National Account Manager

Calling all rule-breakers, innovators & fun-loving self-starters! Are you smart, sassy & scrappy? Do you love to laugh out loud? You’re just what we’re lookin’ for, Gorgeous! We’re Benefit Cosmetics, the indie beauty brand-turned-prestige powerhouse under leading luxury products group Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy. Founded in 1976 by twins Jean & Jane Ford in San Francisco, today we’re in 59 countries with more than 3,000 BrowBars & 6,000 trained service experts worldwide. At Benefit, we believe laughter is the best cosmetic, because when we’re laughing & having fun, that’s when we’re our most beautiful. We're known to work smart & laugh hard. Sound like you? You’ve come to the right place!

We have an exciting opportunity for a National Account Manager (Fixed Term - 1 year) to join our team to build effective relationships with retail partners in order to drive opportunities, initiatives and delivery of wholesale targets & company objectives in line with annual plans.

Responsibilities

Business:
• Deliver your designated retail/ wholesale objectives.
• Deliver retailer annual and three yr plans.
• Drive services as a key point of difference.
• Lead negotiations on your accounts.
• Negotiate space and locations within your retailer.
• Unlock new commercial opportunities.
• Analyse sales forecasting for relevant retailer, nationally and by store, product & services, ensuring stock goes to the right places to drive the objectives.
• Prepare/co-ordinate sales strategy documents for company meetings. Including;
• Quarterly strategy meetings, ensuring all departments have fed into you their annual plan updates.
• Weekly/ monthly buying meeting’s stock and sales analysis.
• Lead monthly supply meetings
• Ad hock meetings with marketing, Ecom, VM, Op’s, HR, Field or other retailer departments.
• Review the sell-in and sell-through with particular emphasis on Christmas, and priority launches. Ensure follow up orders are placed where further stock is required.

Relationship:
• Support your retailer on driving the plan, always being collaborative, partnership driven and top of mind.
• Respond to field queries in a timely manner and prioritise accordingly.
• Identify & execute potential opportunities within the top stores & ecom. Present and gain agreement for implementation and ensure field & ecom teams are well informed.
• Lead ad hoc financial analysis to ensure financial targets are met.
• Maintain contact strategy with all internal and external departments to timescale and format agreed with NAC/ SNAM.
• Support HRD & SNAM/ NAC on staffing.

Sales & Marketing:
• Report weekly stock and sales figures, including competitive analysis
• Formulate (in conjunction with Marketing), present and negotiate trade-marketing, Ecom, CRM, sampling programmes for designated accounts, securing coverage and buy in.
• Adapt marketing plans and build specific events and promotions, exploring new retail initiatives where presented.
• Present at sales meetings an overview of trade marketing plans with emphasis on key Benefit/retailer initiatives to ensure the buy-in of all concerned.
• Ensure that the Retail Activity Calendar & NEW’s is kept up to date and communicated to relevant Head Office / Field Sales.
• Take the marketing forecast for new launches and ensure the data is analysed so stock is apportioned to the right retailer and right stores.

Qualifications

Skills / Abilities
• Commercial
• Team player
• Driven and ability to drive those around them without having direct management responsibility
• Customer and relationship focused
• Ability to be both proactive and reactive
• Attention to detail
• IT skills; advanced excel
• Analytical and numerate
• Persuading and influencing
• Effective negotiation
• Creative and innovative
• Good communicator
• Able to work under pressure

Profile
• 2 to 4 years relevant sales’ experience (FMCG or industry)
• Experience in National Account Management
• Proven strong negotiation skills
• Proven sales target delivery
• Experience of UK retail market place
• Experience within either a luxury, premium or cosmetic business
• Personal affinity with brand and products
• Cross functional experience an asset but not essential
• Experience of producing trade marketing plans desirable
• Graduate calibre

Competencies
• Creativity and Innovation Management
• Strategic Agility
• Managing Vision and Purpose
• Customer Focused
• Drive for Results
• Dealing with Ambiguity

We offer hybrid working with 60% of hours being completed in the office and 40% flexible working from home. At times some national travel will be required and associated overnight stays.