Key Account Manager

Location: Belper

About the role

Are you passionate about building strategic customer partnerships, driving commercial growth, and bringing innovative solutions to market?

We're looking for an ambitious and commercially minded Account Manager to join our UK Packaging (Retail) team, managing a portfolio of key customers across the Midlands and South West. This is a fantastic opportunity to play a pivotal role in strengthening relationships with leading FMCG and industrial brands while helping shape the future of sustainable packaging.

At our core, we're innovators. We challenge convention, embrace creativity, and work collaboratively to deliver packaging solutions that make a real impact. As part of a supportive and high-performing team, you'll work closely with colleagues across Sales, Design, Innovation and Operations to create value-led solutions that delight customers and drive business growth.

As a trusted partner to your customers, you'll take ownership of an established portfolio and drive both retention and growth through strategic account management and exceptional customer engagement.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to

• Strategy & Growth: Lead the execution of account plans to secure organic revenue growth and margin improvements within existing customers
• Relationship Management: Build deep partnerships across the FMCG and industrial sectors to drive customer loyalty and satisfaction
• Value-Led Solutions: Coordinate with Design and Innovation teams to translate customer needs into tailored, sustainable packaging offerings
• Pipeline & Forecasting: Manage account metrics and communicate precise sales volume and revenue forecasts to the business via our CRM system
• Collaboration & Efficiency: Work alongside regional sales networks and operations teams to maximise market opportunities and drive supply chain efficiencies

So, if you are an experienced Account Management professional within the FMCG or Packaging space, looking for a new challenge in a business which prioritises creativity and encourages you to make a difference — then we might be looking for you!

Location: This is a remote role with regular travel required for client pitches, site visits, and internal stakeholder meetings across the Midlands and the South West.

About you

• Proven success, knowledge, and experience in an Account Management role within FMCG – packaging experience highly desirable but will welcome experience in other areas
• A Full driving license
• A strong ability to work independently & remotely with travel as needed
• Strong business acumen and negotiation skills with the ability to deal with conflict and challenge both externally and internally
• Proven success, knowledge, and experience of analysing and initiating actions based on financial insights and understanding
• Ability to build strong working relationships with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders around the business
• Ability to deliver dynamic & professional presentations

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Discretionary bonus
• Car allowance
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee Discounts
• Cycle to work scheme

Location: This is a remote role with regular travel required for client pitches, site visits, and internal stakeholder meetings across the UK.

About us

We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!

Fair recruitment at DS Smith

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas, and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.

As a Safety‑first employer, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards across our operations. Our approach to safety means going beyond minimum legal requirements and focuses on continuously elevating how we work safely—every day, at every level. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a brief safety questionnaire as part of the selection process. This helps us ensure that everyone who joins our team shares our focus and commitment to design, operate and maintain injury-free workplaces for our employees and everyone who enters our facilities.

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Additional Locations: Redditch, Birmingham, Slough, London, Devizes, Nottingham, Caerphilly, Bristol