Job Description
Position Overview:
This is a hands-on role, responsible for understanding fully the needs and opportunities of key customers and developing and implementing customer account plans in line with the company commercial framework. Working with our biggest European accounts, the role will involve the creation of clear and actionable account plans in order to deliver our ambitious sales targets. The role will also involve collaborating across markets and business units to ensure that our commercial objectives are achieved in an agreed and compliant way. To support the above aims, the role has an emphasis on customer knowledge and relationship development at all levels with co-ordination and collaboration with country operational teams required as needed.
Working with a Key Account Manager, the role will be responsible for growing our top 20 EURAM customers, working closely with the E-Commerce business manager to ensure that activity plans are complimentary and co-ordinated in order to optimise the impact of our promotional activities and the delivery of sales targets and profitable growth objectives. As Senior Account Manager, the role holder will also work closely with the franchise marketing team to develop and implement effective pricing and channel strategies.
This role has line management responsibility for a key account manager and sales administrators who will focus on the management and administration of the key account portfolio.
This role is, in addition, responsible for:
* Ensuring accurate sales forecasts and reporting on performance vs expectation
* Working effectively with the wider cross-functional team internally and externally, including marketing, supply chain & finance to ensure delivery on customer expectations.
* Ensuring that the customer is heard in brand and business planning and that brand needs are met in the development of account plans.
* Implementing pricing and promotional strategies and inputting into central discussions.
* Increasing our organization brand presence and share of wallet within accounts and building strong collaborative relationships with key stakeholders.
* Actively identifying mutual opportunities for business development and growth and pro-actively highlighting such opportunities or challenges.
* Supporting the Senior Manager in negotiations, advising on BATNA positions and ensuring our organization profitability is protected and balanced against growth opportunities.
* Actively supporting the development of collaborative planning processes with our key customers.
* Identifying key performance indicators and ensuring projects are effectively co-ordinated and reported.
* Liaising with supply chain to ensure service delivery in line with customer expectations
* Effectively managing, developing and coaching the Key Account team
* Other activities, as necessary, to maintain business continuity and deliver on customer expectations.
This is a field-based role with an anticipated two days per week in Head Office.
Key Activities:
* Actively participating in a collaborative planning process with key customers, developing agreed customer account and plans and ensuring plans are implemented and kept up to date.
* Ensuring day-to-day activities including updating systems, prices and administration are completed in an accurate and timely manner.
* Ensuring Return on Investment is tracked and monitored, employing category management techniques to ensure that activity meets the needs of the customer and brand.
* Preparation of tender documents and business proposals and ensuring alignment to corporate policy.
* Development of negotiation strategies and plans designed to drive value for the business.
* Working collaboratively with all business unit colleagues with an interest in the Customer relationship.
* Build strong collaborative customer account plans and translate into clear action plans.
* Analysing data to anticipate potential and future challenges and customer needs. Capture and communicate customer, competitor and market data to the wider business.
* Analyse, assess and interpret customer sales data to identify trends, patterns and opportunities; utilise this knowledge to propose innovative solutions, ensuring effective measurement and evaluation of the incremental impact of solutions.
* Identify the most appropriate tools and methodologies to support the development of customer growth and relationships.
* Support and actively contribute into continuous improvement supporting the Management Team in change initiatives.
* Integrated and collaborative member of the cross-functional teams ensuring deep understanding of the market, customer needs and opportunities, brand needs/strategy and product/policy environment.
* Act as a subject matter expert resource for colleagues leveraging deep knowledge of the customer and their environment.
* Lead and develop a high-performing key account team including supporting personal development planning, performance management and coaching to develop our key account management capabilities.
Knowledge Required:
* Educated to degree level and or equivalent industry/business qualification
* Extensive experience in a customer-facing sales or national account management role
* National Account Management and (preferable) application of category management techniques.
* Proven track record of success within a Sales and Account management environment
* Good understanding of wider business principles and models
* Good understanding of negotiation strategy and its application.
* Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines
* Wide-ranging and excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
* Ability to converse in more than one European language advantageous.
* Competent use of Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint to present data to a high standard.
Skill and Role Competencies:
Leadership Behaviours Required:
* Focus on customers and patients: Continuously seeks new ways to improve delivery of product services to customers and stakeholders.
* Act with courage and candour: Is appropriately assertive in speaking up and expressing own views and ideas at the right time.
* Drive results: Demonstrates clear motivation and focus in achieving measurable, tangible results.
* Foster collaboration: Shows commitment to collaboration as the normal mode of working and resolving problems.
Core Competencies:
* Account Management: Ability to build strong relationships with key customer stakeholders, developing and implementing in-depth plans and positioning our organization as a key strategic partner to deliver profitable opportunities for the customer and our organization.
* Business Development Strategy and Execution: Actualise and execute account strategy by identifying, pursuing, evaluating and executing value creating business development opportunities.
* Customer and Market Insights: Uses in-depth knowledge of market dynamics and understanding of the broader market trends (locally, regionally and globally) to identify strategic access opportunities.
* Customer Engagement: Uses in-depth knowledge in obtaining advice on customer evolving needs from appropriate influencers and guides others on how to understand needs of customers.
* Negotiation and Contracting: Demonstrates the ability to negotiate with outside parties to develop highly collaborative, mutually beneficial agreements.
* Productive Communication: Demonstrates the ability to deliver effective and influential presentations that are tailored to the target audience.
Closing date for applications: 04/04/2025
Current Employees apply HERE
Current Contingent Workers apply HERE
Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully:
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs/resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.
Employee Status: Regular
Relocation:
VISA Sponsorship:
Travel Requirements:
Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid
Shift:
Valid Driving License:
Hazardous Material(s):
Job Posting End Date:
04/5/2025
*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.
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