Thatcham Research
Key Account Manager
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Key Account Manager
Salary: Circa £45k base + up to 30% performance-based OTE | Contract: Permanent | Flexibility: Hybrid
A pivotal opportunity to nurture and grow strategic customer partnerships for Thatcham Research—a leader in automotive research, safety, and innovation. As Key Account Manager, you’ll act as a trusted commercial partner, driving growth while fostering long-term relationships with our most critical clients.
In this role, you will:
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior stakeholders (including C-suite level) to ensure high-value outcomes
- Develop customer-aligned strategic account plans and identify upsell/cross-sell opportunities
- Lead end-to-end commercial discussions, including forecasting, pricing, contract negotiations, and renewals
- Collaborate with deliverable, operational, product, finance, and marketing teams to drive agreed success metrics
- Monitor account performance, pipeline, KPIs, and customer health via CRM, ensuring data accuracy
- Capture insights and feedback to support product development and continuous improvement
Job Responsibilities
- Strategic Relationship Management: Act as the primary point of contact for high-value accounts, managing escalations and ensuring exceptional customer experience.
- Growth & Development: Own growth initiatives, from account renewals to large-scale contracts.
- Commercial Excellence: Drive forecast accuracy and contract negotiation, while ensuring operational alignment with sales targets.
- Data & Reporting: Track, analyse, and report on accounts using CRM tools (preferably Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics).
- Internal Collaboration: Bridge the gap between commercial objectives and cross-functional execution.
Key Skills & Experience
Must-Have Qualifications:
- 3+ years in key account management, client relationship development, or equivalent commercial/growth roles.
- Strong commercial/DKoP (Deadlocks & Overriding Proposals) experience with:
- Contract negotiation, financial forecasting, and Upsell/Cross-Sell strategy.
- Experience managing high-value accounts (preferably with escalation protocols and stakeholder influence).
- Proven track record of:
- Building trust with senior executives/C-Suite.
- Data-driven relationship analytics.
- Autonomous yet collaborative work style.
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Desirable (Bonus Points):
- Industry-specific knowledge: Automotive, ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems), or body repair sectors.
- CRM Proficiency: Hands-on experience with Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics.
- International exposition: Willingness to travel domestically/overseas.
- Language skills: Mandarin fluency is a genuine differentiator.
- Hybrid agility: Comfortable balancing in-office and remote collaboration.
Why This Role Excites
You’ll be part of driving real-world safety advancements: Our Crash Lab, Repair Technology Centre, and Training Academy shape modern vehicle design—your work directly influences how cars protect drivers and passengers.
About Thatcham Research
A UK leader at the intersection of automotive innovation: ☑ Gamston Facility – Home to cutting-edge active-safety testing for crash avoidance tech. ☑ Industry Champions: Behind world-first standards in occupant protection, repairs, and sustainability. ☑ Commitment to Diversity: Proud Champions of Automotive 30% Club and Women in Data (WiD)—your authentic self is welcome here.
Our Values (Embedded Here to Locate Greatness):
- Fearless: Unafraid to challenge conventions.
- Inquisitive: Seeking smarter, safer ways forward.
- Resourceful: Turning constraints into breakthroughs.
- Supportive: Teamwork trumps individualism.
- Trusted: When we say something, we own it.
Your Financial & Wellbeing Benefits
✔ Totally Flexible Base + OTE: Base: £45k + up to 30% performance OTE (salary bonus). ✔ Future Security: 10% non-contributory pension contribution. ✔ 32 days holiday (plus Christmas shutdown, public holidays). ✔ Luxury Life Protection: £4× basic salary life assurance, plus Income Protection (after 6 months). ✔ Tech & Transport: Salary sacrifice schemes for cycle-to-work and leasing gadgets/tech. ✔ References: Boundless parental leave (e.g., Shared Parental Leave, adoption, fostering/stepchildren). ✔ Sound Mind: Access to MoneyHealth Financial Coaching & Wellbeing platform. ✔ Health: 16% paid health cash plan; Benenden opt‐in healthcare (gold-tier cover). ✔ Recogzmelange: From on-site restaurant discounts to gym schemes and team casual sports (football table chants encouraged). ✔ Legacy Legacy: Payroll employee giving for causes close to your heart.
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⏰ Hours: Mon-Thu: 8:30-16:30 | Fri: early finish: 15:45. Flexible working requests welcome.
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Recruitment Transparency
You’re in charge. How we’ll support you:
- Regular feedback via a dedicated talent engagement call.
- Initial screening call with a Talent Acquisition Partner.
- Interview Stages: 1) Mgr (Teams), 2) Final/In-Person (thame-curious task to showcase skills) + office tour.
- Feedback guarantee: After every interview, you’ll receive a detailed, personalised summary.
- CandCons: Ingra for our roast your experience with a post-interview survey.
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