Trainee Account Manager
| Job Title | Trainee Account Manager |
| Department | Delivery — UK Market |
| Band | Band 1 — Foundation / Trainee |
| Location | Milton Keynes |
| Reports to | Team Leader (UK Delivery) |
About Foundation Personnel
Foundation Personnel is a specialist recruitment partner operating across Foundation, Civils and Infrastructure UK wide. Based in Milton Keynes, we deliver high-quality, compliant and reliable resourcing solutions, supported by a team who operate with pace, clarity and commercial awareness.
Our culture is grounded in our TRUE values — Team Aware, Reliable, Up For It, Entrepreneurial – which guide how we work, collaborate and deliver on our commitments.
Job Purpose
The Trainee Account Manager is the entry point into the Foundation Personnel Delivery team. The role is candidate-led and resourcing-focused, growing into Account Manager responsibilities through structured training, shadowing and progressive desk ownership.
Trainees follow the 12-week FP Recruiter Academy, moving through four phases: Foundations, Candidate Consultant, Account Manager and Running the Desk. By the end of the programme, the trainee is expected to manage live vacancies end-to-end, contribute to account growth and demonstrate our TRUE values consistently.
At Band 1, the role prioritises learning velocity, coachability and consistency of daily desk activity. The trainee builds the foundations of every successful recruiter: phone confidence, registration discipline, compliance accuracy, CRM hygiene, Client growth and management.
Key Responsibilities
1. Client Relationship Management
- Develop and maintain long-term client relationships built on trust and service excellence
- Understand client needs, project pipelines and workforce requirements
- Conduct regular check-ins, meetings and site visits
- Provide updates, gather feedback and ensure high levels of satisfaction
- Resolve issues promptly and escalate where appropriate
2. Service Delivery & Vacancy Management
- Manage incoming vacancies, ensuring quick turnaround and high-quality shortlists
- Collaborate with Candidate Consultants & Account Managers to fulfil client requirements
- Provide accurate and timely information on candidate suitability
- Monitor delivery performance across accounts and troubleshoot gaps
- Maintain clear communication between clients, candidates and internal teams
3. Commercial & Account Growth
- Identify and act on opportunities to grow spend across existing accounts
- Provide market insights and data to support clients’ planning and decision-making
- Support negotiation of rates, extensions and terms within agreed parameters
- Support with tender documents and proposals as required
- Promote additional FP services and capabilities
4. Data Quality, Compliance & Reporting
- Ensure all account activity is accurately recorded in our CRM
- Maintain up-to-date client information, job details and compliance requirements
- Monitor timesheet, extension and onboarding processes to ensure alignment
- Provide weekly reports and updates for Sales, Delivery and Finance teams
5. Internal Collaboration
- Work closely with Sales, Delivery, Payroll and HR.
- Share essential information promptly to support efficient resourcing
- Escalate recurring issues that impact service, compliance or margin
- Contribute to training, mentoring or supporting less experienced colleagues where required
6. Process Improvement & Client Experience
- Identify opportunities to improve delivery performance within accounts
- Suggest enhancements to communication, workflow and data quality
- Support implementation of new systems, processes or automation
- Act as the client’s voice internally to enhance service quality
Career Pathway
The Trainee role is the first rung of the FP delivery pathway. Progression is driven by demonstrated capability against the Academy assessments, the 90-day RAG framework and live desk performance.
| Trainee Weeks 1–5 | AM in Training Weeks 6–8 | Running the Desk Weeks 9–12 | Account Manager Band 2 | Senior AM Band 2+ |
Trainees who pass the Final assessment and achieve a green 90-day RAG sign-off graduate into the Account Manager pool and begin managing named accounts.
Skills, Experience & Attributes
Essential
- Graduate or early-career professional with the drive to build a career in specialist recruitment.
- Coachable, organised and target-driven — willing to do the daily reps that make a recruiter successful.
- Strong written and verbal communication; comfortable picking up the phone and holding professional conversations.
- Computer literate; quick to learn new systems and workflows.
- Resilient, self-aware and be open to feedback and learn from it.
Desirable
- Interest in Foundations, Civils, Infrastructure or the built environment.
- Prior exposure to a CRM (Bullhorn, Salesforce, HubSpot or similar).
- Previous sales, customer service, hospitality or call-centre experience.
- Full UK driving licence.
What We Offer
- Competitive salary and performance-related commission
- Comprehensive 12-week training programme — the FP Recruiter Academy.
- Clear career pathway aligned to the TRUE framework.
- Supportive, collaborative team environment.
- 30 days working from home annual allowance.
- Private healthcare (following successful probation).
- Modern office environment with team-based incentives.
How to Apply
Please apply through our careers page: https://foundationpersonnel.co.uk/jobs/
Foundation Personnel is an equal opportunities employer.
