National Account Executive

About the Role:

Are you commercially curious, analytically minded and excited by the opportunity to make a real impact with some of the UK’s biggest retail customers?

As a National Account Executive at Kinisla, you’ll play a key role in driving the growth of a portfolio of strategic customer accounts across multiple categories, channels and product areas. Working closely with a Senior National Account Manager (SNAM), you’ll be right at the heart of our customer relationships – helping shape strategy, spot opportunities, turn insights into action and deliver outstanding commercial results.

This is much more than an account support role. You’ll have genuine ownership of specific customers and business areas, working across Sales, Marketing, Category, Finance, Supply Chain, Demand Planning, Technical and Operations to turn plans into profitable growth.

If you love understanding what makes customers tick, enjoy working with data and want to see your ideas translated into products, promotions and plans on shelf and online, this could be the role for you.

What will I be doing?

Drive growth and commercial performance:

• Work alongside the Senior National Account Manager to deliver sales, profit and margin targets across a portfolio of multi-million-pound customer accounts.
• Take ownership of specific accounts, categories and business areas, driving volume, revenue and margin growth.
• Help develop and deliver Joint Business Plans (JBPs) that bring Kinisla short- and long-term commercial ambitions to life.
• Identify new opportunities to grow our business and turn them into clear, commercially compelling plans.
• Regularly review account performance against KPIs, identify risks and opportunities, and take action to maximise sales, profitability, and market share.

Turn data into commercial opportunities:

• Dive into customer, shopper, category, market and competitor data to uncover the story behind the numbers.
• Turn analysis into clear insights, recommendations, and actions that influence customer and internal decision-making.
• Build and deliver engaging customer and internal presentations that bring commercial opportunities to life.
• Use data and insight to improve promotional effectiveness, pricing, range decisions, distribution and overall account performance.
• Stay ahead of developments across customers, channels, consumers, and competitors, ensuring Kinisla is ready to respond to changing market dynamics.

Build powerful customer relationships:

• Develop strong, collaborative relationships with key customer decision-makers and retail buying teams.
• Become a trusted commercial partner who understands customer priorities and can identify opportunities that create mutual value.
• Work with the SNAM to develop customer growth plans covering revenue by category, distribution, promotions, visibility, pricing, new product listings, and implementation.
• Support the negotiation and implementation of pricing, promotional and commercial agreements that deliver sustainable value for both Kinisla and our customers.

Win across stores and online:

• Identify and commercialise opportunities across traditional retail, e-commerce, and emerging digital retail channels.
• Help ensure Kinisla products are positioned for success wherever shoppers discover and buy them.
• Partner with Trade Marketing to develop best-in-class activations and promotional plans that engage customers and shoppers while delivering budget and strategic priorities.

Make things happen:

• Work cross-functionally with Finance, Category, Marketing, Trade Marketing, Supply Chain, Demand Planning, Technical and Operations to turn customer plans into successful execution.
• Partner closely with Demand Planning to improve forecast accuracy, identify risks and opportunities early, and ensure customer demand is reflected in the wider business plan.
• Take ownership of account administration, ensuring pricing, promotional and commercial information is accurate, up to date and delivered on time.
• Support strategic projects with the SNAM, bringing energy, insight and a “make it happen” mindset to every challenge.

Ultimately, you’ll help connect the dots between customer needs, shopper behaviour and Kinisla’s commercial ambitions – turning great ideas into tangible business results.

What do I need to be successful?

At Kinisla, we understand that people have very different career trajectories and experiences. In order to be successful in this role we would be looking for the right competencies and aptitudes as well as your proven track record of success in a similar role and environment.  

These include:

• A BTEC Level 3+ or Degree in a discipline that has developed your ability to analyse information, interpret data and communicate findings in a clear and persuasive way.
• Minimum 18 months’ experience in a commercial FMCG environment, ideally with exposure to wholesale or retail customers.
• Someone who is naturally curious and enjoys understanding what drives customers, shoppers and the wider FMCG market.
• Strong relationship-building skills and can build credibility with both customers and internal stakeholders.
• Commercially and numerically confident, with a good understanding of the key drivers behind sales, revenue, profit and margin.
• Confident communicator who can turn complex information into clear, compelling stories and presentations.
• A proven track record of delivering against KPIs and commercial objectives.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, with the ability to create insightful analysis, robust business cases, and engaging customer presentations.
• Thrives in a collaborative, cross-functional environment and can bring together teams across Sales, Marketing, Category, Supply Chain, Demand Planning and Finance.
• Takes ownership, spots opportunities and is comfortable getting stuck in to make things happenn.

What will I get in return?

At Kinisla, we believe in giving talented, curious people the opportunity to make a difference. We work as a team, searching for the best ways to inspire and lead the evolution of dairy food and nutrition. We are a community of innovators, working across disciplines to solve global food challenges with a fresh approach. We want you to achieve whatever you put your mind to.

We also offer:

• 25 days annual leave (excluding bank holidays).
• Matched pension scheme up to 10% Employer Contribution.
• Benefits platform offering discounts and cashback on major retailers.
• Employee Assistance Policy.

About Kinisla

Kinisla is a vertically integrated farm-to-fork business with a very substantial consumer foods presence and a leading nutritional and dairy ingredients division, delivering high-quality dairy solutions with a focus on sustainability and innovation. From partnering with local family farms to producing world-class dairy products, we ensure every step of our value chain reflects our commitment to excellence.

With over 50 years’ experience in milk processing, dairy and nutritional technology advancement, and product innovation, we are a key stakeholder in the global food industry and creators of a strong portfolio of market leading dairy brands including Cheestrings, Charleville and Coleraine Cheese, Dairygold, Golden Cow and our new SMUG range. Our from food, for food culture and deep-rooted connection to our 2,800 milk suppliers differentiates our business and offers captivating opportunities for our customers and consumers.

Our dairy comes from some of the world’s richest grazing land and is produced by a network of Irish family farms that have one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world. Through a combination of expertise, innovation, and sustainability, Kinisla is proud to shape the future of dairy while meeting the diverse needs of our farmers, customers, and communities.

Headquartered in Tralee, Co. Kerry, we operate multiple manufacturing facilities in the southwest of Ireland, including Listowel, Charleville, Newmarket, and Farranfore. Additionally, we manage 28 Farm & Home stores throughout the region, ensuring comprehensive coverage and service. In Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, our presence extends to key locations in Portadown, Coleraine, and Ossett.

Globally, Kinisla employs over 1,700 dedicated professionals across Ireland, Northern Ireland, the UK, USA, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and China. In 2024, we achieved a turnover of approximately €1.3 billion, reflecting our commitment to excellence and growth.

Get in touch today!

At Kinisla, we benefit from the knowledge of our colleagues who bring a diverse range of cultures, backgrounds, lifestyles and experiences. One team fostering an inclusive culture that, above all, inspires food and nourishes life. One culture where everyone brings their unique perspectives and experiences to help make us better, together. We are committed to nurturing an environment of positivity and inclusiveness, where everyone can be at their best, both personally and professionally.

Our recruitment, selection and assessment process are based on the skills and competencies of the specific roles and based entirely on merit. We are committed to and value Diversity and Inclusion in all recruitment processes within Kinisla and do not discriminate based on gender, race, class, economic status, ethnic background, sexual orientation, age, political beliefs, veteran status, marital status or any other protected characteristic.

Please note: We do not accept CVs or candidate profiles from recruitment agencies where Kinisla terms of business have not been signed. Additionally, we will not consider or agree to payment of any recruiter fee under these circumstances. This also applies to CVs or candidate profiles sent directly to any Kinisla Hiring Managers.