Key Account Executive – Meat & HORECA

Job Title: Key Account Executive – Meat & HORECA Function: Sales / Commercial Department: Jumeriah Trading Location: Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Saudi Arabia Reports To: Sales Manager Customer Segment: Hotels, restaurants, catering companies, central kitchens, cafes, and institutional customers Job Purpose Responsible for developing and growing sales of fresh, chilled, and frozen meat products across the HORECA and institutional customer segment. The role focuses on acquiring new customers, developing existing accounts, understanding customer specifications, preparing competitive commercial offers, achieving sales and margin targets, ensuring timely collections, and coordinating with operations and supply chain to deliver consistent product quality and service. The role holder will establish relationships with chefs, executive chefs, F&B managers, restaurant owners, procurement teams, and institutional buyers, positioning the company as a dependable meat supply partner. Key Responsibilities New Business Development • Identify and develop new HORECA and institutional customers within the assigned territory. • Prospect hotels, restaurants, catering companies, central kitchens, restaurant chains, and institutional food-service operators. • Conduct regular field visits and build a qualified sales pipeline. • Obtain customer requirements covering product type, cut, specification, origin, grade, pack size, volume, and delivery frequency. • Arrange product introductions, samples, and commercial proposals. • Convert prospective customers into active, repeat-buying accounts. • Identify opportunities for cross-selling across the meat portfolio. Account Management • Maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers, including chefs, procurement managers, and business owners. • Conduct regular customer visits to understand upcoming demand and operational requirements. • Monitor order frequency, sales volume, product mix, and account profitability. • Resolve issues relating to product specification, deliveries, availability, or customer service in coordination with relevant departments. • Develop account plans for high-potential customers and implement recovery actions for declining accounts. Meat Product Sales • Develop strong knowledge of beef, lamb/mutton, poultry, chilled meat, frozen meat, portion-controlled cuts, food-service packs, and premium/imported products, as applicable. • Understand customer requirements relating to cuts, portion size, yield, cooking application, packaging, and price point. • Recommend suitable products according to menu application and customer requirements. • Communicate product specifications accurately to customers and internal teams. Pricing, Quotations & Margin Management • Prepare quotations and commercial proposals within approved pricing parameters. • Negotiate selling prices, volumes, delivery arrangements, and commercial terms. • Protect required gross margins while maintaining market competitiveness. • Monitor competitor pricing and customer feedback and report significant market movements. • Seek management approval for exceptional pricing or commercial terms in accordance with the approval matrix. • Avoid volume growth that does not meet required profitability or credit standards. Sales Target Achievement • Achieve assigned monthly sales value, sales volume, gross profit/margin, new-account acquisition, product penetration, and collection targets. • Maintain an active customer pipeline sufficient to support sales targets. • Track daily and monthly performance against targets and implement corrective actions where required. Forecasting & Supply Coordination • Provide accurate customer and order forecasts to support procurement and inventory planning. • Communicate major orders, seasonal requirements, and customer events in advance. • Coordinate with supply chain, warehouse, and delivery teams regarding product availability. • Support appropriate stock planning for key HORECA accounts and reduce lost sales caused by poor forecasting or communication. Credit & Collection • Ensure customers operate within approved credit limits and commercial terms. • Follow up outstanding receivables in coordination with Finance and Credit Control. • Monitor overdue customers, escalate credit risks, and avoid unauthorized extensions of credit. • Support timely collection while maintaining professional customer relationships. Market Intelligence • Monitor competitor brands, product origins, pack sizes, price levels, and promotional activities. • Identify emerging HORECA trends and new customer opportunities. • Capture feedback from chefs and customers regarding quality, specifications, and product requirements. • Recommend new products or cuts based on market demand. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • Sales Achievement: Actual sales vs. monthly target. • Gross Margin Achievement: Actual gross profit/margin vs. target. • Sales Volume: Kg/tons sold vs. target. • New Customer Acquisition: New active HORECA accounts. • Customer Retention: Active/retained customer rate. • Collection Performance: Receivables collected within approved terms. • Product Penetration: Number/value of SKUs sold per customer. • Repeat Business: Repeat-order rate. • Sales Pipeline Conversion: Prospects converted to active accounts. • Forecast Accuracy: Forecast vs. actual customer demand. Education & Qualifications • Diploma or Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Sales, Marketing, Hospitality, Food Science, or a related discipline. • Professional training in selling, key account management, negotiation, food safety/HACCP awareness, or meat product knowledge is preferred. Experience • 3–5 years of B2B or institutional sales experience in FMCG or food service. • Preferably 2+ years in meat, poultry, frozen food, or chilled-food sales. • Experience selling to HORECA customers in Saudi Arabia is highly preferred. • Existing relationships with hotels, restaurant groups, caterers, or institutional buyers would be advantageous. • Experience handling sales targets, pricing, quotations, credit customers, and collections. Technical Knowledge • Fresh, chilled, and frozen meat categories, meat cuts, and customer applications. • Food-service packaging, product specifications, cold-chain requirements, and shelf-life considerations. • HORECA customer buying behavior, pricing, and gross-margin calculations. • Quotations, tender submissions, sales forecasting, credit, and collections. • CRM/sales reporting and Microsoft Excel. Competencies Commercial Competencies • B2B selling. • Negotiation. • Customer acquisition. • Account development. • Margin management. • Territory management. • Commercial awareness. • Sales forecasting. Behavioral Competencies • Customer focus. • Results orientation. • Relationship building. • Persistence. • Communication. • Problem solving. • Accountability. • Planning and organization. Key Working Relationships Internal • Sales Manager. • Procurement / Buying. • Warehouse. • Supply Chain. • Logistics / Delivery. • Finance & Credit Control. • Quality / Food Safety. • Customer Service. External • Executive and Head Chefs. • F&B Managers. • Restaurant Owners. • Hotel Procurement Managers. • Catering Procurement Teams. • Restaurant Chain Buyers. • Institutional Purchasing Departments.