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Strategic Account Manager (Defence and Aerospace)
At TÜV SÜD Group we are passionate about technology. Innovations impact our daily lives in countless ways, and we are dedicated to being a part of that progress. We test, we audit, we inspect, we advise. We never stop challenging ourselves for the safety of society and its people. We breathe technology, we strive for professional excellence, and we leave a mark. We take the future into our hands. We are TÜV SÜD Group.
Company Overview:
TÜV SÜD is a world leader in testing and product certification. With over 70 years' experience in the UK, TÜV SÜD provides peace of mind that products are safe, reliable and compliant by providing testing, product certification, knowledge services and training to a range of industries covering the Defence, Aerospace, Environmental Electronics & Consumer, Machinery, Marine, Medical, Rail and Telecommunications sectors.
Position Summary:
The Strategic Account Manager role focuses on delivering high-quality test, certification, advisory and assurance services while developing long-term, trusted partnerships that support customer objectives and drive sustainable business growth. Whilst the focus will be on promoting advisory, test and certification solutions relating to climatic, vibration, EMC services for Defence and Aerospace sector, you will also proactively identify opportunities where the broader TÜV SÜD portfolio can provide additional value and support to clients. The role combines strategic account leadership with hands-on commercial execution, including quotation management, active progression of opportunities, governance of ongoing projects, and regular performance reviews with customers.
Through structured engagement, continuous improvement, and proactive relationship management, the Strategic Account Manager ensures TÜV SÜD is positioned as a trusted, long-term partner to its Defence and Aerospace clients. Working closely with internal stakeholders, the Strategic Account Manager is accountable for building and maintaining robust account strategies, developing a rolling 12-month pipeline, and achieving agreed order intake targets.
Above all, we are seeking a Strategic Account Manager with the ability to own, develop, and grow complex customer relationships within highly regulated and technically demanding sectors, balancing commercial objectives with compliance, governance, and long-term customer trust.
You will be working as part of a dynamic sales team in partnership with our highly motivated technical experts to react to customer requirements to offer tailored solutions covering a whole portfolio of compliance services. Our ability to listen to the customer, identify their exact requirements and respond quickly with a technical and commercial solution sets us apart from our competitors, therefore this role will ideally suit a candidate with a technical aptitude, a drive to succeed, and sales exposure within the TIC industry.
Key Responsibilities:
Own and develop strategic relationships with new and existing Defence and Aerospace key accounts, to understand customer objectives, influence long-term programmes, and position TÜV SÜD as a trusted partner.
Drive profitable revenue growth across assigned accounts by managing order intake, margin, and pipeline performance, ensuring sales targets are achieved in line with agreed commercial and contractual frameworks.
Lead the identification, qualification, and progression of opportunities, ensuring quotations are accurate, technically validated, competitively positioned, and actively progressed through to order.
Work closely with the Industry Sector, customers and internal delivery teams to coordinate resources, identify new or additional services, manage customer expectations, resolve issues, and ensure projects are delivered successfully, on time, and to agreed quality standards.
Lead annual strategic account reviews with key customers, in collaboration with the Industry Sector and Commercial Director, to evaluate performance, review contractual and pricing arrangements, and agree plans and objective
Act as the primary escalation point for assigned key accounts, proactively managing risks, issues, and customer concerns to ensure timely resolution and sustained customer satisfaction.
Develop and maintain detailed account plans, including stakeholder mapping, opportunity identification, and a rolling 12-month pipeline aligned to customer programmes and internal capacity planning.
Identify and drive opportunities to expand our technical service provision and deliver innovative solutions based on customer and market needs.
Coordinate and chair regular account review meetings, progress calls, and governance sessions with customers to monitor active and upcoming projects, KPIs, and service performance.
Identify opportunities for cross-selling and up-selling across TÜV SÜD service lines by working collaboratively with key stakeholders and technical specialists.
Monitor project delivery performance at account level and initiate corrective actions to improve workflow efficiency, service quality, and on-time delivery.
Support the negotiation and renewal of contracts, framework agreements, and long-term service arrangements in conjunction with senior commercial leadership.
Support TÜV SÜD’s global working groups for Aerospace and Defence sectors.
Essential Criteria – you will have or be able to demonstrate:
Experience managing and growing large, complex customer accounts, ideally within Defence, Aerospace, Environmental, or other highly regulated or technical industries.
The ability to manage complex, consultative sales cycles, engaging multiple stakeholders across technical, commercial, and procurement functions.
Strong capability in opportunity qualification, deal structuring, and progressing opportunities from initial engagement through to order closure.
Experience in account-based selling, with the ability to develop long-term account strategies rather than transactional sales approaches.
Competence in negotiation and influence, achieving commercially sound outcomes while maintaining strong customer relationships.
Familiarity with Environmental, Climatic, Vibration, Packaging and EMC testing services, and their commercial nuances.
Market and industry knowledge within the TIC (Testing, Inspection, Certification) industry including an understanding of MIL-STD, DEF-STD, NATO STANAGs, RTCA DO-160, AECTP and other global compliance frameworks.
Proven commercial and technical understanding of testing, certification, compliance and assurance services delivered within the Aerospace and Defence sector.
Highly organised and detail‑focused, with the ability to plan, prioritise and manage workload effectively; maintain robust reporting and forecasting and ensure a high level of accuracy when utilising business systems, following internal processes and ensuring compliance.
A full UK driving licence
The ability to communicate effectively in English, both written and verbal, to carry out the duties of the role.
Demonstrable IT skills commensurate with the role, including the effective use of CRM systems, Microsoft Outlook, and tools used for prospecting (such as LinkedIn).
At TÜV SÜD Group, we have employees from more than 100 different countries collaborating together. People of different backgrounds, skills, and pursuing different life goals. Our strength comes from these countless and varied perspectives.
We are committed to be an inclusive and diverse workplace by welcoming people of all backgrounds. We want Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) to be a foundation of our company and create an environment where all our employees can trust they will be treated with respect, regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic background, faith, beliefs, disabilities, age, sexual orientation, or identity. As such, our employees are expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with TÜV SÜD Group Code of Ethics and Company values.
We firmly believe embedding D&I in the heart of what we do will inherently contribute to the success of TÜV SÜD Group. Click here to find out more about Diversity at TÜV SÜD Group.
Work Area: Sales, Customer Services & Training Management
Country/Region: United Kingdom
Job Location: Fareham
Working Model: Remote
Employment Type: Full time / regular
Company: TUV SUD Ltd.
Org Unit Code:
Requisition ID: 6613
Duration in months (if limited contract):
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