National Account Manager

Apetito provides meals to over 20,000 children in 200+ education settings, and we’re entering an exciting new phase of growth.

To support this, we’re recruiting a National Account Manager on a maternity cover contract (with potential to become permanent).

This senior role will focus on securing large-scale national accounts across the UK, leading major tender submissions and driving new business outside of tenders.

Working closely with the General Manager and a team of ten Regional Key Account Managers, you’ll help shape our sales strategy and contribute to our goal of reaching £25m+ annual turnover.

We’re looking for a commercially astute, ambitious professional with experience winning large, complex accounts.

You’ll be confident engaging stakeholders at all levels, skilled in negotiation and relationship-building, and ideally experienced in education, catering, or contract services.

This is a national role involving regular travel and occasional overnight stays. It’s a rare opportunity to make a significant impact and help Revolutionise School Catering.Fixed time contract for 9 months.

apetito is the UK’s leading food supplier to the health and social care sectors serving more than 1,300 care home, health care and education sites.

Our meals are expertly crafted by our dieticians and chefs, and then frozen to lock in the goodness.

Wiltshire Farm Foods, our sister company, is the UK’s largest ready meal supplier cooking and delivering over 330 different delicious frozen ready meals across the UK.

• →Develop and deliver the National Accounts strategy for the Education Division, aligned to the overall divisional growth objectives.
• →Attend SLT (Senior Leadership Team) meetings to present your strategies when required
• →Identify, develop and secure large-scale business within the Education sector.
• →Lead the management and submission of major tenders, working closely with internal Senior Bidwriter to produce compelling, commercially robust proposals.
• →Build and maintain strategic relationships with key decision-makers, including at C-Suite level within target organisations.
• →Contribute to divisional sales strategy, providing insight, expertise, and challenge to shape future plans.
• →Collaborate with Business Managers, Marketing, and Operations to ensure alignment and excellence in execution across all customer touchpoints.
• →Deliver in-year revenue target of £500k+, equivalent to one group of approximately 15 schools trading for a full year.
• →Provide regular reporting and forecasting to the General Manager, ensuring performance visibility and accountability.
• →Champion Apetito’s mission to Revolutionise School Catering, ensuring this ethos is reflected in every customer engagement.

Essential skills & experience:

• Significant B2B commercial sales experience
• Track record of achieving sales targets
• Ability to think strategically and develop and execute plans accurately
• Excellent communication and presentation skills- ability to win engagement, trust and influence
• Negotiating at Board level and closing large business in the £000,000s+
• Growth mindset – ambitious, proactive, and driven to exceed targets.
• Authentic relationship builder – able to connect with stakeholders from kitchen to boardroom.
• Strategic thinker – able to balance long-term vision with short-term delivery.
• Collaborative leader – works effectively across functions to drive shared success.
• Passionate ambassador for the Apetito brand and values.

Desirable experience:

• Experience leading or contributing to large public-sector tender submissions
• Experience within Education or Catering
• Knowledge of the UK Education catering landscape
• Understanding of contract and pricing structures within multi-site operations.

The successful candidate should have gravitas and must possess confidence, enthusiasm and passion. They must be able to inspire and influence others and form strong long-term relationships. They will have the will to win and be able to learn from their mistakes.

They must understand the agile approach – speedily building, measuring and adapting from learnings. They must demonstrate a strong work ethic and an ability to plan and manage their time effectively. In addition, they must be able to develop, implement and evaluate key strategic projects within their area of the business.

National role requiring regular travel and occasional overnight stays (expected one night per week).

Home-based with flexibility to plan acquisition activity around home region where possible.

Must hold a valid UK driving licence.

Due to the nature of this role an Enhanced DBS Check will be required.

As a family-owned business, we take great pride in being a company that makes a real difference and is dedicated to creating outstanding meals to be proud of.

We develop a range of products designed to enhance health and well-being for all our customers.

We are driven by a passion for service and dedicated to feeding some of the UK’s most vulnerable people.

We proudly support British food and farming, focusing on using the best ethical and sustainable produce in alignment with our goal to reach Net Zero by 2040.

Our ethical standards are recognised by the ETI and we are an accredited Living Wage employer.Learn more about apetito’s commitment to a more sustainable future.

We embrace inclusion, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Our commitment to making a real difference extends to customers, communities, and staff and we're on a mission to build an inclusive workplace where everyone reaches their full potential.