Strategic Sales Manager – Packaging Distribution

Location: Hybrid/field-based
Salary: Up to £70,000 depending on experience

The Company

A national packaging solutions provider supporting customers across e-commerce, third-party logistics, retail and automated fulfilment. Its customer base includes major brands and organisations operating complex warehouse and distribution environments.

The business takes a highly consultative approach, helping customers improve packaging performance through innovation, automation, continuous improvement and commercially effective solutions.

The Role

Due to new business wins, they are looking for an experienced Strategic Sales Manager to develop these relationships.

The role will focus on identifying opportunities across the customers’ wider operations, introducing additional product categories and delivering sustainable account growth. The accounts offer considerable potential and require a commercially capable, technically knowledgeable and dependable account manager with strong sales skills.

This is a senior, client-facing position suited to someone who can take ownership of complex accounts, deliver presentations, develop commercial pricing proposals and coordinate internal resources effectively.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of strategically important customer relationships.
• Develop detailed account plans and identify opportunities to increase customer spend.
• Introduce additional packaging products and services across multiple sites and departments.
• Review the customer’s existing packaging range, processes and operational challenges.
• Recommend solutions that improve efficiency, reduce waste, control costs and support automation.
• Prepare and deliver professional presentations, account reviews and commercial proposals.
• Develop pricing structures and negotiate commercially sustainable agreements.
• Coordinate trials, implementation programmes and new product introductions.
• Work closely with internal procurement, customer service and operational teams.
• Monitor service performance, resolve issues and ensure customer expectations are met.
• Maintain accurate forecasts, account plans and sales activity through the CRM system.
• Protect existing revenue while delivering profitable organic growth.

Product Range

The role will involve selling a broad range of packaging products, including:

• Corrugated packaging and boxes
• Stretch film and pallet wrap
• Bubble wrap and protective packaging
• Tapes and packaging consumables
• Bespoke packaging solutions
• Stock management and supply programmes
• Packaging designed for automated warehouse environments

Candidate Requirements

• Experience in packaging sales and strategic account management within the packaging industry
• Strong product knowledge across corrugated, transit or protective packaging.
• Proven ability to grow and develop sizeable customer accounts.
• Comfortable presenting to senior stakeholders and leading structured account reviews.
• Commercially capable, with experience preparing pricing proposals and negotiating agreements.
• Consultative approach with the ability to identify operational improvements.
• Confident managing complex projects involving several customer sites or stakeholders.
• A dependable and credible relationship builder who can take full ownership of the accounts.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly.

Candidates from packaging manufacturers, national distributors and regional merchants will all be considered. Experience with automated fulfilment, e-commerce, 3PL or retail distribution customers would be particularly valuable.

Ref: 1744972