Key Account Manager

SmartQ · India

About SmartQ

SmartQ is redefining how the world experiences food. As a next-generation food-tech innovator, we solve real operational challenges through empathy-led insights and powerful technology. Our mission is clear: to elevate everyday dining into a seamless and meaningful experience.

In the last decade, we’ve transformed cafeteria and food operations across industries with scalable, cutting-edge solutions. Operating in 14 countries and backed by Compass Group- a $60B global foodservice leader SmartQ continues to push the boundaries of what modern food-tech can achieve.

Since our inception in 2015, we’ve become a trusted partner for corporates, hospitals, universities, and food courts worldwide. With a bold vision to become the world’s largest B2B food-tech company, we connect people through exceptional food experiences powered by advanced technology. Today, we proudly serve 400+ global clients, including leaders like Google, HSBC, Amazon, and Wells Fargo.

At the heart of SmartQ is a culture shaped by four core pillars:

Great People | Great Food | Great Experience | Greater Good

These values inspire collaboration, innovation, humility, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

To dive deeper into what drives us, explore our cultural pillars on the SmartQ LinkedIn ‘Life’ page. It offers an authentic glimpse into the journey you could be part of:

Are you excited to join our team as Key Account Manager?

Are you passionate about operational efficiency and committed to fostering strong, value-driven client relationships, we invite you to explore this opportunity.

As a Key Account Manager at SmartQ, your primary goal will be to ensure client satisfaction, long-term retention, and sustainable growth across food court operations. Fostering, sustainable, and profitable relationships with key clients to maximize business opportunities lies at the heart of this role. In addition, a combination of interpersonal skills, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the clients and products will keep you functioning a cut above the rest.

Key roles and responsibilities:

Client & Food Court Account Management

• Act as the primary point of contact for food court clients, mall management, and key stakeholders, ensuring high service standards and strong long-term partnerships.
• Lead regular client meetings, food committee discussions, and food court performance reviews to evaluate operations, sales, and customer experience, and to identify improvement opportunities.
• Drive client satisfaction, retention, Net Promoter Score (NPS) improvement, and sustainable growth of food court accounts.
• Develop and present commercial proposals, partner onboarding plans, and business recommendations aligned with food court and client requirements.

Food Court Operations Management

• Oversee end-to-end food court operations, including multiple brand partners, daily service delivery, promotions, special events, pop-up counters, and special activations.
• Ensure food court operations are executed in line with SmartQ standards, SLAs, contractual terms, and applicable statutory regulations.
• Monitor food quality, service delivery, hygiene, safety, and customer experience consistently across all food court outlets.
• Ensure optimal utilization of resources, including manpower, utilities, infrastructure, and SmartQ technology platforms.
• Plan and manage manpower deployment and scheduling across the food court within approved budgets, aligned with footfall and sales trends.

Brand Partner & Vendor Management

• Manage end-to-end relationships with food court brand partners and vendors, including onboarding, negotiations, performance management, and compliance.
• Work closely with brand partners to improve sales performance, introduce new menu concepts, optimize pricing, and reduce food wastage.
• Ensure timely settlements, accurate documentation, compliance adherence, and effective resolution of operational or commercial issues.
• Support partners with operational insights, best practices, and improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency and profitability.

Financial & Commercial Management

• Own food court–level P&L, budgeting, forecasting, and expense control in alignment with approved financial plans.
• Coordinate with the finance team to ensure accurate invoicing, revenue reconciliation, and timely payment follow-ups.
• Analyze food court sales, wastage, and cost metrics to implement revenue enhancement and cost-optimization initiatives.
• Drive upselling, cross-selling, and promotional opportunities across food court brands to maximize overall revenue.

Compliance, Audits & HSEQ

• Ensure strict adherence to HSEQ, food safety, hygiene, and statutory compliance standards across all food court outlets.
• Conduct and manage operational audits, QHSE audits, hygiene inspections, and partner compliance reviews.
• Prepare, implement, and track corrective action plans in coordination with the HSEQ team and food court partners for identified non-conformities.
• Maintain accurate documentation, compliance records, and audit reports for client, statutory, and internal reviews.

Data Analytics & Reporting

• Leverage data analytics to track food court performance, footfall-to-sales conversion, partner productivity, and customer satisfaction.
• Prepare Monthly Business Reviews (MBR), MIS reports, dashboards, and client presentations focused on food court KPIs.
• Use insights from customer feedback, surveys, audits, and sales data to drive continuous improvement in service quality, partner performance, and menu mix.

Team & Stakeholder Management

• Lead, mentor, and guide on-site food court operations teams, fostering a culture of accountability, ownership, and customer focus.
• Ensure team performance management, training, engagement, and retention across food court operations.
• Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders—technology, finance, HSEQ, central operations, and sales—to ensure seamless food court management.
• Maintain continuous coordination with the technology team to ensure smooth functioning, adoption, and optimization of SmartQ food-tech platforms.

Branding & Growth Initiatives

• Support food court branding, marketing campaigns, festivals, and customer engagement initiatives at client locations.
• Communicate updates on new brand onboardings, menu launches, promotional offers, and operational enhancements to clients and stakeholders.
• Drive food court growth initiatives by identifying expansion opportunities, new partnerships, and experience-led improvements.

Qualifications:

• Overall, 6+ years of experience, with a minimum of 4 years in a similar role.
• Graduate/Diploma in Hotel Management or related discipline.
• Flexible and willing to take on various tasks to support team efforts.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Sound knowledge and experience working with food, technology, and leveraging people.
• Results-oriented, accountable, and able to hold others accountable.
• Proven experience in managing successful teams in a similar environment.
• Basic Food Hygiene certificate and knowledge of HSEQ standards.
• Self-motivated, agile, and able to adapt to a changing environment.

Message from CEO:

We've come to realize that we're not merely in the B2B Food service industry; we're in the business of 'Capturing Hearts.' We find ourselves in a unique position to turn ordinary, mundane corporate cafeterias into places of pure delight, where individuals can freely express themselves, find inspiration, and share happiness. Such a profound transformation opportunity is a rare gift, where the purpose of our enterprise transcends the ordinary. If this vision resonates with you, we invite you to join us in our mission to spread joy and happiness in a world weighed down by stress and pressure. Together, let's play our part in making this world a more beautiful place.