Key Account Director

We are looking for a established Key Account Director to join us, focusing on Security & Cleaning focusing on our retail business.

You'll be responsible for the strategic leadership, operational excellence, and commercial performance of all services delivered across a national portfolio of shopping centres. You'll ensure safe, secure, welcoming, and compliant environments for customers, retailers, landlords, and asset managers, while driving continuous improvement, contract performance, and value creation.

• Define and deliver a national strategy for security and cleaning services aligned with client, landlord, and asset management objectives.
• Act as the senior subject-matter expert for retail security, customer safety, and cleaning excellence within shopping centre environments.
• Lead nationwide initiatives covering innovation, technology adoption, sustainability, and service transformation.
• Represent the organisation at senior level meetings, client forums, and industry bodies.

• Oversee security (manned guarding, mobile patrols, control rooms, CCTV, incident management) and cleaning operations across multiple shopping centres.
• Ensure consistent high service standards, customer experience, and brand alignment across all sites.
• Establish and monitor KPIs, SLAs, and performance frameworks, driving accountability at regional and local levels.
• Manage critical incidents, high-risk events, and business continuity planning.
• Preparation and delivery of monthly and quarterly client review presentations.

• Ensure full compliance with UK legislation and industry standards, including:
• Health & Safety at Work Act
• BS 7499 (Security Guarding)
• SIA licensing and ACS standards
• COSHH and cleaning compliance
• Equality, Safeguarding, and Data Protection requirements
• Lead risk assessments, audits, and governance reviews across the national estate.
• Act as the escalation point for serious incidents, reputational risk, and client concerns.
• Hold full P&L responsibility for the national shopping centre portfolio.
• Manage budgets, cost control, margin delivery, and value engineering.
• Lead contract negotiations, mobilisations, retentions, and renewals.
• Identify growth opportunities, added-value services, and innovation pathways.

• Develop senior relationships with:
• Shopping centre owners and landlords
• Managing agents and asset managers
• Retail directors and centre management teams
• Serve as the primary national escalation point for key clients.
• Support bids, tenders, and proposals relating to shopping centre security and cleaning.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing soft services team at each centre.
• Drive engagement, diversity, wellbeing, and talent development across large frontline work forces.
• Ensure robust succession planning and capability building.
• Champion a culture of professionalism, accountability, and customer focus.

• Proven senior leadership experience in multi-site security and/or cleaning operations, ideally within:
• Strong understanding of UK security and cleaning regulations, standards, and best practice.
• Demonstrable experience managing large-scale P&L and complex contracts.
• Ability to operate credibly atclient, and executive level.
• Excellent people leadership skills across geographically dispersed teams.
• Commercially astute, data-driven, and outcome focused.
• Willingness to travel extensively across the UK.