Key Accounts Specialist at NSF International

Job Purpose

• To be the main point of contact for NSF when communicating with key Retail Services clients and to establish robust relationships throughout the client base.
• To drive service standards and maintain and deliver KPIs both internal and client specific to ensure consistent delivery that is ‘right first time’, meeting and occasionally exceeding expectations.
• To seek to achieve the above while improving the profitability of the account through improved efficiencies, increased business and price increases.
• To build the business base through ideas, innovations, technical developments and commercial skills.
• To assist in attracting uptake of services from existing NSF clients and establishing new client relationships to grow services towards agreed targets.
• To work closely with the Retail operational delivery teams to ensure that agreed targets are achieved as per the client requests and within budget.
   

Primary Functions

• To manage, motivate and provide leadership through being ‘the voice of the client’ to all administrative and technical services operational delivery teams, coordinating outputs to enable accurate and punctual delivery of services resulting in client satisfaction and business growth.
• To act as the main point of contact to assigned clients for delivery of Retail Technical Service, communicating with internal NSF customers as required to establish and maintain robust business relationships.
• Maintain regular and ongoing close contact with key senior management, client contacts, influencers and specifiers as required.
• To develop Service Level Agreements (SLA’s) and KPIs for new and existing Retail Technical Services clients.
• Identify and progress opportunities for appropriate new business development within the client base and with new clients as appropriate.
• Support the development of new proposals and contracts with new and existing Retail Technical Services clients.
• Conduct regular internal and client reviews to ensure services are delivered consistently in line with client specific KPIs and expectations.
• Contribute as required to collaborative meetings with other NSF stakeholders to develop integrated sales and service delivery approach with mutual clients.
• Identify new service opportunities that provide solutions and sustainability for clients and therefore increased revenues.
• Identify existing service delivery efficiencies that improve service delivery to clients and improved trading profits to NSF.
• Review weekly the expected income for clients and ensure contracted business/salesforce data for assigned clients is accurate.
• Occasionally assist in the delivery of the contracted technical services to clients when the need arises.
   

Required Knowledge/Skills And Experience

• Tertiary qualification in a food related discipline with preference to food science, food technology, microbiology, public health or related discipline;
• Relevant graduate experience within the food industry, particularly within the food service (hospitality) and retail sectors;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Demonstrated leadership skills, management and supervisory skills;
• Computer literate to an intermediate level, especially with Microsoft Office;
• Ability to make presentations and deliver training sessions.
   

Preferred Knowledge/Skills And Experience

• Background in a food safety and quality technical role;
• Strong account management skills;
• Has worked in a commercial environment providing in-house or external client advice or account management support in a technical function;
• Experience with the development of contracts and management of SLA and KPIs;
• Experienced in working on strategic and technical consulting projects with a broad base of clients;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, highly numerate and the ability to negotiate at all levels;
• The ability to lead, motivate, manage and develop a team of technical specialists and support teams;
• Able to liaise effectively at all levels within NSF, with clients, and with other external organisations;
• Computer-literate, particularly with regard to practical experience of technical data/information maintenance and dissemination applications in the relevant areas.