Key Accounts Director
Location: Home‑based with UK travel
Salary: Package of £100k+ (including base salary, commission, and car allowance)
Contract Type: Full time, Permanent
Main Purpose of the Role
In this role, you’ll take ownership of a portfolio of Mercia’s largest and most strategically important clients and partners. This includes leading accountancy firms, heads of groups and networks, as well as key industry partners such as software providers, training organisations and professional education bodies. You’ll be responsible for maintaining and growing these relationships, taking a proactive approach to account management, spotting opportunities for expansion and ensuring long‑term client retention.
You will work closely with the Senior Leadership Team, alongside colleagues in sales and marketing, to support existing partnerships and develop new ones that align with Mercia’s wider growth plans. Staying close to clients’ businesses, you will provide insights, anticipate needs, and remain informed about changes in the accountancy industry to understand their impact on your portfolio.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
- Drive the growth and retention of revenue across your portfolio.
- Develop and leverage commercial and strategic partnerships to contribute to Mercia’s wider growth strategy.
- Work closely with a designated Client Success Manager to ensure world‑class service for strategic clients and partners.
- Build and maintain strategic B2B partnerships; demonstrate solution‑selling expertise in regulated industries (accountancy, legal services, or education).
- Manage your time and workload efficiently to meet activity targets.
- Line‑manage and support a small team of Key Account Managers.
- Prioritise activity across your portfolio to maximise the potential and long‑term value of each account.
- Negotiate commercially with clients, partners, and procurement teams to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes, consulting legal teams as necessary.
- Build and maintain a pipeline of opportunities that grows year on year.
- Collaborate with the product division on new solutions, pricing, and go‑to‑market materials.
- Support the wider sales team in commercial negotiations, proposals, and client contracting.
- Accurately capture and record client and partner interactions in Salesforce and other systems.
- Convert proposals into successful deals and track performance metrics (conversion rates, pipeline growth, revenue retention/win).
- Log client feedback, requests, and insights with the Product Department.
What We’re Looking For
- Proven experience selling solutions within a regulated environment, such as accountancy, professional education or training.
- Demonstrable experience managing a portfolio of high‑value key accounts – typically up to 30 clients – with a clear focus on retention, growth and long‑term value.
- Experience operating at senior leadership level, with the confidence to engage credibly with SLT, board‑level stakeholders and executive decision makers, both internally and externally.
- Previous experience in line‑managing and coaching a Key Accounts or senior sales team.
- A strong understanding of how to stay close to the commercial realities of the business, spotting opportunities for strategic partnerships and longer‑term growth.
- A positive, thoughtful and disciplined approach to sales, focused on understanding client needs and solving problems rather than transactional selling.
- A collaborative mindset and a willingness to share insight, best practice and experience with colleagues across the sales function.
- Flexibility to travel across the UK to meet clients and partners, with occasional travel further afield, and the ability to attend regular internal meetings in Leicester and London.
Preferred / Optional
- Previous sales experience in the accountancy industry.
We know it’s not a skill, but the successful candidate must have permission to work in the role’s location by the start of their employment.
As a Disability Confident employer, we shortlist all applicants who meet the essential role criteria and guarantee an interview for candidates with disabilities who meet these criteria. For reasonable adjustments or to apply under our interview guarantee scheme, please use the contact details provided once you have clicked “apply”!
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