National Account Manager (12 month FTC)

Overview

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 to join our team on a fixed term basis for 12 months, 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. (Travel Retail Experience Desirable)

Responsibilities

Business:

• Deliver your designated retail/ wholesale objectives.
• Deliver retailer annual and three-year 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. This should include;
• Wholesale tracker
• Monday top line figures
• Key Product Sales
• Stock and weeks cover analysis sent and followed up with the retailer and operations.
• FSDU & Mini weekly sales and stock analysis, followed up with retailer and any non-reporting stores
• Services sales
• 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
• Travel Retail experience desirable
• Proven strong negotiation skills
• Proven sales target delivery
• Experience of UK retail marketplace
• 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.

Our mission at Benefit is to “To build a beauty community for all. Dedicated to doing good and feeling good” As an equal opportunity employer we stay true to our mission.  We celebrate difference and encourage everyone to be their authentic self.  We use video interview as part of our recruitment process, but if you have additional needs that requires some flexibility, please contact careersatbenefit@benefitcosmetics.com