National Account Executive - Reusable Bags

Solent Group work with a diverse portfolio of Retailers and supply bespoke products within various categories, including Health & Beauty, Household Impulse Snacking and Reusable Bags. We are proud to be best-in-class when it comes to own-label product innovation. Our Categories are fast-paced with ever-evolving trends and a host of ground-breaking products coming to market on a regular basis – we add value to retailers by leading and owning each category.

Here at Solent we want people to be extraordinary. We pride ourselves on creating and producing amazing products and brands for our Global Customers. You will be joining a company with offices globally across South Africa, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Vietnam, and the UK.

DIVISION/DEPT: Commercial

REPORT TO: National Account Manager

LOCATION: Hybrid (1 day per week in Christchurch, Dorset)

Purpose of the role:

With our entrepreneurial spirit and drive for business growth we need a dynamic National Account Executive to build relationships with our customers. If you have a positive can do attitude, love problem solving and managing customers this is a fantastic opportunity to join the fastest growing category in the business. You’ll develop existing accounts and look for new business to add to our already prestigious global portfolio. You will plan and oversee all aspects of the projects and meet the desired goals. You will oversee the organisation and scheduling of people, tasks and resources with autonomy to deliver the results for your own customers

Main Responsibilities:

• Bring your passion and enthusiasm to grow existing clients, alongside generating new business
• Live the Solent values and work with your teams to drive the vision
• Work with all departments to ensure customer strategy is met
• Formulate customer-specific sales plan/strategy, in-line with accountable budget, ensure costings are pre-checked and spec, packaging and recommended retail prices are correct
• You will be working independently alongside a pre-set sales strategy to achieve account-specific budgets with the opportunity to add you own ideas to secure additional sales growth
• Understand customer KPIs, and targets and review performance, with knowledge and proposals to reach category standards
• Relentlessly pioneer the future and pursue ambitious growth opportunities in your customers
• Be resourceful and employ innovative solutions to deliver value, gross margin & volume targets for your customers
• Contribute to the wider sales team and support other colleagues with their accounts. Share your ideas and help contribute to team goals and ambitions
• Assigning, monitor and co-ordinate project milestones and progress, with both internal and external stakeholders
• Lead and plan the implementation of the project (resource, relationship, allocation)
• Manage high volume SKU level CPA's (over 200 SKUs in totality)
• Ensure visibility and feedback is maintained

Experience and knowledge:

• Desirable 2 years’ experience managing national accounts, ideally top 6 grocers
• Strong commercial acumen
• Desirable Retail/FMCG experience, ideally top 6 grocers
• Appetite/ ideally experience with international grocers
• Any licensing experiences an advantage but not essential
• Detail-orientated with an ability to multi-task and set priorities
• Experience / Awareness in Critical Path Management
• Resource Planning & Allocation, managing demanding workload and prioritisation
• Project Risk Assessment
• Familiar with using Microsoft Outlook, Teams, Excel, and PowerPoint

About you:

We are looking for a dynamic, commercially minded and ambitious individual with a genuine passion for growing customer relationships and driving business success. Someone who is naturally proactive, takes ownership and is motivated by turning opportunities into results

Commercially curious and growth-oriented

• Naturally identifies opportunities to grow existing accounts and develop new business.
• Understands the importance of sales, profitability, margin and volume
• Keeps up to date with customers, competitors and market trends, looking for ways to add value

Proactive and solutions-focused

• Takes initiative, demonstrates a positive can-do attitude and approaches challenges with resilience
• Finds practical solutions, brings ideas and is confident taking ownership of decisions.
• Adapts positively to changing priorities and a fast-paced environment

Organised and accountable

• Manages multiple projects, deadlines and competing priorities while maintaining attention to detail
• Takes ownership from initial brief through to delivery, ensuring commitments and milestones are met
• Understands the importance of accuracy across costings, specifications, packaging, pricing and SKU management

Confident relationship builder and team player

• Builds strong, credible relationships with customers and internal stakeholders through clear communication and reliability
• Works collaboratively across departments and the wider global business, while being confident working independently
• Is comfortable asking questions, constructively challenging and managing expectations

Ambitious and eager to develop

• Demonstrates a genuine desire to learn, develop and progress their career
• Embraces feedback and is willing to take on new challenges
• Brings energy, enthusiasm and a desire to make a positive contribution to Solent's continued success

In turn we offer:

• Competitive salary with annual salary reviews
• 25 days holiday per annum, increasing to 27 days after 3 years’ service and 30 days after 5 years’ service
• Extensive benefits programme including buying additional holiday, medical cash plan, access to mental health support and many other benefits
• Flexible hours and work from home available to all staff
• Great learning and development and progression opportunities · Yearly bonus structure (based on company targets
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave
• Generous Company Sick Pay
• Pension Scheme Contribution
• Annual Solent social events
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Free parking on Christchurch Quay