Head of Energy and Renewables, Strategic Accounts

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LRQA stands for dedication to clients, market firsts, and deep expertise in risk management. We’ve grown to become a leading global assurance provider, bringing together outstanding expertise in certification, customised assurance, cybersecurity, inspection and training.

While we’re proud of our heritage, it’s who we are today that really matters, because that’s what shapes who we and our clients can become tomorrow. By staying true to our shared values and combining decades of collective experience, we support our clients in building a safer and more sustainable future.

LRQA currently operates across 50 countries, has more than 2,500 colleagues, generates £315m in revenue, and supports more than 60,000 clients across a diverse range of sectors and markets.

Home based position that can be covered from any EU country (global role).

Role Purpose

Reporting into the Global Head of Strategic Accounts, the purpose of the Head of Sector role is to lead the ongoing development and commercial implementation of the sector strategy. You will work with our Head of Client Propositions, Product Managers, Sales Enablement, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) across the organisation (Assessment, Inspection, Cyber and Advisory and Analytics BU’s) and Marketing colleagues to define the tactical business development plan and go to market strategy, to achieve our budgeted growth.

This role leads our strategic growth ambition for the sector. This will include ensuring the right strategic account plans are in place and being followed, the correct new accounts are being targeted and that relevant product sales targets are in place in the right geographies and volumes. You will also influence the sector product development roadmap.

You will champion LRQA in the sector from a commercial perspective, through attending and supporting events, strong networking and supporting large sales and business development opportunities with your team.

As a senior, but hands on leader, you will actively contribute to the sector strategy, continually monitoring the market for new product and service opportunities and you will be accountable to continually (and consultatively) evolve the LRQA value proposition for the sector to ensure we learn from wins, losses, client interactions and account relationships, in addition to sector market movements and challenges.

In order to maximise our success, you will play an active role on the sales leadership team, working closely with colleagues to shape, build capability and implement the right plans for success.

Key Responsibilities:

• To drive targeted revenue growth through a portfolio of strategic - and potentially growth in the future - accounts, new target logos and core products and services in your sector, working with your team and sales colleagues globally, through a matrix network. This role will also thus have direct sales and / or revenue growth targets;
• To own the account plans for the sector strategic - and potentially growth in the future - accounts, holding colleagues and managers to account, for the delivery of agreed action plans. Your role also networks across our delivery organisation(s);
• You will work closely with local teams to drive continual development of each client’s business focus and strategy, and to grow our network of influencers in each client organisation as well as an expanding pipeline of opportunities;
• You will support and develop your account managers and sector business development network to build knowledge, depth and to prioritise workload and ensure maximum revenue growth;
• To ensure the sector sales pipeline is sufficient to meet the relevant targets, suggesting actions as needed and following through with escalation plans when required. This will include ensuring the accuracy of values, sales stages, dates of actions and likely closure timelines. You will have full confidence that the pipeline is an accurate reflection of the strategic account sales forecast at any given time. The same applies for delivery planning / forecasting where relevant;
• Agree the subject matter expertise annual activity plan to support the sector growth objectives;
• Oversee retention of all strategic accounts, minimising the risk of loss to the LRQA business, through timely intervention in any process, preventing the re-tendering of business where possible and re-securing the contract where needed;
• Play an active role in new business opportunities for target strategic accounts, either in a lead or supporting sales position, depending on the winning strategy and relevant skills needed to maximise the opportunity of winning;
• Maintain a strong strategic knowledge of the market(s) you operate in, ensuring you are able to maintain a strong level of communication with client personnel, using this to open doors for new products and services, and to contribute to strategic discussions around LRQA business plans and growth objectives;
• Actively participate in Commercial Leadership and Team meetings, being responsible for the production of sales and pipeline reports, performance summaries and updates on specific project actions, ensuring they are accurate and delivered in a timely manner;
• B e an ambassador for One LRQA, working with colleagues from other functions and disciplines, to remove barriers to success. Be an active participant at industry events and conferences where you will represent LRQA thought leadership;
• Be responsible for overall strategic account satisfaction in your sector, driving NPS scores and proactively engaging with clients to identify new opportunities for growth and new product ideas for further development across the business;
• Maintain financial discipline to control and support rapid growth through the setting of financial targets, budget development and monitoring for all of your sector’s strategic - and potentially growth in the future - accounts;
• Monitor the marketplace and analyse opportunities, providing competitive analysis and stay well-connected with clients to ensure broad market needs are being incorporated into a product development and enhancement cycle. Develop business plans on commercial opportunities and support on strategic growth initiatives in target markets.

Requirements:

• Experience: 10+ years in Energy and Renewables industry, preferably developing and/proposing services and solutions, managing 8+ team members
• Location: any of the European countries (home based role). You will need to be a European citizen with full rights to work.
• Education: MBA, MA in International Relations will be considered a plus.
• Languages: English and at least two other European languages (fluent)
• Travel: Open/Flexible
• Has a proven track record of delivering ambitious growth plans in B2B environment, through the achievement of sales targets, selling products and services in a comparable industry.
• Is exceptionally well organised, a ruthless prioritiser with high attention to details.
• Able to demonstrate a strong commercial acumen with examples of successful value propositions for global clients/brands.
• Proven experience of working with large global organisations to develop sales solutions underpinned by insights, to solve business problems.
• Ability to communicate fluently in English is essential.
• Experienced in preparing and delivering proposal presentations to C Suite audiences.
• Demonstrable experience in managing quotations, bids and proposals, including knowledge of pricing strategies to achieve required margin.
• Demonstrable experience in working proactively and collaboratively across diverse teams to achieve growth strategies and targets.
• Knowledge of standard IT programmes, including Salesforce and comfortable in using proprietary software for business processes.
• Sector specific experience in one of our core sectors, either from 3yrs+ of sales focus or from a previous role inside the sector (desirable).