Strategic Account Manager - North / West for Inspection + Assessment

Who are LRQA?

LRQA stands for dedication to clients, market firsts, and deep expertise in risk management. We’ve grown to become a leading global assurance provider, bringing together outstanding expertise in certification, customised assurance, cybersecurity, inspection, and training.

While we’re proud of our heritage, it’s who we are today that really matters, because that’s what shapes who we and our clients can become tomorrow. By staying true to our shared values and combining decades of collective experience, we support our clients in building a safer and more sustainable future.

What do we do?

We help our clients negotiate a rapidly changing world, by working with them to manage and mitigate the risks they face.   We specialise in management systems compliance & expert advice across a broad spectrum of standards, schemes & business improvement services to include customised training & assurance. In Inspection Services, we certify safety critical industrial equipment according to recognised codes, standards & regulations. We also partner with companies to provide tailored high-quality inspection services throughout their manufacturing supply chains, making sure equipment is built safely & to their requirements.  Our award-winning Cyber Security Business Nettitude, helps clients manage their risks against a backdrop of new threats emerging every day, we focus on the threat in the cyber landscape and provide tailored made solutions so that our clients can manage their risks effectively.   Our independence means we provide reliable, impartial, and informed advice.  All of this helps us stand by the purpose that drives us every single day, shaping a better future together.

LRQA currently operates across 50 countries, has more than 2,500 colleagues, generates £315m in revenue, and supports more than 60,000 clients across a diverse range of sectors and markets.

The next chapter for LRQA

The future is exciting and rapidly changing.  New challenges and opportunities are arising all the time. We’re adapting to these challenges by expanding our portfolio of services and aiming to become the leading digitally enabled assurance provider. 

With solid expertise and heritage in our sector, coupled with well-timed accelerated investment and a leadership team that is fully committed to delivering our vision, LRQA’s next chapter is set to be an exciting, transformational period of growth. We’re well placed to build on everything we’ve done and further our ambitions for the future.  At such an exciting time this is a great opportunity to be part of our next chapter.  We are looking for talented people who will support us to build on our strengths and transform our business to be the best partner for our clients.

LRQA’s mission is to be the leading digitally enabled assurance provider, helping our clients navigate a changing risk landscape. We will achieve this by being the leading assurance provider in key sectors such as food, cybersecurity and ESG, making it easier for clients to do business with us through our digital transformation, and ultimately delivering a portfolio of services which make the world a cleaner, more sustainable, and safer place.

Our Business Assurance Business Unit is a recognised, world-leading professional assurance services organisation. We specialise in management systems compliance & expert advice across a broad spectrum of standards, schemes & business improvement services, including customised training & assurance programs.

Reporting into the SAM Sales Manager (HSAM), the purpose of the Strategic Account Manager is to:  

• Develop and win new business opportunities with existing and target strategic accounts
• Build and maintain strong strategic relationships with key individuals in client accounts
• Lead the strategic sales priorities and implementation for accounts, based on opportunities, framework and service agreements, to maximise revenue delivery and growth
• Introduce new products and services which are added to the LRQA portfolio through acquisitions and new product development
• Support strategic bids and be a major contributor to the bid process and team
• Be the local lead and representative for colleague’s accounts, where geographical strategic support is needed, including liaison with Strategic Account Managers (GAM’s) to drive sales and pipeline opportunities

Key Responsibilities:

Results driven delivery

You will manage a selection of strategic accounts and be responsible for winning business from a target group of logos, with an annual combined revenue value of £0.5-3m initially, depending on mixture of existing and new client priorities, working on growing this significantly year on year. You will be responsible for creating the implementation strategy for new sales in your accounts and working with LRQA teams as needed to achieve success. Retention, revenue growth and new logo wins will be the key performance indicators use to measure success.

Account Management skills

You will be responsible for the development and delivery of strategic account plans, which maximise the LRQA opportunity for revenue, in line with group growth objectives and priorities. You will ensure continual development of each client’s business focus and strategy, you will grow the network of influencers in each client organisation and will maintain an active pipeline of opportunities, prioritising workload to ensure client satisfaction and maximum revenue growth. This will involve proactive engagement with other LRQA teams, including marketing, Service Delivery (SD) and Service Delivery Support (SDS) as needed to put your account and targets into the best shape possible for success.

Pipeline management skills

You will need to manage your client pipelines to ensure that they are sufficient to meet the relevant targets, engaging with GAM colleagues and other local SAMs to maximise the opportunities you develop, through local relationships and contracts. This will include ensuring the accuracy of values, sales stages, dates of actions and likely closure timelines. Where your overall pipeline is not in the right shape, you will take action to correct this and ensure it gets back on track in a timely manner. Your pipeline will be an accurate reflection of your sales forecast at any given time.

Preparation and delivery of account plans
You will ensure that any strategic account under the management of your team, has an up to date, viable account plan, which is driving the strategic growth initiatives for the account, and which can be clearly articulated by the relevant salesperson, at any time. You will use account plans to prioritise opportunities, marketing support and team efforts to drive the growth you are tasked with delivering each financial period.

Contract renewals and RFP’s
You are responsible for managing the retention of all business with your named accounts, minimising the risk of loss to the LRQA business, through timely intervention in any process, preventing the re-tendering of business where possible and re-securing the contract where needed. You will play an active role in new business opportunities, either in a lead or supporting sales position, depending on the winning strategy and relevant skills needed to maximise the opportunity of winning.

Problem solving
You will be accountable for working with your clients and targets on identifying problems that LRQA can solve via a customised solution of its products and services, underpinned by strong market knowledge and experience.

Market knowledge and strategic prioritisation
You will maintain a strong strategic knowledge of the market(s) you operate in, ensuring you are able to maintain a strong level of communication with client personnel, using this to open doors for new products and services, and to contribute to strategic discussions around LRQA business plans and growth objectives.

Contribution to Sales Meetings and Performance summaries
From sales management meetings to BA leadership team meetings, you will be responsible for the production of sales and pipeline reports, performance summaries and updates on specific project actions, ensuring they are accurate and delivered in a timely manner.