Strategic Account Lead
| Posting date: | 24 November 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £96,000 to £105,000 per year |
| Additional salary information: | plus great benefits |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 08 December 2025 |
| Location: | Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, DN15 9GE |
| Company: | Co-op Group |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 1061472_1763984690 |
Summary
Strategic Account Lead
£96,000 to £105,000 plus great benefits (Work Level 4)
Location: Manchester/Scunthorpe (hybrid working - typically two to three days per week spent across our Manchester and Scunthorpe offices, with at least one day each week based in Scunthorpe). You'll also travel to our partner locations nationwide
Co-op Wholesale is growing, and we're looking for people who want to lead on what comes next. As a Strategic Account Lead, you'll take care of some of our biggest corporate accounts and lead a team of talented Account Managers. You'll create, develop, and deliver strategic business plans, working closely with partners to increase trading volumes and improve profitability. You'll be the face of Co-op Wholesale for these accounts, building strong relationships and making sure we deliver on every part of the partnership.
Why this role matters
We're building something big at Co-op Wholesale. With a refreshed structure and exciting plans ahead, we're creating new opportunities to strengthen our proposition for our independent retailers, key accounts, and a growing corporate client base. To do this, we need to build profitable partnerships that work for our partners, and for us. This is where you come in.
This is your chance to shape what comes next - bringing new ideas to life and making a real impact. Be part of it.
What you'll do
- Build strong relationships with your accounts and be their main point of contact for Co-op Wholesale
- Spot opportunities to boost trading volumes and increase the profitability of our partnerships
- Lead your team of Account Managers and make sure we deliver on every part of our contracts
- Work closely with internal and external partners, including legal teams, to keep everything compliant
- Help shape and deliver strategic business plans, tackling challenges along the way
- Keep an eye on market trends and adapt to changing circumstances
What you'll bring
- Experience working as a Strategic Account Manager
- Experience working with sales processes and techniques
- Great negotiation skills, using these to get the best outcomes for all parties
- Strong communication skills and the ability to adapt your approach to suit different audiences
- Good relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence and challenge people inclusively
- Flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances and partner needs
Why Co-op
At Co-op, we're owned by our members. And because we're owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you're not just taking a job, you're joining a movement. We're an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we're powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you'll also receive:
- A company car or £6,000 car allowance
- Private healthcare
- An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
- 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
- A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
- 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
- Stream - early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
- Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
- 24/7 colleague support service
- Training and support for your development and career progression
- Cycle-to-work scheme
A place you'll belong
We're building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve.
We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.
We're proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we'll support you.
Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion
As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes up to 50 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.