Nailing the job description is a sure-fire way to win the best candidates for your role. But this can sometimes feel like it’s easier said than done. Leave it to the last minute, and you can end up selling a fantastic role to the wrong audience – or worse, not selling the role at all.
In this article, we look at what to include to create a great account manager job description.
What is an account manager?
An account manager is tasked with personally managing a client or ‘account’, working on routine tasks involved with the account and serving client needs and concerns.
What does an account manager do?
Specifics within the role can vary from sector to sector, but typically all account managers will build and maintain important relationships between the company and the clients they’re assigned to look after. The relationship may be for a retainer client and on-going, or for a one-off project. Either way, they play a crucial role in bridging the gap between client and company, problem-solving and ensuring customer satisfaction.
What shall I include in an account manager job description?
First and foremost, your job description must tell the applicant what they can expect from you and what you expect from them.
Account management can vary, which is part of the appeal, but there will be functions they need to carry out day-to-day. If you’re recruiting for a particular client account, you may have more specific requisites to consider (e.g. asking for certain skills or experience in a particular sector), so tailor the description in as much detail as possible to ensure you attract the most suitable candidates from the outset.
What day-to-day duties and responsibilities does an account manager have?
Day-to-day account management primarily boils down to communication with clients. Typical duties for an account manager could include:
Business development – not all account managers will do this, particularly if there are dedicated sales teams and departments for business development. But for some account management jobs, sales and new business are part and parcel of the role, so be sure to specify whether this is the case in your job description.
Growth – spotting growth opportunities with existing clients is essential for client development and, if done correctly, can be a great way to build confidence in your capabilities. An account manager who can spot revenue opportunities naturally in tune with their specific client (without being pushy) will be able to build stronger relationships.
Client support – regular communication with clients and continuous rapport building are crucial responsibilities for account managers. Retainers or ongoing projects that perhaps require less frequent comms can mean an account manager has multiple clients that they liaise with during the week. Planning and being strategic about how they deliver excellent client support is important and a soft skill to look out for. No one wants an account manager to over-promise and under-deliver due to poor communication and planning.
Client negotiations – it isn’t always love and light, and an account manager needs to deal with a range of personalities and emotions on any given day. The account manager will handle price, time, and project negotiations between clients, suppliers, and the company. Someone adept at wearing different hats at any given time and the ability to handle conflict resolution on occasion will fit the bill here.
Project management – hand-in-hand with client support, and depending on the type of account manager a company is advertising for, project management is a daily responsibility for this role. Planning, scheduling, time management, budget management, risk mitigation and more can come under the account management umbrella to some degree – entirely or as a link between departments. Level-headed and strategic, the account manager will work closely with the client to ensure smooth operations and timely results.
How much experience does an account manager need to have?
Experience is naturally helpful but shouldn’t necessarily be a deal-breaker for an account management role. It depends on the sector, seniority level of the role and client, and how many of the responsibilities mentioned above are expected of the account manager.
If you’re looking to a more junior level but require some level of experience, account executives are a natural step before account management, and the management role itself provides a great opportunity to progress within a business.
Account management is also a personality-based role, requiring excellent social skills to build lasting rapport with clients. Therefore, soft skills such as empathy, trustworthiness and relationship building are essential to get ahead in this position.
What education, qualifications, and training does an account manager need?
There isn’t necessarily a specific qualification to get started in account management, so your job profile (not to mention your interview technique) will be vital in establishing whether a candidate is suitable for the role.
Education and qualifications you could look to for guidance can include business studies, marketing, sales training, and similar. Then, for specific sectors, look for industry-specific qualifications that can put them ahead of the competition in knowledge and know-how such as construction, design, and pharmaceutical training, for example.
Internships in account management are also a great way of bringing fresher experience into the role. Therefore, an account management intern job description needs to describe the account manager role but also highlight the support and diluted pressure that comes with an internship vs a regular job – that learning the job is the real focus here with a view to becoming ready-to-go for permanent account management roles if both parties benefit from the experience.
What salary range can I specify for an account manager job description?
Account management can vary in seniority and need, which is often reflected in the salary.
Based on the Reed.co.uk average salary checker for account manager role salary averages, candidates can expect to see:
£25,000 – £46,000 with an average of £33,334 (Manchester sample)
£25,000 – £72,000 with an average of £38,022 (London sample)
To differentiate yourself in a competitive market, always be open in stating your salary band. Candidates use it in filtering tools for search and will be making comparisons with other companies.
Our research shows that salary is the most significant factor for those looking for a new role, closely followed by benefits, flexibility and progression. From user behaviour on Reed.co.uk*, we also know that positions that display a salary** receive 43% more applications than those without, so this is an opportunity not to be missed when advertising.
Do account manager job descriptions vary?
Absolutely. As we’ve mentioned, account management can be a broad term when looking at differences in sectors and industries.
For example, a construction firm account manager will have different conversations to a pharmaceutical company account manager – talking to very different clients about very different things. There will also be apparent differences in junior and senior-level account management. And how the company structure works can also affect the role – for example, there may not be an additional account director role to progress to as the account manager role takes on those responsibilities.
When writing your account manager job description, plan out the specifics of what you need the role to include and who would be the best fit for your client base. Doing this will help you further down the line with candidate shortlisting, too, keeping your search consistent from the outset.
* Analysis of jobs adverts on Reed.co.uk during 2020
**https://www.reed.co.uk/recruiter-advice/six-ways-to-make-the-most-of-your job-ads/
