Senior Account Manager, Food Ingredients Middle East

Senior Account Manager, Food Ingredients Middle East

Apply remote type On-site locations Dubai, United Arab Emirates time type Full time posted on Posted 3 Days Ago job requisition id R3630

Job Summary

Responsible for driving sustainable profitable sales and market share growth by identifying customer needs and opportunities, establishing solid customer relationships, leading, coordinating, and reporting IFF activities, and promoting relevant solutions aligned with corporate strategy. For a defined territory, category, coordinated or global account:

• Ensure financial targets are met and business performance is constantly monitored and reported;
• Develop and maintain sustainable relationships with internal stakeholders and external customers;
• Prepare account plan and report relevant market information;
• Collaborate with internal departments to explore innovations and new concepts related to customers’ products and ongoing projects;
• Monitor market development in terms of competitors, products, and trends;
• Partner with operation team to ensure customer satisfaction in terms of service, quality, and supply.

Responsibilities/Description

• Understand specific market and customer ecosystem including activities, strategies, brands, markets, consumers via different sources;
• Develop multi-level cross-functional customer relationships with key customer decision makers/influencers;
• Contribute/lead commercial negotiation (e.g., core listing, annual pricing, payment terms, rebates/cost savings agreements, supply contracts);
• Maximize potential advantage to IFF while delivering optimal solutions to customer;
• Ensure customer supply chain requirements, processes, and KPIs are well communicated to IFF Operations;
• Understand customer regulatory requirements/changes and update data to GRA and input to project management system;
• Act as the main customer point of contact in all matters;
• Demonstrate IFF Culture Principles and live our values;
• Manage and/or mentor junior team members/peers, and onboard and coach new team members;
• Influence stakeholders to align on shared objectives;
• Lead projects through effective communication and collaboration with key external and internal stakeholders;
• Ensure objectives are aligned to the business and personal development plans are in place;
• Proactively solicit and give feedback to nurture high performing teams;
• Demonstrate leadership courage by challenging the status quo and holding self and others accountable;
• Develop commercial strategy for allocated customer portfolio;
• Build and execute account plans successfully;
• Responsible for setting clear commercial targets with the manager;
• Define and suggest the required account resources, investment, and relevant service model to support the account;
• Effectively communicate the account plans with stakeholders;
• Review/update the progress of account plans versus KPI targets;
• Ensure accurate monthly sales forecast;
• Conduct retrospective reviews on projects wins and losses;
• Review brief and ensure all objectives and parameters are clear;
• Influence customer brief definition to IFF’s advantage;
• Organize a formal commercial kick-off with relevant stakeholders;
• Liaise with Global/Regional/Category stakeholders on overall plan, strategy, and deliverables;
• Evaluate and decide on final submissions with Scent Design Group and Creative teams;
• Effectively promote the most appropriate IFF product solutions;
• Generate proposal/price aligned with category margin guidelines;
• Prepare presentation materials and staging submissions;
• Monitor and ensure cost-to-serve of projects adhere to guidelines;
• Communicate project results and conduct retrospective reviews;
• Manage volumes/timing expectations and liaise with Operations;
• Defend and grow accounts whilst actively scouting for new customers;
• Accurately forecast and update sales Demand tool;
• Monitor & Provide Account sales performance and provide strategic project updates to Manager;
• Implement price increase in line with country/region strategy;
• Lead internal and external teams to win projects.

Requirements

Experience:

• Approximately 5-7 years of experience in sales, sales service, product development, or marketing preferably in Food Ingredients and/or Flavors industries;
• Strong track record at a similar level with a passion to succeed in commercial.

Skills:

• Customer-centric with B2B management experience;
• Analytical with the ability to deal with financial concepts/processes;
• Strong interests in product development, consumers, and market understanding;
• Creative and innovative thinking;
• Project management with effective collaboration and orchestration skills;
• Strong communication, presentation, storytelling, and negotiation skills;
• Understanding of digital marketing and e-commerce environment;
• Effective business English with a global mindset;
• Digital savvy with an ability to leverage online resources;
• Ability to gather and leverage competitive market intelligence.

Training / Certifications

• Essential: Bachelor’s degree;
• Preferred: Concentration in Business, Marketing, Chemistry, Food Science, General Science or Biology; Master’s Degree.

We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work.