Key Account Manager

Key Account Manager Industrial

Full time 37.5hrs / Permanent / Salary £competitive + £5,000 Car Allowance / homebased with travel across England and Scotland

Water Plus, UK's largest water retailer for around 350,000 customers, has an exciting opportunity for a trade effluent experienced Industrial Key Account Manager.

What's the role?

You will own and develop Key Accounts in the Industrial Sector, acting as the 'whole life customer manager' for all aspects of the services Water Plus provides.

You will be experienced meeting customers face to face, adept at developing solid business relationships, enabling successful management of high-value customers through field-based engagement.

What are some of the duties I'll be doing?

• Build contact strategies with customers, including SWOT analysis, relationship mapping, internal and external stakeholder management, and subsequently holding regular planned meetings with these stakeholders to build and develop relationships.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with key customers at an operational and strategic level, retaining those customers and maximise their value to Water Plus and ensure that they are satisfied with the service they receive.
• Fully understand all commercial aspects of their accounts (e.g. aged debt and debt levels, credit ratings, annual revenue, gross margin, net contribution, DSO, commercial contract rates, agreed T&Cs, payment & contract terms, cost to serve, risk and pricing).
• Identify and develop creative business development opportunities or projects that add value to both customer and Water Plus
• Be the single point of accountability for the relationship in all its aspects e.g. ensuring charging is correct and the customer understands the charging regime, payment record, development of special agreements, upselling into these accounts to grow their profitability.
• Ensure your portfolio of Key Customers are retained and contracts renewed.

What are we looking for from our Industrial Key Account Manager?

Essential:

• Trade effluent experience
• Experience of working in a regulated water market
• Track record of successful solution selling – achievement of sales targets to a multiple customer portfolio and renewing business in a competitive market
• Track record of delivering large value sales contracts
• Track record of driving business growth by identifying an opportunity through to successful outcome
• Proven track record of applying problem solving skills to complex issues to produce speedy and comprehensive resolution
• Ability to manage and prioritise your own workload to meet challenging deadlines; remaining calm under pressure
• Strong relationship building and team working skills with proven ability to work collaboratively
• Proven ability to identify and reach key decision makers
• Excellent presentation, communication skills; able to influence at all levels with the customer and Water Plus
• Excellent negotiation, questioning and listening skills
• Commercially astute, financially literate and able to demonstrate sales skills
• Strong experience of account planning and working to the plan
• Strong attention to detail
• Track record of networking both within the company and externally
• Detailed understanding regulatory reporting requirements
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle

Desirable:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent level of workplace/industry experience
• CRM system experience

What do we have to offer you?

• A competitive salary, dependent upon experience
• 25 days annual leave (pro-rata if you join part way through our annual leave year), Bank Holidays, plus a day for your birthday and
• Free Healthcare cashback Plan (re-claiming for spend on optical treatment or dental care and so much more). You can also choose to pay to upgrade your membership to include a partner and children.
• Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
• Confidential Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to discounts and offers from 350+ top brands.
• Access to Water Plus Academy to develop personally and professionally, incl support with professional qualifications and study leave.

What is a Water Retailer and who is Water Plus?

When parliament approved The Water Bill in 2014, it declared that the water market could become competitive for non-domestic customers. It ruled that water wholesalers could no longer provide the retail element for their non-domestic customer. Water Plus is a Water Retailer, and we went live in 2017 as a joint venture between United Utilities and Severn Trent and our customers range from small independent businesses to some of the biggest names in the UK.

A few years on, we are an award-winning trusted water retail partner for around 350,000 non-domestic customers across England and Scotland. Amongst other accolades, we have recently won the UK Customer Satisfaction Award for Sustainable Customer Service for 2025, for our work with customers and employees – the second UK Customer Satisfaction Award we have won in two years.

Please note: We may close this advert at any time, therefore you are encouraged to apply as soon as you can. If you have any questions or issues regarding your application, please email us at -

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: From £40,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Work from home

Application question(s):

• What is your salary expectation? NB: when answering this questions, please take into consideration that we pay £5,000 per annum car allowance, in addition to the annual salary
• What is your notice period?
• Please briefly summarise your skills and experience relevant to this role.

Licence/Certification:

• and relevant trade effluent experience (required)
• full UK driving licence and access to a reliable vehicle (required)
• and relevant experience working in a regulated water market (required)

Work Location: On the road