Key Account Manager

Key Account Manager - South Central

If you are a passionate self-starter driven to make a real difference to people and feel a sense of purpose and pride in your work, you may be the perfect team member to join our mission.

We are looking for an Account Manager to own their sales region and lead‑gen strategy. In return, you will have direct visibility of the real difference you can make to the lives of children through ensuring great‑tasting and highly nutritious meals whilst helping schools overcome their challenges.

apetito has seen significant growth within the education sector, focusing on exceptional quality meals for students in Multi‑Academy Trusts, Independent Schools, and Special Educational Needs and Disability Schools.

Our proposition genuinely revolutionises school catering with the safest, highest quality food, and the broadest range offering something for every child.

We help schools overcome cost and recruitment barriers through our UK‑first pre‑prepared system, allowing schools to save money and reallocate funds to improve front‑line learning.

Our model for school meals is creating a wave in the market, and we are now seeking to more than double our sales team to revolutionise catering for hundreds more schools and improve the nutrition of thousands more children.

To support our mission, we’re looking for results‑led sales people to enthusiastically seek out and engage customer prospects.

Using the product‑system‑service model, tailored solutions will be required for every customer to boost top‑line revenue growth, customer acquisition levels and profitability – this truly is a consultative selling role.

We are looking for motivated and passionate sales people with proven business development skills.

You will communicate with key decision makers in schools; therefore the ability to build trust and forge strong working relationships quickly will be key, and the ability to close the sale is essential.

Your territory will cover Wiltshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

• Generating new business growth across Key Accounts, with a personal sales target of £385k in‑year revenue (approx. 15 new schools per annum).
• Ensure sales growth aligns with strategic targets around setting size, delivery frequency and pricing to generate profitable growth in line with budget.
• Develop, execute, review and refresh regional lead‑gen strategies to ensure continued prospect flow into the regional pipeline.
• To achieve 2 prospect visits per week.
• Work with Retention Managers (CDMs) to identify and develop further avenues for expansion within existing customer base.
• Identify the key needs and barriers for each prospect and highlight the benefits of apetito relevant to their needs, think creatively to overcome barriers.
• To create and pursue a detailed database of high‑value, target prospects.
• Create excellent inter‑company relationships.
• Promote apetito in the education sector through extensive networking.

• Proven experience of achieving and exceeding sales targets – focused on target achievement.
• Personally responsible for closing deals – taking charge of the process all the way through.
• Consultative, solutions‑led sales experience, not hard product sell.
• Strong commercial experience – be able to justify a business‑case.
• Objections handling focused around resistance to change/financial issues.
• Proven experience of developing and managing an account relationship.
• Good GCSE (or equivalent) to support a high standard of business communication skills and numerical analysis.
• Full UK driving licence for at least 2 years.

• Experience of food/nutritional standards.
• Experience of the education sector.
• Good networking experience.
• Degree qualified.
• Food hygiene training.

• Able to demonstrate gravitas and credibility with senior level stakeholders.
• Resilient, tenacious and determined – persistent in pursuit of achievement.
• Strong influencing, negotiating, listening and communicating skills.
• Strong team‑working skills at all levels within an organisation, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence in delivery.
• Must display a passion for this role and the business that we…