Key account manager job description.
Hiring a key account manager or planning to specialise in strategic client partnerships? This key account manager job description highlights relationship management, upselling, retention, and commercial planning — along with long-term role growth and pay expectations.
What does a key account manager do?
A key account manager (KAM) manages the business’s most valuable customer relationships. They focus on long-term client retention, identifying upsell opportunities, and ensuring accounts receive tailored support and value.
Core responsibilities include regular client engagement, understanding business needs, coordinating internal teams, and negotiating renewals or expansions. KAMs work closely with product, customer success, and senior leadership to align on account strategy.
In smaller teams, KAMs may manage all post-sale activity. In larger organisations, they focus on enterprise accounts, ensuring long-term value delivery, reducing churn, and growing customer lifetime value.
Key responsibilities of a key account manager.
Key account managers nurture high-value client relationships and drive retention. Responsibilities include:
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Acting as the main point of contact for strategic clients
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Understanding client goals and aligning services to their needs
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Coordinating internal teams to deliver consistently for clients
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Identifying opportunities for upselling or cross-selling
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Managing renewals and account retention metrics
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Reporting on account health and satisfaction
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Supporting onboarding, delivery, and troubleshooting
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Building long-term partnerships with key stakeholders
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Tracking client performance and usage trends
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Feeding back insights to product or service teams
This role blends relationship management with account growth and client advocacy.
Skills and requirements for a key account manager.
Key account managers manage high-value client relationships. Employers typically look for:
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3–6 years of experience in account management or sales roles
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Proven ability to retain and grow strategic accounts
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Skilled in relationship building and cross-selling
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Confidence leading quarterly reviews, negotiations, and renewals
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Familiarity with CRM systems and contract management
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Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills
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Comfortable collaborating with marketing, product, and support teams
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Strong understanding of customer goals and success metrics
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Ability to act as primary point of contact for key clients
Most key account managers balance commercial goals with client satisfaction.
Average salary for a key account manager.
In the UK, the average salary for a key account manager typically ranges from £50,000 to £70,000, depending on client portfolio size, retention success, and commercial value.
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Mid-level KAMs earn between £50,000 and £60,000
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Senior KAMs managing strategic accounts or high-revenue relationships can earn between £61,000 and £70,000
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Bonuses are frequently tied to renewals, upsells, and client satisfaction
Best-paid roles are in tech, FMCG, and global B2B brands.
Career progression for a key account manager.
A key account manager is responsible for nurturing and expanding high-value client relationships. It’s a mid-to-senior commercial role with strong routes into strategic sales or partnership leadership. A common path includes:
Account executive
Closes mid-level accounts and starts managing early-stage relationship growth.
Key account manager
Manages major client relationships, ensuring retention, renewals, and upsells. Collaborates with service teams to deliver success.
Senior KAM
Owns enterprise-level accounts. Advises on complex commercial growth and long-term planning.
Head of key accounts / partnerships
Leads high-value account strategy. Aligns revenue goals with customer success and product.
Director of sales / Commercial director
Shapes the client retention and growth strategy across teams. Drives long-term value from existing customers.
salary guide
Our UK operations salary guide.
Key account managers handle strategic relationships and revenue from major clients. Pay should reflect communication skills, commercial awareness, and client retention experience.
Our UK operations salary guide includes salary data, hiring trends from 2024, and planning insights through to 2026.
FAQS
Key account manager FAQs.
Logistics, enterprise SaaS, FMCG, manufacturing, and IT services — particularly where clients have multi-product relationships, global operations, or complex commercial models. KAMs are vital to retention and expansion in these sectors.
KAMs own high-value or strategic clients — often managing multiple stakeholders, renewals, upsell, and satisfaction at executive level. Their focus is less transactional, more long-term — sometimes with bespoke commercials or co-marketing activity.
Stakeholder mapping, strategic planning, and forecasting expansion. A great KAM not only retains — they grow revenue via relationships and insight. QBRs, executive alignment, and proactive solution selling are core to the role.
Access to historical account notes, CRM detail, success metrics, and prior commercial outcomes. KAMs must understand not just the client’s needs — but internal political dynamics and expectations.
Enterprise account director, client strategy lead, or regional head of account management. Some KAMs move laterally into commercial strategy or customer success leadership.
