Key Account Manager

The role will be responsible in creation and implementation of the Business Development strategy, creating a business development leads pipeline and for delivering the desired results across our customer base and with new customers, managing their requirements and expectations. Below are some of the key expectations:

• Developing strong relationships & business opportunities with new and existing customers
• Understanding and developing new business opportunities and proposals with new potential customers across the globe
• Exploring new business opportunities and business models
• This role is core to the future in terms of its vital individual role but also in delivering the organisational mission and vision.
  
• Key Accountabilities
• Drive & deliver the customer plan to pre- agreed deadlines and help to implement the strategic direction of the Business Development Programme.

• Key skills required
• A proactive and outgoing approach to work diligently on the principles of Key Account Management
• Excellent relationship management skills with the ability to understand and align with the customer expectations in the best possible manner.
• Build strong working relationship with customers & managing relationships through regular meetings & calls
• Excellent internal and external communication skills written, verbal and non-verbal
• Good team player and must have managed a small-mid size team in the past (better if the team had international members too)
• Plan and manage key timetables and deadlines
• Proactively working alongside the Product Development, Sustainability, Sourcing and Buying teams of the customers and be able to understand their language and communicate
• Establish efficient, effective & innovative process &mechanisms to collate all project information and convert in monthly & quarterly reports for customers
• Develop a strong internal review mechanism to monitor & report internally on weekly basis to help drive continuous improvement
• Ensure timely, effective, focused and market driven deliverables
• Support a matrix team structure in offices & projects in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
• Good to have a customer focused background in the apparel / textile industry or sustainability industry working with the apparel brands, codes and standards in the sustainable textile sector or corporate CSR teams and foundations
• Good to have worked with Sustainable cotton programs / initiatives in the past

• External Engagement
• Demonstrate responsibility and leadership in account management externally to key stakeholders including potential new customers, thought leaders and industry platforms, as required.

• Key Relationships External
• Existing and new customers mostly brands & retailers

• Personal Experience / Qualifications Skills
• Minimum 5-7 years professional experience with a proven track record of customer and key account management projects, consultancy roles, and developing new opportunities and nurturing business relationships. Ideally with proven experience of handling complex customer relationships and delivering results in the textiles/clothing business.
• Ability to work to and drive key deadlines, across teams in multiple locations and time zones
• A self-starter who is comfortable working autonomously, as well as alongside multi-functional teams.

• Qualifications
• Educated to graduate degree level.
• Preferred MBA from a reputed institute

• Skills
• Self-starter and entrepreneur
• Ability to influence and engage across a variety of audiences
• Collaborative and team player
• Tenacious and delivery oriented
• Integrity and passion for sustainability, an advantage.
• Knowledge of Cotton and textiles is an advantage.