Strategic Key Account Manager | Midrand | Permanent

Strategic Key Account Manager

Take ownership of strategic customer partnerships where commercial performance, operational excellence and growth are equally important. This is an opportunity for an experienced key account or commercial professional to turn customer, financial and supply chain data into measurable business value.

The Strategic Key Account Manager will be accountable for the commercial performance, strategic relationship, operational governance and growth of one or more major strategic accounts. Acting as the primary interface between the organisation and its customers, you will develop multi-year account strategies, strengthen executive relationships, protect profitability and identify opportunities to expand the customer partnership.

This is a commercially focused role requiring much more than traditional relationship management. You will analyse profitability, cost-to-serve, margins, service performance, inventory, transport utilisation and other operational indicators to identify risks and opportunities. You will then translate those insights into business cases, commercial proposals, supply chain improvements and growth initiatives.

Our client is an established logistics and supply chain organisation providing integrated solutions to major customers across complex distribution environments. The business combines operational scale with commercial, analytical and technology capabilities and is focused on building long-term customer partnerships that deliver sustainable, measurable value.

What You'll Do

• Develop and own multi-year strategic account plans, annual account strategies, joint business plans and customer growth roadmaps.

• Build trusted relationships with senior customer stakeholders across supply chain, procurement, commercial, finance, operations and sales.

• Lead executive engagement, governance forums, quarterly business reviews and strategic planning sessions.

• Own customer commercial performance, including revenue growth, margins, contract profitability, pricing, cost recovery and revenue leakage reduction.

• Analyse customer, operational and financial data to identify performance risks and commercially viable growth opportunities.

• Conduct profitability, cost-to-serve and margin analysis and develop executive-level reporting and performance dashboards.

• Identify opportunities across warehousing, distribution, transport, secondary distribution, cross-border logistics, value-added services, sales and merchandising, digital solutions and control tower services.

• Develop business cases, commercial models and proposals and manage the opportunity pipeline.

• Provide governance over operational performance, including OTIF, DIFOT, fill rates, claims, inventory accuracy, cost-to-serve and service failures.

• Identify supply chain optimisation opportunities across routing, networks, warehousing, stockholding, vehicle utilisation, forecasting, delivery frequency and automation.

• Champion continuous improvement, digital innovation and customer value initiatives.

• Support sustainability initiatives including carbon reduction, sustainable transport, packaging optimisation, food waste reduction and ESG reporting.

• Identify and manage commercial, operational, financial, capacity and regulatory risks.

• Influence cross-functional internal teams to deliver customer objectives and strategic initiatives.

What You Bring

• Matric or Grade 12.

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Commerce, Business Management or a related field.

• Minimum five years' experience in Key Account Management, Commercial Management, Business Development or Supply Chain.

• Demonstrated experience managing strategic customer relationships.

• Experience developing business cases and commercial proposals.

• Advanced analytical capability.

• Commercial costing and profitability management experience.

• Strong understanding of strategic account management, customer profitability, cost-to-serve modelling, commercial pricing and contract management.

• Knowledge of supply chain operations, including warehousing, distribution, transport and inventory management.

• Strong Excel capability and working knowledge of SAP.

• Strong communication, presentation, numerical, analytical and report-writing skills.

• Valid Code EB driver's licence.

• Ability to travel and conduct face-to-face customer engagements.

• FMCG, logistics or 3PL experience would be advantageous.

• Power BI certification or practical experience would be advantageous.

• Financial modelling experience and a postgraduate qualification would be advantageous.

What Success Looks Like

• Sustainable revenue growth and stronger account profitability.

• Improved gross margin, EBITDA contribution and contract performance.

• Reduced cost-to-serve and revenue leakage.

• Strong customer retention, satisfaction and executive relationships.

• A healthy, qualified opportunity pipeline that converts insight into account expansion.

• Improved OTIF, DIFOT, inventory accuracy, vehicle utilisation and warehouse productivity.

• Strategic recommendations that translate into measurable customer and commercial outcomes.

• Successful delivery of improvement, innovation and digital initiatives.

• Effective contract renewals and long-term strategic customer partnerships.