We are looking for an experienced account manager to join our vibrant and collaborative International Sales team in the Education Division as our new Strategic Account Manager - CAMENA, Europe and Africa.
The Strategic Accounts team are responsible for the Third-Party Suppliers outside of the UK and Ireland that purchase resources from Education directly. Working across the Education and Children’s Trade lists this team is responsible for creating the best possible service for suppliers.
This role is responsible for identifying and managing strategic accounts across set regions, developing and deepening those relationships to drive growth to achieve annual sales targets.
Key responsibilities in this role will include:
Develop and grow International third-party suppliers in order to increase sales across all lists to achieve departmental budget. Standardise and ensure consistent, continuous improvement of distributor buying and processes including ordering, inventory management and support. Manage pricing and discount across the territories to maximise profitability. Build relationships and gain expertise in the local market. Develop and grow close strategic partnerships with key accounts working both tactically and strategically to set strategies for growth within given markets and developing relationships in line with plans to drive revenue and protect margin.
Use effective delegation with Customer Services and Sales support to manage the large number of accounts within assigned territory. Prioritise where time is spent towards the most important accounts and accounts that show the most potential for growth.
Acquire new strategic accounts and develop the business of existing ones. Awareness of non-traditional routes to market (including technology) and how this could apply to our suppliers to increase revenue.
Key interface between strategic accounts and all relevant internal functions - cross departmental and cross divisional – Customer Services, Credit Management, ELT Business Operations, Inventory and Supply Planning, Commercial, Sales and Marketing. Ensure collaboration with sales colleagues across all divisions to identify market trends and emerging opportunities.
Work collaboratively with marketing to create and implement a Distributor promotional strategy. Develop this strategy in response to feedback from the market.
Key interface between the customer and the Education compliance team. As Business Partner Manager for the region ensuring all compliance requirements are up to date. Using market knowledge and territory-based colleagues to raise any red flags or other concerns.
Develop and maintain an excellent level of product, market and competitor knowledge in order to create strategic and tactical plans, and match customer needs effectively to grow sales.
Feed into future publishing plans where applicable across relevant international and UK lists ensuring key accounts are considered when discussing publishing proposals, list acquisitions, and bespoke products to ensure needs of our customers are met.
Develop and maintain a strong working knowledge of our CRM database so that it is effectively customized for international bookseller requirements, ensuring that key data is accurately collected, loaded and used to maximize contact time with key accounts. Maintain a high level of working knowledge of SAP.
We operate a hybrid working policy that requires a minimum of 2 days per week in the Oxford office.
About You
To be successful in this role, you will ideally have:
Proven Key Account Management skills
Experience of growing accounts
Experience of sales & marketing techniques
Excellent communication and presentation skills (both written and spoken)
Proven networking skills
Excellent organizational, interpersonal and team working skills
Attention to detail
Ability to think creatively and flexibly
Experience in the Educational Sector and attending international trade shows/bookfairs
Experience of working in an International marketplace
Experience of selling business to business, and business to customer
Benefits
We care about work/life balance here at OUP. With this in mind we offer 25 days’ holiday that rises with service, plus bank holidays and Christmas closure (3-days) and a 35-hour working week. We are open to discussing flexibility in respect to working patterns, dependent on role. We also have a great variety of active employee networks and societies.
We help make your money go further by contributing to your pension up to 12%, offering loans and savings schemes through our partnership with Salary Finance, in addition to travel to work schemes and access to a wide range of local discounts.
Please see our Rewards and Recognition page for more information.
Please note this advert may be removed before the advertised end date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
We are committed to supporting diversity in our workforce, and ensuring an inclusive environment where all individuals can thrive. We seek to employ a workforce representative of the markets that we serve and encourage applications from all.
