Customer Business Manager

Customer Business Manager (Full time) 

Location: Kingston

In Unilever and Unilever Ice Cream, we have multiple exciting senior Customer Business Manager opportunities, managing a wide group of accounts including online commerce. 

About Unilever  

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2 billion consumers a day. Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Dove, Tresemme, Lynx, Lifebuoy, Shea Moisture, Persil, Domestos, Marmite, The Vegetarian Butcher, Graze and Pot Noodle. 

Faced with the challenge of climate change and the need for human development, we want to move towards a world where everyone can live well and within the natural limits of the planet. That’s why our purpose is ‘to make sustainable living commonplace’

About Unilever Ice Cream 

We spark moments of happiness for people and within the communities where we operate. As ice cream makers we are serious about happiness. With warm hearts, we create the coolest products. We are the proof that an unbroken chain of happier people works – for a happy planet and winning smiles. As the largest ice cream company in the world, we have over 100 years of experience in delivering smiles, and we plan to continue this for many more years to come, with our people and planet first. 

We have 35 brands, including 3 one billion Euro brands (Magnum, Wall’s, Ben & Jerry’s), in over 60 countries. All driven to spread happiness through indulgent yet responsibly made and marketed products. We have a well-developed strategy to deliver growth and value creation which is clear on where to play and how to win. 

Job Purpose 

In Unilever and Unilever Ice Cream, we have multiple exciting Customer Business Manager opportunities, managing a wide group of accounts. These are externally focused sales roles, leading Unilever business with key customers. The Customer Business Manager is responsible for developing strong working relationships with senior customer contacts, leading a team of Customer Account Managers to develop and deliver customer strategies, taking overall accountability for financial performance within their area, and helping to drive consistency of process between customer teams. 

Main Responsibilities 

Build and maintain strong senior level internal and external relationships: 

• Develop strong relationships with both internal & external customers
• Work with the Account Managers and Supply Chain Customer Services Teams to ensure significant commercial, customer service and finance issues/opportunities are resolved/exploited efficiently and that we do what we say.
• Own the external Customer relationship for their category – Be the face of Unilever UK with the customer and be at the top table of suppliers for your customer(s).

Lead customer strategy development and major customer and category initiatives 

• Lead the development and delivery of the customer strategic business plan and the joint customer business plan, working closely with Category Managers, Shopper Marketing and Commercial Strategy Managers
• Resolve Customer / Category trade offs within their area
• With Customer Marketing Managers, lead key in-store activation events
• Lead range and merchandising reviews (where appropriate)
• Deliver key Category Team initiatives at Customer e.g. Brand Activation, new product implementation

Be accountable for financial performance of categories within area of responsibility 

• Deliver Turnover, Customer Profitability and TMI budgets
• Discuss and agree Gap Filling initiatives with Category Team
• Lead and develop our Growth Strategy with customers to win share whilst delivering profitability objectives for both Unilever and Customer

Line manage and develop Customer Account Managers 

• Manage the performance of Account Managers, Executives and cross functional team within their responsibility
• Provide on-the-job coaching and guidance
• Facilitate training and development opportunities – support the team in achieving their career goals
• Lead for Customer knowledge and capability within the company as a whole

Skills and experience we are looking for 

• 5 years+ proven experience in a customer management sales role
• DCommerce experience and working with online customers highly desirable
• Experience of building and managing senior external customer relationships
• Consistent delivery of high quality results in challenging trading/customer environments
• Experience of leading teams and managing and developing others
• Experience of creating and delivering Joint Business Plans
• Strong commercial and business knowledge and capability
• Self-Starting, Independent and Strong Conviction

Should you require additional information or reasonable adjustments to allow you to present your best self during this process, please contact our Talent Partner, Kayleigh Reynolds on Kayleigh.Reynolds@unilever.com  

What We Offer  

Not only do we offer a competitive salary and pension scheme, we also offer an annual bonus, subsidised gym membership, a discounted staff shop and shares. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment. 

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We are a key advocate of wellbeing and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.  

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. We are also more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process to enable you to be present your best self. 

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