Account Manager – Bedfordshire – Aerospace and Defence

Key Responsibilities

Customer Strategy & Client Management

• Collaborate with Business Development leadership to define, formalise, and execute tailored customer strategies.
• Establish and maintain strong cross-functional relationships within the customer’s organisation.
• Ensure customer expectations are effectively managed and aligned with internal capabilities and capacity.
• Serve as the primary liaison for daily customer engagement, ensuring responsive and proactive relationship management.

Commercial & Sales Performance

• Develop and maintain an accurate sales forecast across monthly, quarterly, annual, and five-year horizons.
• Ensure forecasting includes precise margin analysis and aligns with resource planning.
• Identify and promote additional service offerings within existing customer accounts to drive incremental revenue.
• Manage RFQ and quotation processes in collaboration with the Quotations Manager, ensuring submissions are timely, accurate, and aligned with customer needs.
• Monitor and analyse sales performance for assigned accounts, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Maintain and update customer strategy documentation, providing regular reports and insights to senior leadership.

Purchase Management

• Lead the execution of Contract and Detailed Contract Reviews following company procedures.
• Oversee the Customer Order Book and facilitate regular OPOR (Order Progress & Order Review) sessions.
• Conduct weekly reviews of live order books and customer schedules, ensuring timely and accurate updates.

Operational Engagement & Support

• Participate in production schedule reviews to support efficient and on-time order fulfillment.
• Collaborate with Operations Engineering, Production, Materials, and QA teams to ensure internal plans align with customer requirements.
• Identify and implement risk mitigation strategies as needed.
• Engage with the Production Readiness Review (PRR) team to support effective program and project management.

Customer Service & Continuous Improvement

• Manage internal and external customer queries through to resolution, ensuring clear communication and timely responses.
• Drive joint continuous improvement initiatives such as SPL (Service Performance Logs), YIT (Year-in-Transition), CAR (Corrective Action Requests), and CSIP (Customer Service Improvement Plans).
• Plan and lead Quarterly and Strategic Business Reviews, including agenda creation, minute-taking, and action tracking.

Reporting & Governance

• Prepare and present monthly performance dashboards and metrics to senior management.
• Ensure accuracy and data integrity within all business systems and reporting tools.
• Monitor and report customer KPIs on a regular basis.
• Log, track, and review customer queries and ensure resolution actions are implemented and completed.

Requirements

• Experience in customer-facing roles, ideally within manufacturing or electronics.
• Strong organisation, planning, and time management skills.
• High attention to detail, particularly in managing forecasts, order books, and reporting metrics.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work across all business functions.
• Proactive approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Competency in ERP and business management systems is essential.
• Familiarity with quality and production processes preferred.
• Hardworking with diligence, creativity, and by going the extra mile.
• Integrity with oneself and with others.
• Positivity with a can-do attitude.
• Working well as a team.