National Account Director

Aramark UK is looking for a dynamic and strategic National Account Director to lead our prestigious Merlin account. This exciting role offers the opportunity to shape and deliver world-class hospitality, enhance guest experiences, and drive exceptional business performance across our Merlin sites.

Role Overview:

The National Account Director will lead the development, operations, and overall performance of the Merlin account across all UK Resorts, ensuring exceptional standards in guest satisfaction, team leadership, financial delivery, and full compliance with both Aramark and Merlin brand standards.

Reporting directly to the Aramark UK Managing Director for Sports and Entertainment, this senior role will oversee a dedicated team to deliver a consistently outstanding visitor experience across all sites. Acting as the primary point of contact with the client, the position requires a credible, commercially astute, and dynamic leader to shape, grow, and evolve the account in line with strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership: Shape and lead the overall direction of the Merlin account across UK Resorts, aligning with both client and Aramark objectives. Drive growth, innovation, and contract development while ensuring KPIs are met.
• Client Relationships: Act as the main point of contact, building strong, long-term partnerships. Provide strategic insight, clear communication, and ensure consistent service excellence across all touchpoints.
• Financial & Performance Management: Own the account’s financial performance - manage budgets, maximise profitability, and ensure delivery against revenue, margin, and KPI targets.
• Team Leadership: Lead, develop, and inspire a dedicated team. Foster a collaborative, ethical, and high-performance culture with a focus on succession, engagement, and team development.
• Operational Delivery: Oversee seamless operational execution across all sites. Ensure compliance with health and safety standards, and lead consistent delivery in high-volume, guest-facing environments with a hands-on, commercially minded approach.
• Marketing & Brand: Collaborate with marketing and culinary teams to drive brand visibility, footfall, and guest satisfaction through strategic campaigns and on-brand experiences.
• Safety & Compliance: Ensure full compliance with health, safety, and environmental standards. Implement and oversee risk management processes and emergency procedures.

What We’re Looking For:

• Proven Expertise: Strong experience in contract services within the food or hospitality sectors, ideally in Sports & Leisure or high footfall, guest centric environments.
• Leadership: Demonstrated success in leading large, diverse teams, with a track record of driving growth, innovation, and talent development.
• Financial Acumen: Skilled in budgeting, forecasting, and performance optimisation, with hands on experience managing profitability and cost control.
• Exceptional Communication: Confident in stakeholder engagement, client relationship management, and cross functional collaboration at senior levels.
• Passion for Excellence: Committed to delivering exceptional guest experiences, operational consistency, and continuous improvement in fast paced environments.

This is a high-profile opportunity for a visionary and experienced leader. If you are ready to inspire change, optimise performance, and elevate guest experiences, we want to hear from you!

At Aramark UK, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone is valued and empowered to thrive. As a proud Disability Confident employer, we actively encourage applications from individuals of all abilities and are dedicated to supporting employees with disabilities throughout their career journey.

We ensure our recruitment process is accessible, and reasonable adjustments are available at every stage, from application to interview and employment. If you require any accommodations or have any questions, please reach out to our recruitment team – [email protected]

Join us in fostering a workplace where everyone can achieve their full potential.

All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.