Job Title: Key Accounts & Buying Group Manager
Location: Ireland, field based (covering ROI and Northern Ireland)
Function: Commercial / Sales
Role Type: Full-time, permanent. Newly created role
Working with: Group Commercial Director
Package: Strong package with performance bonus, company car and benefits
Travel: Customer and market travel across the island of Ireland
The Company
Our client is a specialist building materials distributor, representing leading European manufacturers and supplying builders' merchants across the whole island of Ireland, with operations North and South.
The Role
This is a newly created senior commercial role and a key position in the business's next stage of commercial development.
Working closely with the Group Commercial Director, you will become a key commercial partner within the business, taking day-to-day responsibility for buying groups, national agreements, group promotions and national account development. You will also oversee the continued development of the Northern Ireland merchant business, with full ownership of selected key accounts.
Key Responsibilities
• Taking day-to-day ownership of relationships with key accounts and buying groups, including day-to-day management of NI distribution activities
• Developing strong relationships with senior commercial contacts and key decision-makers
• Supporting the management of national agreements, including pricing, terms and commercial opportunities
• Negotiating and coordinating buying group and national promotional activity
• Identifying opportunities to grow sales, product penetration and profitability across existing national accounts
• Developing existing and new national account opportunities
• Making sure centrally agreed programmes and promotions turn into effective activity at customer and branch level
• Taking key responsibility for the continued development of the Northern Ireland merchant operation
• Working closely with the ROI Sales Manager to maximise opportunities across key merchant group customers
• Coordinating with Marketing, Customer Service, Purchasing and the wider commercial team to deliver customer initiatives well
• Monitoring, analysing and reporting on sales performance, with clear commercial updates and recommendations to senior management
• Ensuring compliance with company policies, sector regulations and quality standards
What We're Looking For
• At least five years' experience in national accounts, key accounts or senior sales management
• A proven track record of developing significant customer relationships
• Excellent commercial and negotiation skills, with the confidence to deal with senior customer decision-makers
• A strong understanding of pricing, margin, promotions and account profitability
• The ability to identify and convert opportunities across large customer organisations
• Strong organisation and disciplined follow-through
• The ability to work well across sales, marketing, customer service and senior management
• A proactive, entrepreneurial approach to business development
• Ideally, a degree in business, sales or a related field
• Experience in construction products, building materials or distribution, ideally selling into builders' merchants, will be a strong advantage
The Person
• Commercially minded: you know good account management means profitable, sustainable growth, not just more turnover.
• Relationship driven: you build credibility and long-term relationships, and can still have the challenging commercial conversations.
• Proactive: you go looking for ways to grow accounts, increase product penetration and win new business.
• Accountable: you own agreements and actions and follow through on commitments.
• Strategic and hands-on: you see the bigger picture while staying close enough to customers to make sure plans get delivered.
• Collaborative: you work closely with sales, marketing and customer service to give key customers a joined-up approach.
Why This Role?
This isn't simply another account management position. It's a newly created senior commercial role with real influence over how the business develops some of its most important customer relationships.
You'll have significant responsibility across national accounts, buying groups, national commercial agreements, promotional strategy and the Northern Ireland merchant market, working closely with senior management on the business's commercial priorities.
For an ambitious commercial professional who enjoys ownership, building relationships and turning opportunities into profitable growth, this is a chance to make a genuine impact.