Senior Key Account Manager

Listing reference: 022567

Listing status: Online

Apply by: 14 November 2025

Position summary

Industry: Pharmaceutical Sector

Job category: FMCG, Retail, Wholesale and Supply Chain

Location: Gauteng

Contract: Permanent

EE position: Yes

About our company

Clicks Group

Introduction

We are looking to recruit an Senior Key Account Manager - Exports to work for United Pharmaceutical Distributors (UPD). The role will be based at our Lea Glen branch and will report to the Business Development Exec: Africa.

Job description

Main Purpose:

The Senior Key Account Manager – Exports is responsible for driving revenue growth and ensuring exceptional client satisfaction across key government and strategic accounts in regional export markets. This role manages the full tender lifecycle, ensures compliance and accuracy of submissions, and maintains strong engagement with C-suite executives and senior government stakeholders. The incumbent will proactively strengthen client relationships, execute strategic initiatives, and continuously improve commercial and operational performance while supporting the Line Manager in managing strategic priorities. Success in this role requires disciplined execution, cross-functional collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and the ability to lead multiple high-value accounts without compromising service quality.

Key Objectives:

Strategic Relationship & Stakeholder Management:

• Identify, establish, and maintain strategic relationships with key external and internal stakeholders, including government procurement offices, Ministries of Health, regulatory authorities, and senior executives.

· Serve as the primary point of contact for key export customers and government accounts. · Build strong internal partnerships across Supply Chain, Finance, Legal, Quality, and Regulatory to ensure effective delivery of export strategy. · Demonstrate ability to engage credibly at Exco, C-suite, and senior government level.

• Provide leadership, coaching, and succession planning for direct reports and support the broader Key Account team.

Tender & Contract Management:

• Oversee the full tender management lifecycle: tender sourcing, documentation preparation, coordination of internal approvals, submission, and post-award execution.
• Ensure all documents submitted meet compliance, accuracy, and format standards, with formal sign-off from line management.
• Assist in negotiation of commercial terms, SLA's, and performance commitments for awarded tenders.
• Monitor and ensure adherence to contractual KPIs, SLAs, and compliance requirements across markets.

Client Management & Service Delivery Excellence:

• Act as the primary escalation point for account-related matters, ensuring timely resolution and proactive prevention of repeat issues.
• Translate client requirements into executable internal actions and ensure end-to-end delivery.
• Conduct structured client engagements, including monthly feedback meetings and formal review sessions.
• Oversee CAPA processes, CRM activity, stock reconciliations, and audit requirements for export markets.

Market Research & Intelligence:

• Continuously monitor market dynamics, regulatory changes, and competitor activity across all export territories.
• Provide insights and recommendations to internal stakeholders and leadership to support export strategy and product positioning.
• Identify emerging market opportunities and assist in shaping go-to-market responses Commercial Performance &

Sales Management:

• Drive achievement of valid purchase orders from both the Public and private sectors.
• Ensure stock availability, pricing alignment, and credit processes (if applicable) are effectively managed for export clients.
• Ensure the supplier and customer statements are reconciled weekly against all orders.
• Ensure that all payments relating to suppliers and business partners are effected correctly.
• Monitor KPI performance against contractual commitments and coordinate cross-functional support to meet targets

Contract negotiation:

• Assist the Line Manager with negotiating contracts with key suppliers and customers, together with meeting established deadlines for the fulfilment of KPI's/SLA's.
• To ensure compliance management to all contracted SLA's and KPI's.
• Monitor and ensure adherence to all contracted agreements.

Reporting:

• Weekly Scorecard update.
• Compiling reports on account progress, goals, and forecasts for external and internal stakeholders.
• Plan, prepare and schedule monthly KPI meetings, this must be in a presentation format with correct supporting data/documentation.
• Document and publish meeting minutes, follow up and update open points raised within 24 hours from meeting.
• Create and maintain operational trackers.
• Review and recon all supplier and customer statements weekly
• Manage and lead projects and other requirements.
• Management of CRMs to ensure that all CRMs are current and/or closed off within 7 days.
• Management of all outgoing and incoming payments ensuring compliance to agreements.
• Weekly required reporting i.e. Scorecard, CRMs, Payments received, and Tenders etc.
• Assist the line manager and executive with all necessary reports and analysis to support all meetings.

Skills:

• Planning and organisation skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Negotiation skills
• Strong interpersonal and relationship management across multiple levels of management
• Time management
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy

· Analytical and strategic thinking skills · Budget management skills

• Computer literacy (Advanced Excel and Power Point)

Knowledge:

• Sales principles, legislation, industry specific regulations, processes of systems, etc.

Personal Competencies:

• Building and maintain strategic networks
• Presenting and communicating information
• Persuading and influencing
• Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking
• Adapting and responding to change
• Creativity and innovation
• Problem solving
• Delivering results and meeting customer expectations
• Ability to manage pressure, deadlines, and multiple complex priorities.

Minimum requirements

Education and Qualification:

· Matric · Relevant Degree or Diploma

Experience:

· 3-year pharmaceutical industry experience at a junior management / professional level with retail experience or exposure · 5 years of experience in client management.