Customer Account Lead

Location: Ilminster, Somerset (with occasional travel as required)

Reports To: UK Commercial Manager

Department: Optical Systems – Commercial & Account Management

ABOUT US

G&H is a world leader in optical designing, testing and manufacturing. As experts in the technology of light, G&H works with customers to provide optical systems, assemblies, and components for demanding applications

G&H's Optical Systems Division specialises in the design and manufacture of precision optics, optical coatings, vision systems, and advanced photonics solutions for customers operating in aerospace & defence, industrial, and life sciences markets. Our work supports cutting-edge technologies where performance, accuracy, and reliability are critical.

Our success is built on innovation, precision, and the talent of our people. We are committed to developing capability at every stage of a career, from apprenticeships and graduate pathways through to leadership development.

ABOUT THE ROLE  

The Customer Account Lead plays a pivotal role in ensuring an exceptional experience for our customers while supporting the continued growth of the Optical Systems Division.

You will manage customer relationships, coordinate quotations and orders, monitor order books, and work closely with internal teams to ensure customer requirements are met. You will be the voice of the customer within the business, balancing customer expectations with operational priorities to deliver outstanding service and long-term customer satisfaction.

Working alongside Strategic Account Managers, Product Management, Engineering, Operations, and Manufacturing teams, you will help identify new opportunities, support business growth, and contribute to the achievement of divisional revenue targets.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced account management, sales support, customer success, or commercial professional looking to develop their career within a technically advanced, global manufacturing environment.

CUSTOMER ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT 

• Build and maintain strong relationships with allocated customer accounts to promote customer retention and repeat business.
• Act as the day-to-day commercial contact for customers and internal stakeholders.
• Support Strategic Account Managers through effective account coordination and customer engagement.
• Identify opportunities for account growth and refer potential business opportunities to the wider commercial team.
• Conduct regular customer communication and account reviews to strengthen relationships and maximise customer satisfaction.

COMMERCIAL & ORDER MANAGEMENT

• Manage customer purchase orders and maintain accurate customer order books.
• Process sales orders, RMAs, concessions, acknowledgements, and associated commercial administration activities.
• Provide customers with timely order status updates and delivery information.
• Ensure accurate maintenance of customer information, forecasts, and opportunities within Salesforce.
• Support the generation of quotations through close collaboration with technical, engineering, and product management teams.

CUSTOMER ADVOCACY 

• Represent the voice of the customer throughout the organisation.
• Participate in operational and planning reviews to ensure customer priorities are understood and appropriately managed.
• Escalate delivery, quality, or commercial risks where required to minimise customer impact.
• Actively support resolution of customer concerns and service issues.
• Communicate customer feedback to drive continuous improvement across the business

ABOUT YOU

We're interested in hearing from individuals who can combine strong customer relationship skills with commercial awareness and excellent organisational capability.

You may have experience in:

• Account Management
• Customer Success
• Sales Support
• Commercial Administration
• Customer Service within a manufacturing or technical environment
• Internal Sales or Business Support

You'll also bring:

• Experience managing customer orders, quotations, forecasts, or order books.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A proactive, customer-focused approach.
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills.
• Experience working across multiple departments to achieve business objectives.
• Confidence using CRM and ERP systems, ideally Salesforce.
• Experience within manufacturing, engineering, aerospace, defence, photonics, electronics, or other technical industries would be advantageous.

HOW WE'LL MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS

• Achievement of monthly, quarterly, and annual revenue targets.
• Customer satisfaction and account retention.
• On-time response to RFQs and customer enquiries.
• Order acknowledgement and processing accuracy.
• Salesforce data accuracy and forecast reliability.
• Support of OTIF, RFT, and operational performance targets.
• Identification and escalation of commercial and customer risks.
• Contribution to account growth and new business opportunities.

WHY G&H? 

At G&H, you'll be part of a business delivering advanced optical technologies that support critical applications across aerospace, defence, industrial, and life sciences markets. 

You'll work alongside highly skilled engineers, scientists, and commercial professionals while helping customers bring innovative technologies to life.

In return, you'll find a collaborative environment, meaningful work, opportunities for career development, and the chance to contribute to technologies that make a difference worldwide.

OUR BENEFITS INCLUDE

• 26 days holiday plus bank holidays

• Company pension pays 6%

• Company bonus scheme

• Health Cash Plan

• £500 bonus for friend referral scheme (Terms and conditions apply)

Notes: This job description is not intended to be exhaustive in every respect, but rather to clearly define the fundamental purpose, responsibilities and dimensions for the role. Therefore, this job description does not describe any individual role holder. In addition to the contents of this job description, employees are expected to undertake any and all other reasonable and related tasks allocated by their line manager.

The Company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunity or practices on the grounds of gender, race, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by national laws under which the Company operates.

Potential candidates should be aware that many of the employment roles at Gooch & Housego are subject to government security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities that you may have previously held and your place of birth, could restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation.

All UK applicants must, as a minimum, be able to successfully complete security vetting to the UK government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard, which includes a criminal record check being performed. Many roles may also require higher levels of security vetting to be completed, where applicants must typically have been continuously resident within the UK for the past five to ten years.