Group Key Account Manager – FMCG
FMCG
GROUP KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER – FMCG
Location: Bucharest | National Scope | Modern Trade Customers
We are recruiting a strategic and hands-on Senior Key Account Manager to lead national customer partnerships in one of the most dynamic categories in FMCG industry. The role will carry full responsibility for customer P&L, the achievement of growth targets, and the leadership of a small team of Key Account Managers.
This is a critical commercial leadership position requiring strong negotiation skills, financial acumen, and the ability to balance strategic planning with operational execution in a dynamic FMCG environment.
Location: Bucharest | National Scope | Modern Trade Customers
ROLE OVERVIEW
The Group Key Account Manager will lead strategic account management at national level, delivering turnover, growth, and profitability through effective customer business plans, trade terms negotiation, and team leadership. Ensure full P&L responsibility for assigned customers and execution of global commercial initiatives.
Reporting directly to the Sales Lead for Romania, the role includes direct leadership responsibility for 2 Key Account Managers.
This role requires a commercially sharp leader who can negotiate complex trade agreements, deliver customer business plans, and coach a team towards performance. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in positioning division for future growth.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Customer Strategy & Growth
- Develop strategic business plans per customer/channel; secure sign-off and track execution.l.
- Lead negotiations of trade terms, trade funding, and contractual agreements.
- Act as the category ambassador at customer level, building long-term partnerships.
P&L Ownership
- Full responsibility for assigned customer P&L (turnover, gross margin, trade investments).
- Monitor contribution, profitability, and market share performance.
- Ensure compliance with commercial initiatives such as Perfect Store, OPSO, CotC, and TDP.
Team Leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop two Key Account Managers.
- Ensure capability building and delivery of team targets.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain teams to ensure integrated customer execution.
- Support the business during its transition into a new, standalone company structure.
KPIs
- Business Delivery & Growth: USG, UPG, GM, Customer P&L
- Execution: Perfect Store compliance, OPSO, CotC, TDP
- Team: Delivery of targets by KAMs, capability development
- Customer Performance: Market share, contribution, ROI of trade investments
Critical Success Factors
- Ability to manage complexity: balancing short-term sales with long-term category growth.
- Financial discipline and commercial sharpness in P&L delivery.
- Strong negotiation with top customers at national level.
- Leadership of a small but impactful team.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
Professional Experience
- 10+ years of progressive commercial experience in FMCG, with at least 5 years in Key Account Management at national level.
- Proven record of managing large modern trade customers (e.g., hypermarkets, discounters, international retail chains) and delivering profitable growth.
- Direct P&L ownership experience: managing turnover, gross margin, and trade investments.
- Experience negotiating trade terms and joint business plans with major national or international customers.
- Previous exposure to cross-functional collaboration (Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, Category Management) in building customer plans.
- Strong FMCG experience in categories with high trade investment and promotion intensity (e.g., beverages, snacks, confectionery, dairy) is equally relevant.
- Demonstrated experience in leading and coaching teams, ideally 1–5 direct reports, with tangible results in developing people.
Leadership Competencies
- Strategic mindset: can translate company objectives into tailored customer strategies.
- Results orientation: proven ability to deliver against KPIs (USG, UPG, GM, Customer P&L).
- Negotiation & influence: confident in leading complex negotiations with top retailers.
- Financial acumen: ability to understand drivers of customer profitability, investment ROI, and market share.
- Team leadership: develops, motivates, and holds team members accountable.
- Collaboration: able to influence internally and build strong cross-functional alignment.
- Change leadership: resilient and agile, capable of navigating the transition of Ice Cream into an independent company.
Languages
- Fluent Romanian (native or equivalent).
- Fluent English (written and spoken), as the role is part of a global structure.
Ideal Personality & Style
- Entrepreneurial and ambitious, excited by the opportunity to grow within a newly created standalone company.
- Balance of analytical thinking and relationship orientation: able to work with data, P&L, and KPIs, while also being a trusted partner to customers.
- Comfortable with both boardroom-level negotiations and hands-on team coaching.
- Persuasive communicator, strong presence with customers, but also collaborative and approachable internally.
- Resilient, adaptable, and motivated by both growth targets and transformational projects.
ATTRACTIVE ASPECTS
This is a unique opportunity to join a fast-moving FMCG category at a strategic moment of transformation. The successful candidate will:
✔ Own full P&L responsibility at customer level.
✔ Shape long-term partnerships with top national retailers.
✔ Lead and develop a team within a dynamic business environment.
✔ Play a pivotal role in the growth of a category transitioning into a standalone company.
APPLICATION PROCESS
If this opportunity sounds interesting, please apply by submitting your CV. Qualified candidates will be invited to a structured evaluation process based on leadership, operational, and cultural fit.
If you know someone who may be a strong fit for this challenge, feel free to forward this opportunity
Pendl & Piswanger InterSearch (P&P) is one of the leading 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 boutique consultancies in Romania, focusing on 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 and 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝, 𝐂-𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 and management roles, as well as interim managers through-out a broad area of industries.
With a presence of 25 years in Romania we are totally committed to our clients who gain competitive advantage by hiring great people.
Our company is affiliated to InterSearch, a worldwide 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 firm with more than 35 years of history, 100 offices in 60+ countries and to IMW, leading 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 provider with global presence as well.
For more information please visit our websites at www.ppromania.ro or www.im-advisor.com