Date: 18 Mar 2025 Employment Schedule: Location:
Corby, NTH, GB, NN17 5JG
Key Account Manager - PL & e-Commerce
To reinforce our Commercial team we are looking for a Key Account Manager - PL & e-Commerce.
The purpose of a KAM is to manage one or multiple strategic retailers by developing a good and long-term working relationship, enhancing customer satisfaction and maximizing the sales opportunities and profit for Ontex within them.
Whate is the scope of the job?
• Deliver the sales and margin targets set by the annual budget
• Ensuring maximum service satisfaction for the customer.
• Ensure delivery of sales and margin targets in line with those agreed in the annual budget process.
• Optimise profitability at all levels.
• Ensure accuracy of forecasting and informing the business of any needs arising.
• Manage and control all A & P investments and strive to ensure Ontex get value for money for all promotional support given to the customer. Ensure that A & P expenditure is reported monthly to the SKAM or Sales Director to ensure that it is kept within the agreed levels and also being accrued effectively by finance.
• Accuracy and getting it right first time are absolutely essential.
• Proactively seek ways of increasing sales through promotion and brand building activity – working as a team with customer, Technical KAM and Ontex Product Management team.
• Conceive and help implement range changes and merchandising based on best practices at minimum cost impact.
• Maximise return on promotional activities and measure and report on the effectiveness of all promotion investments where applicable.
• Develop Ontex business at levels significantly above overall growth rates for accounts in all categories
• Delight accounts with innovation and product development
• Hold regular quarterly reviews in order to report against plan and introduce new initiatives to drive the business forward for accounts and Ontex and organize bi-annual “summit meetings”.
• Liaise directly with merchandising to ensure implementation of accounts Own Brand plans are performed successfully
• Introduce range changes successfully.
• Minimise stock holding throughout the entire supply chain through effective communication
• Needs to be able to build and maintain relationships throughout the account business – not only with the commercial team, but also Technical, Marketing, Supply Chain and all other disciplines. These need to be built both vertically and horizontally throughout the business.
• Ensure 100% accuracy in the pricing file and the way that it is administered.
• Take responsibility for payment to agreed terms.
• Keep in-touch with all market developments both on price and product.
• Become an acknowledged expert in Ontex products, categories and customers.
What am I expected to deliver and what are my main tasks? (Day to day)
• Drive growth within your accounts.
• Develop and follow up the Key Account Plans/OGSM to ensure there is a strategic plan in place for the future and help with decision making, that puts the shopper and consumer at the heart of everything we do.
• Manage all aspects of the commercial negotiations and sales development to help maximize sales and profitability for both Ontex and customer.
• Develop and maintain a positive relationship through being the main contact for customers.
• Prepare effectively for customer meetings and ensure regular meetings with the customers to maintain/develop the customer relationships and business plans.
• [Matrix manage a small team of support staff including a product manager.]
• Summarise all meetings with a visit report with key next steps / actions to ensure effective communication.
• Keep working capital under control (Forecasting accuracy and overdues follow up) to improve efficient ways of working.
• Analyze the sales evolution vs. internal targets but also benchmark the market trends and identify new actions to aid effective planning.
• Reporting customer sales evolution, news and updated KA plans internally to effectively align all teams internally.
• Work closely with the account PM and other areas such as the Category Managers to execute plans effectively and offer support where necessary.
• Support the sales director when applicable and when necessary, execute tasks that they are unable to carry out or when they need assistance from the Key Account Manager(s).
With whom do I need to collaborate to get the job done?
• Internal colleagues in Product Management, HC Marketing, Supply Chain, Category Management, Technical management, Group functions, Finance, Production and Quality.
• External stakeholders in the customers (buying, marketing, stock control, technical, merchandising and quality)
How complex are the situations I’m dealing with, and how do I solve problems?
• Maximising the mix of several product categories in which Ontex manufacture and achieve a good distribution of SKU’s for each of these categories – baby, femcare and inco.
• Internally, effectively manage the different resources and departments that are available within the company as this position relies on dealing with many different teams such as Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance and Quality with a unique objective of satisfying the customer demands but with the lowest complexity and highest contribution possible to the company. The account manager is the focal point of business co-ordination and communication to and from the customer. Although it is desirable to have multi-level contacts, the account manager is to be the “spider in the web” at all times.
• At times, the individual will need to deal with internal decisions that can be in the opposite direction of the customer demands
• Need to be able to work under pressure and know how to manage customer crisis such us a product recall or a call to tender and to deal with challenging both internal but also external deadlines
• Need to understand and “respect” a coherence in the market which sometimes could be tough since could be in the opposite direction of some particular customer requests
• To work under supervision of a SKAM or Sales Director, but as an account manager have the ability to use own initiative and be proactive in terms of developing strategies or decision making.
• Understand and work closely with the Category Manager to gain understanding of the customer data available and how this translates to the customer in terms of strategic direction for the customer.
What do I need to be successful in this job?
• What is the educational requirement for the job?
o Bachelor's degree (preferable if Business Economics or Business Administration)
o Master's degree in Sales or Sales and Marketing will be valuable
o Or Graduate calibre experience
• What prior experience is required for the job?
o Minimum of 3 to 5 years in FMCG
o Minimum of 3 years of experience in Sales Account Management
o Experience in hygienic disposables markets would be an advantage
o Experience in the private label market would be an advantage
• What technical skills do I need to master?
o Analytical ability – PC literate and able to crunch numbers
o Presentations skills
o Negotiation skills and tactics
o Use customer databases to analyse sales where applicable
• What are the core competencies for the job?
o Language: Fluent English (additional languages would be an advantage especially German, French or Spanish)
o Strong interpersonal and influencing skills
o The best communication skills in the business
o People skills – critical this person can be fully accepted, trusted and “bought into” – needs to be liked, and become “one of the team”
o Diplomacy – be able to handle apparent conflicting interests
o Influencing skills – will need to manage people and get buy in without direct authority
o Organised and Structured
o Creative
o High level of business acumen & commercially aware of the decisions taken and the impact they could have on both customer and Ontex’s business
o Ability to understand and relate your work to the Business Strategy, to be able to understand the “bigger picture” and be able to implement winning action plans.
o Must be able to understand and communicate the needs and constraints that customers may have that act as possible roadblocks.
Interested in your next step at Ontex? Do not hesitate to apply!