Project Account Manager

Ferndown - Dorset

Department Mission Statement

Obsessively customer focused, as their preferred strategic partner by delivering products with predictable consistency, efficiency and success.

About Avec

AVEC is a dynamic business, founded by talent, ambition and relationships.  We have honed our strengths by understanding what we do welland how we work best together.  Our growth is underpinned by teamwork, a positive and proactive attitude, and a shared culture of supportive excellence. The core values of AVEC are those of partnership and relationship building, with a focus on quality and tailored product development. By getting every step right, we develop everything to high specification.

Applicant profile

Avec is a fast paced company with incredible growth. You’ll need to be highlyfocused, organised and professional, with strong communication and negotiation skills with proven experience at building relationships with a variety of stakeholders. The purpose of the Project Management role is to deliver exceptional customer service through customer loyalty and sales growth by expert management of product development, sourcing, negotiating, manufacturing, quality control and delivery – all to a high standard.

It is important at all times to exude professionalism and engage positively with the culture of innovation, teamwork and continuous professional development here at Avec UK. We are extremely proud of the amazing people working here and we are looking to warmly welcome a new member to our team.

Key Responsibilities

• Successfully Project Manage customer briefs from validating proposals, budgeting, sourcing, negotiating, manufacturing and delivering on time to a high standard.
• Negotiation is key within this role. Understanding your customer’s and your Production Facilities requirements clearly to leverage best pricing that leads to optimal margin.
• Build strong relationships for the best quality, price and service for sustainable future business with a significant profit.
• Managing critical paths. We work on briefs which can be 6 months to a year in advance. You must be able to follow the processes and manage the deadlines given within the customer critical path to ensure smooth project delivery.
• To proactively build turnover and margin by developing customer specific product roadmaps and forecasts using the knowledge and experience of the Product team.
• Be able to create innovative and customer focused product proposals that will be sent to customers which will make the customers excited to order our, beautifully designed products.
• Work effectively within the Avec Team – Use effective and solution focused communication to resolve project issues with all Avec Teams in projects related to your accounts and others if required.
• Sharing successes and failures encountered so we can be an ever evolving and improving business. Work well under time pressure and not allow this to cause disharmony in the team by using the substantial support at your disposal.
• Attend team meetings to provide updates on project status; prepare meeting agendas and take minutes.
• Excellent communication skills. You will have daily contact with your customers, team members and production partners to ensure your projects are running on time
• Following Processes – Avec has a simple yet effective process to assist you in achieving high levels of success, margin and growth with customers. It is vital that you can follow these processes.

Key Skills/Experience

• Strong negotiator
• Sourcing overseas (desirable)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strategic
• Commercially aware
• Critical path management
• Organised and can prioritise workload
• Analytical skills
• Budgeting
• Work well under pressure
• Project management
• IT skills (good use of Microsoft packages)
• Customer Road-mapping/forecasting
• Product Development
• Market Research
• Market knowledge
• Building rapport with customer and suppliers
• Decision making 

Other desirable requirements

• Team player
• Confident
• Passionate
• Driven
• Self-motivated
• Focussed

Specific Job Requirements

• Occasionally, flexible hours and evening and weekend work are required.
• The role will involve international travel from time to time to attend retail trade fairs, observe best practice and develop positive relationships with customers, Suppliers and product testing companies.
• Strong numeracy skills ranging from interpretation of retail data to management accounts and budgeting.
• At least 1 year in a customer focused role.
• Being self-reflective and adapting to suggested ways of working is vital.
• Strong communication, written and verbal ability
• A positive, can do approach.
• Ability to balance the needs of commercial performance with the ethos of the organisation.
• Creating a strong customer service focus when communicating with customers.
• Proficiency working with Microsoft suite.
• Excellent organisational capabilities.
• Agility and adaptability.
• Ability to multi task a prioritise workload.
• Commercially aware of current trend and markets

Benefits

• Working for a flexible and approachable, equal opportunities employer who values the whole team.
• Working in positive and friendly organisational culture.
• Personal and professional development.
• Highly competitive salary.
• Flexi-time (subject to completing promotion to Senior).
• Spontaneous days out! (The last one was to the beach)
• International Travel