Key Account Manager - Germany

With almost 60 years in business, Kepak is one of Europe’s leading food companies with manufacturing sites across Ireland and the UK. Kepak’s vision is to be a successful, sustainable, future ready Food Business with differentiation at its core, that is a great place to work. This vision is underpinned by our values of Responsibility, Ambition, Passion For Food & Teamwork.

Kepak Foods Division have developed a portfolio of brands that are successful in the chilled convenience and frozen meat categories in the UK, Ireland and chosen European markets for both Retail and Foodservice Customers.  We have two Manufacturing Sites supported by shared services, with 500 people supporting our vision to become a transformed, future proofed, profitable €0.5bn Food Business by 2030.

ROLE LOCATION: Germany

ROLE TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: The role is based in Germany with travel to customers across Germany required and some international travel within Europe.

ROLE STRUCTURE: Reporting to the Head of Key Accounts EU- Kepak Foods

ROLE PURPOSE:

Drive the success of our EU sales strategy for the Food to Go sector by partnering with central Key Account contacts at the National level, while fostering strong relationships with their regional and store operations. Take charge of creating collaborative business plans and delivering top-notch customer management by implementing a synchronized sales process.

Be responsible for achieving annual sales and profit targets, along with the long-term growth potential for Key Accounts.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Drive our Market Entry Strategy by expanding both new and existing customer relationships, with a keen emphasis on cooking, sampling, presenting, and promoting the Kepak product line through our consultative approach.
• Take charge of strategic account planning (Joint Business Plans/JBPs) that align seamlessly with Brand Plans, ensuring consistent execution and activation with key customers, all while maximizing the return on investment for the business.
• Oversee financial management and control of crucial elements within the sales operation, including debtors, forecast accuracy, sales funnel management, trade investment, and promotional activities, ensuring alignment with our business targets.
• Actively contribute to the Channel Development Team (CDT) meetings and processes, working collaboratively across functions to ensure concrete outputs and actions that support our business goals.
• Engage with store-level operators to gain insights into any execution challenges related to our product range, and work together to find effective solutions.
• Serve as a passionate ambassador for our products, services, and brands, representing the company with both external partners and internal stakeholders

ROLE DELIVERABLES:

• Drive the achievement of key commercial KPIs such as Margin, Volume, Revenue, and Growth for your assigned territory
• Foster and oversee the growth of promising leads (key accounts) by crafting robust business cases for investment and cross-functional support, which will be presented for approval to the Senior Management Team
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key accounts to effectively execute our growth strategy
• Confidently showcase the core Kepak flame-cooked product range to customers while adhering to food safety protocols
• Cultivate positive working relationships across all relevant key functions within the organization, placing a strong emphasis on respecting diverse viewpoints and promoting a united and collaborative approach to problem-solving as one team

• Fluency in both written and spoken German and English is a must.
• A minimum of 3 years of experience in Account Management/ Business Development is required, preferably within the food/ food-to-go industry.
• If you have relevant qualifications in Business, Food Business, Strategic Sales Management, Culinary, or similar disciplines, that would be an advantage.
• Additionally, possessing a full clean driving license and being eligible to work and travel within the EU are important requirements.

What can you bring to the role:

• Proven track record in discovering new and lucrative sales opportunities
• Adept in commercial and financial strategy
• Exceptional skills in managing and nurturing customer relationships
• Demonstrated expertise in negotiation
• Highly motivated, results-oriented, and driven by ambition
• In-depth knowledge of the market and industry
• Ability to effectively prioritize and manage time
• Strong networking capabilities
• Proficient in project management
• Flexibility and adaptability

Kepak is an Equal Opportunities Employer

Note: as with all positions, due to the nature of the business, key responsibilities will evolve and change over time

What can we offer you?

• Remote working model
• Company Pension
• Further Education support
• Employee Discount Platform - All Kepak employees are entitled to access to the WrkIt platform, which offers significant discounts and cashback with hundreds of brands
• Refer a Friend Scheme - Earn a referral bonus up to €500 for successfully referring a friend or family member to Kepak Group
• Long Service Awards - We recognise, acknowledge and award the dedication and valuable contribution of long serving employees
• GroceryAid Employee Assistance Program - help with a wide range of topics including mental health and wellbeing support, family and relationship advice, debt management, back to work support, and counselling for all Kepak colleagues and their families

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