Strategic Account Manager

Serco Limited; West Midlands Combined Authority; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading employment services provider in the UK is seeking a senior account manager to lead employer engagement in the skills and apprenticeships sector. This role requires proven experience in managing large employer accounts and strong leadership skills to achieve ambitious sales targets. The ideal candidate will have excellent relationship-building abilities and a deep understanding of the UK skills landscape. Benefits include up to 25 days of holiday, comprehensive training opportunities, and health and wellbeing support.

Benefits

Up to 25 days holiday

Access to learning opportunities

24/7 Employee Assistance Programme

Employee discount schemes

Volunteering day

Qualifications

• Proven experience in managing large employer accounts within the skills sector.
• Strong leadership skills with a track record of ambitious sales targets.
• Excellent relationship-building and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a portfolio of high-volume employer accounts.
• Develop and implement strategies for apprenticeship and skills recruitment.
• Drive achievement of learner start and revenue targets.

Skills

Leadership

Negotiation

Relationship building

Project management

Understanding of UK skills landscape

Education

NVQ Level 4 (or equivalent)

Job description

Overview

Serco Limited – Homebased with frequent travel across the UK and to Serco sites (Wales: Cardiff; West Midlands: West Bromwich, Birmingham, Coventry). Salary £45,000 per annum, dependant on experience, plus company car and benefits. Full-time, permanent.

Ready to make an impact?

At Serco, our ambition is to create a better future by addressing the needs of governments, authorities, communities, businesses, and citizens. This vision drives our best-in-class employment, skills, and training business, aligned with growing government commitments to employment, adult learning, and apprenticeships.

Employer engagement, skills, and training are key priorities for Serco in the UK. We strive to deliver renowned services and solutions that support our partners and training providers in achieving their goals. Serco Employment Skills and Training (EST) offers a comprehensive, place-based employability and skills service that can be tailored to government departments, local areas, employers, and citizens.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a portfolio of national, high-volume employer accounts in the skills and apprenticeships sector, acting as the senior point of contact for all strategic queries.
• Develop and implement sector-specific strategies to target key industries and employers for apprenticeship and skills recruitment, aligned with business growth objectives.
• Drive the achievement of learner start and revenue targets across all skills programmes, ensuring contract compliance and maximising funding opportunities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with employers, sector bodies, funding agencies, and internal stakeholders to identify new business opportunities and secure repeat business.
• Lead, motivate, and develop a team of Account Managers to deliver high-quality employer engagement, learner recruitment, and onboarding.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) including learner starts, employer satisfaction, and revenue generation, using data to drive continuous improvement.
• Represent Serco at sector events, employer forums, and partnership meetings to raise the profile of our skills and apprenticeships offer.
• Champion best practice in employer engagement, inclusive recruitment, and learner experience across the team.

Qualifications and experience

• Proven experience in managing large employer accounts within the skills, apprenticeships, or training sector.
• Strong leadership skills with a track record of delivering ambitious sales and learner recruitment targets.
• Excellent relationship-building, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• In-depth understanding of the UK skills and apprenticeships landscape, including funding, compliance, and sector trends.
• Data-driven approach to performance management and continuous improvement.
• Experience in developing and coaching Account Managers.
• Highly organised, with strong project management and time management skills.
• Qualified to NVQ Level 4 (or equivalent) preferred.

Benefits

• Holidays: Up to 25 days plus bank holidays
• Training and development: Access to a wide range of learning opportunities with over 1,100 internal courses, funding for qualifications and apprenticeships, mentoring opportunities, and focus on internal progression.
• Health and wellbeing: 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, healthline, wellbeing app, cash plans to claim back healthcare costs, and discounts at Serco-managed leisure centres.
• Discounts: Savings across around 1,000 retailers, covering food, clothing, travel, and more.
• Employee networks: Dedicated networks for support, sharing challenges, ideas, and community.
• Charity: Paid volunteering day each year; option to donate to a charity tax-free through Payroll Giving Scheme.