Strategic Account & Sales Manager

Job Description

Strategic Account & Sales Manager - Companion Animal

• Permanent role with competitive remuneration, benefits and tools of trade provided e.g. Car, Laptop, iPad etc
• Based: Sydney, Macquarie Park, Australia
• Lead: a high-performing, agile and passionate sales team
• Shape: and drive the strategic direction of our retail companion animal portfolio across Australia
• Join: a collaborative, purpose-driven animal health organisation with trusted brands and innovative products

As the Strategic Account & Sales Manager - Companion Animal, you will lead the development and execution of strategic plans to grow key retail accounts across our companion animal portfolio.

In this pivotal role, you will combine commercial acumen, strategic thinking and relationship management expertise to deliver tailored solutions for our company and retail partners. You will also lead and develop a team of Retail Territory Sales Managers, ensuring strong field execution, retail standards and commercial performance.

Reporting to the National Sales & Key Account Lead, Companion Animal, you will work closely with marketing, technical, customer effectiveness, finance and field sales teams to align plans, resources and execution priorities across the channel.

What You Will Do

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Account Management

• Build strong relationships with strategic retail accounts across multiple levels
• Act as the primary point of contact for key accounts
• Understand customer needs and category priorities to develop tailored solutions
• Engage buying, category, operations, marketing, regional and store teams
• Conduct joint business planning and regular business reviews
• Negotiate commercial agreements, trade terms and investment plans to deliver revenue and profitability goals

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach and develop Retail Territory Sales Managers to deliver channel objectives
• Set clear priorities, territory plans, call expectations and performance KPIs
• Drive best-practice execution of marketing campaigns and territory planning
• Monitor progress against targets, coverage, activity and execution quality
• Build a collaborative, accountable and high-performance team culture
• Support alignment between retail execution and national sales priorities
• Manage day-to-day team needs including expenses, leave and safe driving practices

Strategic Planning

• Develop and execute account growth plans aligned to customer and company goals
• Review performance regularly and adjust priorities to deliver mutual value
• Analyse market trends and competitor activity to identify opportunities and risks
• Create a 12-month rolling strategic account master plan
• Prepare forecasts, budgets and ROI-based programs

Sales and Revenue Growth

• Deliver sales, market share, gross-to-net and profitability objectives
• Drive growth through ranging, distribution, promotional execution and merchandising excellence
• Identify new opportunities within existing retail partners
• Track account performance and adjust resources as needed
• Monitor trade spend, rebates and promotional investment within budget
• Partner with supply chain and customer service to support availability and execution readiness

Collaboration

• Work closely with brand managers to align execution with brand strategy and campaigns
• Collaborate with technical, marketing and field services teams to support customer education
• Partner with finance to ensure commercial plans are sound and compliant
• Facilitate communication between customers, Retail Territory Sales Managers and internal teams
• Gather feedback to improve products, promotions and execution standards
• Ensure compliance with pricing, rebate, discount and governance policies

What You Must Have

• Tertiary business or marketing degree essential
• Extensive solid proven experience in a related market or industry
• Proven experience in Key Account Management, preferably in FMCG, pharmacy and/or animal health
• B2B selling experience essential
• Advanced negotiation skills
• Strong financial acumen
• Ability to think strategically with medium- to long-term goals in mind
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including presentations
• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work effectively with internal stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to manage time effectively and work to deadlines
• Strong computer skills, including Salesforce and Microsoft Office Suite

What You Can Expect

• The opportunity to lead a critical strategic account portfolio in a high-growth companion animal category
• A chance to shape retail execution and drive meaningful commercial outcomes across Australia
• A collaborative, cross-functional environment with strong internal support
• Ongoing learning, development and leadership opportunities
• The opportunity to make a real impact on companion animal health outcomes

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing varied, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when varied ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and multicultural workplace.

Additional location(s) Compensation Information:

Required Skills:

Account Management, Account Strategies, Animal Health Sales, Bid Management, Business Growth Strategies, Customer Relationship Building, Data Analysis, Financial Acumen, Industry Knowledge, Market Analysis, Sales Campaigns, Sales Forecasting, Sales Leadership, Sales Marketing Strategies, Sales Objectives, Sales Strategy Development, Strategic Objectives, Strategic Planning

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

Yes

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

11/28/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.