Strategic Account Manager ANZ - Companion Animal

Job Description

R310581 Strategic Account Manager ANZ - Companion Animal

• Looking for a different challenge with a trusted, leading, global Animal Health organisation?
• Join a dedicated and welcoming team
• An excellent opportunity to use your account management skills and commercial acumen

The role is responsible for development and execution of commercial strategies to drive sustainable growth with our major customers of Pet retailers and on-liners across AU and NZ. This includes strategies around activations, brand initiatives, promotions, and innovations based on industry insights, as well as responsibility for achieving key targets and objectives on net sales revenue, market share, trade investments and annual operating plans. The role works in alignment with customers to develop joint business plans on category and brand campaigns, promotional strategies, launching new products and executing in-store activations, as well as identifying new opportunities for development and growth.

What You Will Do

Account Management

• Lead and develop strong and enduring relationships with nominated strategic accounts (Retailers and Onliners) at multiple levels across the customer organisation that creates alignment & opportunities for growth across ANZ.
• Understand key accounts business needs, challenges, and opportunities to provide value-added solutions to achieve mutual business growth and other targets.
• Extend the customer relationship beyond the main point of contact, to the likes of and not limited to customer marketing teams, regional and or area managers, customer influencers, and technical experts.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the assigned key accounts.

Strategic Planning

• Create and execute strategic account growth strategy and execution plans that align with accounts category objectives and business goals.
• Conduct joint business planning with key accounts to achieve agreed sales targets, regularly reviewing activity against achievement and ensuring that plans create mutual value through on-going collaboration and are kept up to date.
• Analyse market trends and competitive landscape to identify key accounts growth opportunities and risks.
• Collaborate internally with the filed sales team leads, marketing and technical functions to develop tailored proposals and solutions for key accounts, translating to 12-month rolling strategic account master plan and calendar covering promotions, NPD launch plan, and tailored sales & marketing activities.
• Prepare and manage sales forecasts, budgets and programs with ROI analysis against targets based on plans.

Sales and Revenue Growth

• Drive sales growth within key accounts through upselling, cross-selling, and renewal strategies.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities within existing accounts via data analysis, market trend and channel insight.
• Negotiate and close contracts and trade terms to meet or exceed revenue targets.
• Regularly conduct quarterly business reviews to monitor key account performance including key metrics and KPI and activities ROI.
• Track progress against strategic account plans and adjust strategies as needed to achieve objectives.
• Build, manage and utilise systems of control, to manage investment tracking and trade spend within budget.

Collaboration

• Utilise Field Services Veterinarians to assist in development and delivery of technical education and messaging to Strategic Accounts and their customers.
• Facilitate regular communication between clients and internal teams to ensure alignment and address any issues.
• Gather and analyze client feedback to improve products, services, and processes.
• Ensure compliance to key rebate, discount and pricing policies, working with finance team to review, track and record.

Reporting and Documentation

• Ensure monitoring of competitor activities and provide strategic and tactical recommendations to grow market share.
• Ensure product complaint investigation, pricing queries, compliance issues and follow up requests are executed appropriately and within required timelines.
• Regularly analyse customer data to assist with territory, customer and pre-call planning, and the identification and targeting of high value customers.

What You Must have

• Relevant key account management experience in Health care, Animal Health or FMCG industry with a comprehensive knowledge of the industry and market and ability to build strong relationships quickly and negotiate win-win deals for the company and our customers.
• Experience with channel and customer plans, as well as commercial logistics, sales, field & merchandising processes.
• Strong analytical, account management, financial understanding and budget management, negotiation and leadership skills with the ability to use insights to generate ideas for growth strategies.
• Proactivity, high result-orientation, conflict management with ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Strong people management, ability to work across teams and cross-functionally, being a good team player and contributor.
• Good knowledge of MS Office tools.

What You Can Expect

• A great culture the benefits of working flexibly.
• Opportunity to make an impact in the promotion and growth of our Companion Animal Business Unit
• Be part of a company that thinks differently to solve problems, make progress and deliver meaningful innovations and solutions.
• Exposure to a variety of brands and opportunities for career growth.

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

#LI-DNI

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Secondary Language(s) Job Description:

• Tertiary Business or Marketing degree essential.
• Minimum 5-10 years’ work experience in a related market or industry.
• Proven experience in Key Account Management preferably in FMCG, Pharmacy and or Animal Health.
• B2B selling experience essential.
• Advanced Negotiation skills essential.
• Advanced financial acumen skills.
• Ability to think strategically, with medium to long term goals clearly identified.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including audio visual presentations.
• Excellent ability to communicate and collaborate with internal stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage own time and work to deadlines.
• Ability to make decisions on a day-to-day basis concerning normal activities.
• Strong computer program skills (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft Office Suite).

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

10/2/2024

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.