Strategic Partner

Compass Group UK & Ireland; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension

Career development programmes

Healthcare benefits

Travel discounts

Employee discounts

Wellness programs

Job summary

Compass Group UK & Ireland is seeking a Strategic Retention Partner to protect and grow key client relationships within our Strategic Accounts portfolio. This senior, client-facing role will develop retention strategies, coordinate with operations, bid and sales teams, and drive renewal opportunities with senior client stakeholders.

You'll translate client priorities into actionable plans, identify risks early and champion long-term value across multi-site contracts in a remote/hybrid setup.

Qualifications

• Strong relationship-building with senior client stakeholders and operational teams.
• Commercial acumen including an understanding of contract value, margin protection and retention risk.
• Experience in a client-facing, operational, sales, retention or account-management environment.
• Confidence to challenge constructively and hold stakeholders to account.
• The ability to interpret client feedback and turn it into meaningful action.
• Strong communication, presentation and stakeholder-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Own the retention strategy for a portfolio of high-value strategic accounts.
• Develop evidence-led plans for contract retention, renewals, competitive tenders and pre-emptive extensions.
• Identify emerging risks early and ensure actions, ownership and timescales are clear.
• Lead strategic conversations with key client decision-makers.
• Help operational teams understand clients’ critical business priorities and turn insight into practical action.

Skills

Relationship-building

Commercial acumen

Client-facing experience

Stakeholder management

CRM planning

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

Strategic Retention Partner – 12-18 Month Maternity Cover

Compass Group UK & Ireland

Strategic Accounts / Business & Industry

Remote, hybrid or mobile working

Competitive salary

The opportunity

We’re looking for an accomplished Strategic Retention Partner to protect, strengthen and grow some of our most valuable client relationships. This is a senior, client-facing commercial role in which you’ll build trusted relationships with key decision-makers, understand what matters most to their organisations and turn that insight into effective retention, renewal and growth strategies. Working independently from day-to-day operational delivery, you’ll connect clients with our operational leadership, sales, commercial and bid teams. You’ll bring together the right people around a clear plan, ensuring feedback is acted upon, risks are addressed early and opportunities to deepen our partnerships are pursued. If you combine commercial judgement with exceptional relationship-building skills and can challenge constructively while taking people with you, this is an opportunity to make a significant impact.

What You’ll Be Doing

Protecting and extending client partnerships

• Own the retention strategy for a portfolio of high-value strategic accounts.
• Develop evidence-led plans for contract retention, renewals, competitive tenders and pre-emptive extensions.
• Identify emerging risks early and ensure actions, ownership and timescales are clear.
• Lead strategic conversations with key client decision-makers.
• Help operational teams understand clients’ critical business priorities and turn insight into practical action.

Building trusted senior relationships

• Act as a strategic point of contact for key clients, working alongside but independently from operational delivery.
• Build credibility and trust with senior stakeholders, decision-makers and influencers.
• Develop stakeholder maps and structured engagement plans for allocated accounts.
• Use client interviews, feedback and business reviews to identify improvement opportunities and retention risks.
• Keep conversations focused on long-term partnership value, not simply day-to-day issue resolution.

Leading renewals and re-tenders

• Set the strategic direction for allocated re-tenders, renewals and extension opportunities.
• Identify the client’s must-win issues and ensure they shape proposals, presentations and commercial solutions.
• Work closely with operational, bid, sales, commercial and specialist teams to develop credible and deliverable responses.
• Provide constructive challenge to strengthen the proposed solution.
• Lead, support or coach presentation preparation and apply lessons from previous outcomes to future retention activity.

Identifying commercial opportunities

• Find opportunities to extend, deepen and grow existing partnerships.
• Work with sales, operations and sector leadership to explore organic growth, cross-selling and value creation.
• Bring forward ideas that address clients’ wider business priorities.
• Develop strategic client roadmaps with clear priorities, milestones and actions.
• Balance commercial opportunity with client satisfaction, operational deliverability and long-term retention.

Turning insight into action

• Maintain accurate client relationship, risk and action records within CRM systems.
• Use client feedback and reporting to identify early warning signs and areas requiring intervention.
• Create clear ownership and follow-through from client conversations and account reviews.
• Translate complex client insight into practical recommendations for operational teams and senior leadership.
• Work as a credible critical friend, supporting colleagues while providing objective, client-led challenge.

What We’re Looking For

You’ll be a confident and credible relationship-builder who can operate successfully with senior clients, commercial colleagues and operational leadership teams.

Essential Experience And Capabilities

• Strong relationship-building skills with senior client stakeholders and operational teams.
• Commercial acumen, including an understanding of contract value, margin protection and retention risk.
• Experience in a client-facing, operational, sales, retention or account-management environment.
• Confidence to challenge constructively and hold stakeholders to account.
• The ability to interpret client feedback and turn it into meaningful action.
• Strong communication, presentation and stakeholder-management skills.
• A structured approach to planning, CRM management, relationship mapping and follow-through.
• Resilience, self-sufficiency and the ability to remain effective under pressure.

It would be an advantage if you also have

• A background in hospitality, foodservice, facilities management or a related sector.
• Experience of bids, re-tenders, pre-emptive extensions or complex contract renewals.
• Familiarity with structured client-retention and relationship-mapping processes.
• Experience supporting multi-site contracts and working with senior clients and operational leadership teams.

What Success Looks Like

You’ll quickly establish trust across our client and internal stakeholder communities. You’ll anticipate where an account is heading, bring risks and opportunities forward early and use commercial insight to support sound decision-making. Ultimately, your success will be reflected in stronger client relationships, effective retention and extension strategies, disciplined account planning and the identification of sustainable opportunities to deepen and grow our partnerships.

Benefits

• Contributory pension scheme
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families

About Us

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses. Job Reference: com/0710/434100/52838214/IN/SU #Central Functions

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!