Key Account Manager - Manchester

Job Title: Key Account Manager

DIAGEO CONTEXT
Diageo was created in 1997 but its business is built on the principles and foundations laid years before by giants of the industry – Arthur Guinness, John Walker, Elizabeth Cumming and many more. Today, Diageo is a world class leader in beverage alcohol, producing an outstanding collection of over 200 brands and owning the top two largest spirit brands in the world, Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff and 20 of the world’s top 100 spirit brands. Its portfolio also includes Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan’s and Windsor Whiskies, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness. 

Diageo has built a strong platform for growth – through investment in its own brands, and by acquisition to broaden the geographical footprint and category depth and range. The company’s strong local business units are well positioned to win in increasingly competitive and fast-paced environments. Diageo’s portfolio is well-diversified across price-tiers, enabling it to participate where consumer opportunity is greatest, and to capture shifts in consumer preference. 

Diageo's culture is built and maintained by the five values that underpin its business and guide how Diageo works. At Diageo, employees are passionate about its customers and consumers and want to be the best. They give each other the freedom to succeed and value each other. Employees work hard so they can be proud of what they do and how they do it. While Diageo moves at pace, constantly evolving and improving, its values remain consistent. Diageo wants employees to live these values every day, everywhere so that Diageo can be proud of what they do and be the best that they can be. 

More about Diageo is available at its web site: https://www.diageo.com/ 

About Function

Our Sales team love building relationships, connecting with customers to sell our much-loved brands in new and vibrant markets where they can thrive. They help sell our iconic brands across 180 countries every year.

We’re operating across different markets, channels, and areas of expertise. Using your curiosity and passion, you’ll make the most of consumer insight and digital platforms, reaching new customers, markets, and celebrations to help us achieve our growth potential. We’ll support your learning and growth as you develop your career with us and work with people across our business to realise your fullest potential.

ROLE DIMENSIONS

As a Key Account Manager, you will be operating in the highest value customers within your designated region of the On-Trade, which is critical to our total On-Trade business, unlocking our brands in the highest performance and highest potential outlets. You will play a crucial role in building the status, equity and rate of sale of our brands through delivery of brand objectives throughout the highest value and potential key outlets and strategically important customers across the area. 

TOP ACCOUNTABILITIES 
 

• P&L responsibility for relevant customers in on trade channel for the portfolio and delivery of accelerated growth performance for the existing brands and any future acquired brands.   

• Leading the commercial performance of the account via thorough commercial management; unlocking growth and maximising sustainable profit delivery 

• Strong ownership of the day-to-day customer relationship through effective negotiation, persuasion and conflict management/resolution skills 

• Accurate forecasting, internal performance management with attention to detail, and proactive RTM and supply team connectivity to maintain brand visibility in the outlet. 

• Working effectively with an activation specialist to coordinate key focus brand plans across the customer base.  

• Collaborate on building and chipping in to the on-trade distribution agenda, paired with ROS driving tools to deliver annual financial (AOP) and market share objectives for the portfolio.  

• Work closely with an activation specialist who will support on menu creation, activations and customer engagement within your customer base. 

•  work with the brand ambassadors, customer marketing and category team to deliver the customer needs and commercial and activation goals. 

• Successfully navigate return on investment (ROI) decisions with each customer aligning with key priorities for sustainable and profitable growth. Successful activation of commercial & brand building growth drivers based on analysis and core insight into customer strategy and consumer behaviours. 

• Deliver exceptional results for the customer and Diageo through a sustained commitment to outcomes delivered through effective cross-functional ways of working across our internal teams, paired with balancing key external stakeholders e.g. RTM counterparts, who each play their specific role in building and supporting a great customer relationship. 

IDEAL EXPERIENCE / QUALIFICATIONS / CAPABILITIES

• Established commercial experience including on trade/account management.  

• Retail/FMCG sector experience.  

• Deep understanding of what is important to influential on trade GB category knowledge across spirits, tba and trends.  

• Passion for core, premium and super premium brands, our customers & our consumers.  

• Advanced negotiation and customer relationship-building skills 

• Robust commercial understanding, P&L literacy - innate numerical and analytical skills and ability to derive insight from data.   

• Ability to forge strong and effective cross-functional team relationships and confidently interact with senior stakeholders internally and externally to deliver business outcomes 

• Effectively networked, to handle multiple external customers as well as collaborating with internal partners to build value for our customers. 

• Proactive and entrepreneurial mentality to grow existing and win new customers ahead of our competition 

Celebrating our inclusive and diverse culture is core to Diageo’s purpose of “celebrating life every day everywhere”. This purpose is inclusive in nature, as it values everybody irrespective of background, disability, religion, gender identity, sexuality or ethnicity. 

We know that for our team to thrive and to realize our ambition, we depend on having diverse talent with a range of backgrounds, skills and capabilities in each of the 180 countries in which we operate and to reflect our broad consumer base.