to third party customers.

Job Summary

To develop sustainable and profitable business relationships:

• To achieve or exceed annual growth and retention targets.
• Develop and execute clearly defined strategic account plans for your designated account/s.
• Capture knowledge and insight from the health and protection market to aid pricing and propositional development.
• Be a role model to others both in skill and behaviour.

What You'll Do

• Own the relationship with your designated account/s at all relevant levels of the organisation.
• Take responsibility for the growth of your designated account, adopt a 'franchise mentality'.
• Identify and maintain relationships with the key contacts within your designated account.
• Be 'visible' it is expected that you will travel frequently to meet your key contacts face to face.
• Use tools such as MS Teams to supplement face to face contact.
• The same rules apply for internal relationship management; identify and manage relationships with key internal Canada Life personnel, be visible in our Bristol and London office locations.
• Share skills and knowledge with other members of the Canada Life team, not limited to the sales/account management function.
• Navigate any barriers you encounter, identify the solution and delegate where appropriate.
• Negotiate the best possible terms for your designated account and customer, whilst balancing the needs of the business.

Who You Are

• Must have multiple years' experience in the group health and protection industry.
• Experienced B2B account manager.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Astute problem solver. Can evidence how they have overcome barriers
• Can showcase knowledge of our proposition, products and technology in the context of the wider health and protection industry.
• Can showcase knowledge of the key health and protection intermediaries/ employee benefit consultancies.
• Can evidence resilience in challenging situations.
• Has the ability to get creative and think laterally to navigate complex processes.
• Can showcase how they can flex their style to influence others.

Job Specific Accountabilities

• To meet or exceed annual new business sales and persistency targets.
• To be accountable for the performance of their designated account/s.
• To be accountable for their professional behaviour.
• To ensure that the consultants and consulting support within their account/s understand our proposition and technology solutions.
• To be accountable for completion of administrative and reporting tasks as requested by sales management.
• To be accountable for demonstrating and evidencing behaviours in line with Canada Life values, both internally and externally.
• To adhere to Canada Life policies, governance and best practise always.

Behavioural Competencies

• B2B account management
• Consultative selling
• Collaborative problem solving
• Presentation skills
• Strategic/Key account planning
• Curiosity

Benefits of working at Canada Life

We believe in recognising and rewarding our people, so we offer a competitive salary and benefits package that's regularly reviewed. As a Canada Life UK colleague, you'll receive a competitive salary and comprehensive reward package including a generous pension and bonus scheme, along with, income protection, private medical insurance and life assurance. We have a fantastic number of other benefits and support services as well as regular personal and professional development.

How we work at Canada Life

Our culture is unique and incredibly important to us. We care about doing the right thing for our people, customers and community and helping others to build better futures. Our blueprint behaviours shape and influence how we work, and are central to the relationships we have with others. Every day we are encouraged to be more curious, own the outcome, face into things together and find a way forward.

We want colleagues to have rewarding careers with us so we invest in the development of our people, technology and workplaces. That's why we offer a range of training, flexible working and opportunities to grow and develop.

Diversity and inclusion

Building an inclusive workplace with a diverse workforce where everyone can feel they belong and achieve their potential regardless of gender, ethnicity or any other characteristic is a key commitment for us. We are proud of the progress we're making in DEI, and we continue for it to be a significant focus.

"At Canada Life we believe in the power of great people from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives coming together to build better futures. Emerging talent is crucial to our growth and creating an environment that continues to inspire us all." Nick Harding, Chief People Officer, Canada Life UK

We appreciate that everyone has different work and life responsibilities. We're happy to discuss flexible working arrangements, including part time, for any of our roles should this be a requirement for you.