Key Account Executive

Role: Key Account Executive

Location: Preston PR1

Hours: Mon – Fri 8am to 5 pm, 1 hour lunch

Salary: £28,009.80 per annum

The role

Due to internal promotions within our Service team, we're looking for a Key Account Executive to join us and continue delivering an exceptional service to our customers.

As a Key Account Executive, you'll play an important role in supporting and developing some of our key customer accounts, acting as a first point of contact and ensuring they receive a consistently high level of service and support.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a successful team, take ownership of key customer relationships and develop your career within a growing business where internal progression is actively encouraged.

The business

Recycling Lives Services is not a typical recycling company. Since 2008, the business has been structurally built around social value, employing people from disadvantaged backgrounds, partnering with the justice system to reduce reoffending, and delivering environmental excellence at scale. The social mission is not a layer added on top of commercial activity. It is the reason the business operates in the way it does.

As a certified B Corp (scoring 103.5 against a business median of 50.9), Recycling Lives Services generated £42.9m in social value in 2024, achieved a 61% reduction in CO2 emissions, and diverted 97% of waste from landfill. 15% of our team have been welcomed through our rehabilitation programmes, and only 6% of people we support reoffend — compared to a national average of over 25%.

We operate UK-wide across construction, manufacturing, retail, utilities and public sector markets, offering total waste management, WEEE recycling, and specialist hazardous waste services.

Our PACE values underpin how we work and the culture we are building across the business: Passion – we care about what we do; Accountability – we take responsibility; Collaboration – we work together respectfully; and Excellence – we aim high. We look for people who share these values and want to make a positive contribution to our business, our customers and the communities we support.

What You’ll Be Doing

As a Key Account Executive, you’ll take responsibility for the day-to-day coordination and delivery of services across a portfolio of key customer accounts. Working closely with customers, suppliers and internal teams, you’ll ensure services are delivered accurately, efficiently and right first time.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Coordinating customer jobs from initial request through to successful completion, ensuring services, pricing and scheduling are accurately recorded.
• Acting as a key day-to-day contact for customers, providing knowledgeable advice, responding to queries and resolving service issues quickly and professionally.
• Working closely with our nationwide supplier network to coordinate collections and services, manage issues and maintain high standards of service delivery.
• Applying agreed pricing matrices and rate cards accurately, confidently discussing routine pricing and service options with customers.
• Ensuring waste transfer notes, consignment notes and other compliance documentation are complete, accurate and available to support invoicing and audit requirements.
• Building strong, trusted relationships with customers through proactive communication, reliability and excellent service.
• Monitoring service performance and highlighting trends, risks, pricing pressures and opportunities for improvement.
• Working in partnership with the Key Account Manager to support customer retention, account development, commercial performance and growth.
• Identifying opportunities to improve services, reduce cost-to-serve and add further value for customers.
• Maintaining accurate CRM, job management, pricing and compliance records and contributing to continuous improvement across the Service team

What We’re Looking For

You’ll be highly organised, customer-focused and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. You’ll be a confident communicator and natural problem solver, with the ability to build strong relationships with customers, colleagues and suppliers.

You’ll ideally bring

• Strong organisational skills and excellent attention to detail.
• Experience delivering high-quality customer or account support.
• Confidence resolving operational issues and discussing pricing and service options.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to manage multiple jobs, suppliers and competing priorities.
• Commercial awareness and an understanding of the importance of both customer service and account profitability.
• Waste management, recycling or environmental services experience would be advantageous, as would experience working with compliance documentation, supplier networks, pricing matrices or CRM/job management systems.

The benefits:

• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
• The opportunity to work for a certified B Corp making a genuine social and environmental impact.
• Company pension (5% employee / 3% employer).
• Employee Assistance Programme including free financial wellbeing support
• Healthcare Cash Plan.*
• Cycle to Work Scheme.*
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay.*
• Modern office facilities
• Free fruit boxes
• Free onsite parking

*Employees become eligible after 12 months service.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.