Filled in

Key Account Manager UK

Midlands or North of England | Home Office

Spaas Candles
www.spaas.eu/en

Marleen Lemmens
HR Director

What is your assignment?

THE JOB
Your job is to raise the standard of key account management for large retail customers – both existing and prospective - even higher. You’ll begin by strengthening existing customer relations, which will lead to increased overall customer satisfaction.

After 1 year, you will have earned the respect and trust of all your stakeholders. From this solid foundation, you will build on the SPAAS CANDLES market share, and over time, you’ll be given responsibility for the entire UK market.

AMBITION
Spaas has evolved to become one of the key European players in the quality candles sector. Spaas’s mission perfectly sums up the company’s ambition, to

‘Light up your life.’

By forging genuine partnerships with customers and adopting an active consultative role, Spaas aims to make a true impact on the success of all its customers. The goal? To deliver the formula of the right products and On-Time In-Full Delivery (OTIF), with a view to increasing repeat purchases by consumers. What results is faster stock rotation on retailer shelves, and in turn, a strong revenue growth rate within the candles category!

What do you get in return?

  • The opportunity to light up even more living rooms with Spaas candles
  • The stability of a large European player in candles plus the opportunity to operate autonomously
  • The chance to put an entire segment more firmly on the map, and to build on long-term relationships
  • An international and dynamic work environment that’s in on the up and up

Your approach?

After being introduced to your colleagues, the market and your customers, you’ll get cracking. Why did existing customers choose Spaas? What added value are they currently experiencing, and what could be improved? The Spaas marketing department keeps track of all the trends and developments at play in the consumer market in terms of colours, scents and packaging.

Quality candles by Spaas end up in living rooms via one of two routes: under large retailer private labels and under the SPAAS brand itself. Your focus in the UK is primarily on private label. And that’s lucky – You’re always on top of the latest trends and developments, and are able to identify demands and requirements so as to promote our company’s solutions and achieve a mutually beneficial relationship: from sale to advice.

Your customer portfolio spans the ‘big four’ retailers, discount retailers and cash & carry wholesalers. You’ll deal with various stakeholders within these customer groups. Besides Buyers & Buying Managers, this will include Supply Chain Managers, Merchandise Managers, Demand Planners, Quality Managers, category teams and tender coordinators, and everything in between.

You’ll report to Peter Simons (Commercial Director) and work alongside your Sales Manager colleague in the UK. You’ll be supported from the head office in Belgium by colleagues in marketing and customer service. Every other month, you’ll visit the Spaas head office in Belgium to attend meetings. There is an international sales meeting five times a year.

Where are you going to do that?

This is a home based role covering the UK & Ireland reporting to a UK based manager supported by your colleagues in Belgium.

SPAAS CANDLES is a unique company. This family-owned company has been founded in 1853 in a Belgian city Hamont. Spaas is specialised in the production and commercialisation of quality candles. Besides having a rich history, Spaas is always working on new and innovative ideas. Over the years Spaas has been growing and expanding internationally, and is now one of Europe’s market leaders in the candle market. The head office and main factory is still in Hamont, and Spaas has an second production plant in Poland. Over 275 colleagues work for Spaas nowadays and we continue to expand.

What do you bring?

  • A full understanding of trading with Grocery, ideally with Own Label and Branded consumer goods
  • Bachelor’s degree in Retail Management or Business Economics
  • Vast experience managing large retail accounts
  • Connection: you really ‘click’ with your customers
  • Innate sales drive and a professional mindset
  • Have excellent influencing and negotiation skills
  • Ideally based in the North of England or Midlands

Are you interested?

Reference number:
SPAA201
Specialism:
Sales
Place of employment/region:
Midlands or North of England | Home Office

Respond via the green button. Got some questions first? Feel free to give us a call.

Filled in

Other ambitions?

Want to stay in the loop? Velde is happy to keep you informed of new suitable opportunities.

Sign up