Group Account Director / Business Unit Manager at Salt South Africa

Role Overview


We are seeking an experienced Group Account Director to act as the senior lead within a market, region, or client cluster. This role is responsible for building long-term strategic partnerships with clients and overseeing all activities related to sourcing, management, and delivery across agreed categories within the contractual scope.
The Group Account Director will manage the full client relationship lifecycle-from implementation through to ongoing delivery-while ensuring commercial performance, operational excellence, and continuous innovation.


Key Responsibilities
Client & Account Leadership


Act as the senior point of contact for key clients, building trusted, long-term partnerships
Own and drive overall account strategy, ensuring alignment with client and business objectives
Lead and prepare Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) and senior client engagements
Ensure a consistently high standard of service delivery across all touchpoints


Strategic & Commercial Management


Provide strategic direction across accounts and account teams
Ensure accurate and timely forecasting, budgeting, and financial reporting
Produce accurate quotations, proposals, and commercial documentation
Manage and deliver against SLAs and KPIs


Product, Innovation & Operations


Initiate product development and source new concepts in collaboration with operations teams
Proactively drive innovation aligned to brand, market, and consumer trends
Ensure quality control of samples, artwork, and client-ready proposals
Oversee order processing and invoicing to ensure accuracy and timeliness


Supplier Management


Maintain and continuously update a database of local suppliers
Manage supplier relationships and negotiate best pricing and terms
Ensure suppliers meet quality, cost, and delivery expectations


Team Leadership & Management


Lead and oversee multiple account teams, providing clear direction, strong governance, and consistent leadership across accounts
Create a high-performance culture by setting expectations, holding teams accountable, and recognising strong delivery
Coach, mentor, and develop team members at all levels, with a focus on capability building and long-term career growth
Own resource planning across accounts to ensure teams are correctly structured, balanced, and aligned to client needs
Drive performance management processes, including goal setting, development planning, and constructive performance conversations
Identify talent and actively develop succession plans to build leadership depth and continuity
Promote best-practice ways of working, driving efficiency, quality, and consistency across teams and accounts


Skills & Experience
Soft Skills


Strategic thinking and commercial acumen
Strong leadership and people management capability
Excellent communication, influencing, and negotiation skills


Hard Skills


Financial and budget management
Regional or multi-market account leadership experience
Proficiency in CRM and project management tools