Area Sales Manager

Matthew Clark; Leeds; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Matthew Clark is seeking a driven Area Sales Manager to manage a defined on-trade portfolio and drive profitable growth. You will build strong relationships with venues, understand their needs and deliver exceptional service while expanding brand distribution across your territory.

The role requires proactive prospecting, strong negotiation and presentation skills, and comfort with CRM systems and Excel. A Full UK driving licence is essential.

Qualifications

• Proven sales, account management, or business development experience within drinks, hospitality, or FMCG.
• Strong commercial awareness with ability to identify growth opportunities and drive profitability.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and presentation skills with influencers in decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Drive sales growth and profitability across a defined portfolio of on-trade customers, achieving targets.
• Build relationships, identify opportunities to increase product range and share of wallet.
• Generate new business through prospecting, networking and market insight; maintain a healthy pipeline.
• Deliver best-in-class sales execution via territory planning, promotions, brand activations, and engagement.
• Use CRM data and market trends to manage performance and support decisions.
• Collaborate with internal teams and supplier partners to maximise customer outcomes.

Skills

Sales experience

Account management

Business development

Relationship building

Negotiation

Presentation skills

Territory management

CRM tools

Excel

Education

WSET Level 2

Tools

CRM systems

Microsoft Excel

Job description

We’re a team of drinks industry obsessives, driven by supporting the trade – day in and night out. Passion paired with unparalleled industry insight mean we’re always moving forward, collaborating with our customers to understand the needs of their business and to ensure we’re supporting their future growth. We are one of the UK’s largest drinks wholesalers, supplying drinks to several thousand venues in every part of the UK and every segment of the trade, from luxury hotels and world‑class event spaces to local restaurants and community pubs. With over 200 years of on‑trade experience behind us, and unique insight into the future of our industry, our experience matters.

About the Role

We are looking for a driven and commercially astute Area Sales Manager to join our Commercial team. This is an exciting field‑based opportunity to manage and grow a portfolio of on‑trade customers, driving profitable sales growth across an established territory.

As the face of the business, you will develop strong customer relationships, identify new business opportunities, and use your industry knowledge to deliver outstanding commercial results. You'll work closely with customers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders to maximise sales performance, increase brand distribution, and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

This role is ideal for a proactive sales professional who thrives on building relationships, spotting opportunities, and achieving ambitious targets in a fast‑paced environment.

Key Accountabilities

• Drive sales growth and profitability across a defined portfolio of on‑trade customers, delivering against volume, revenue, margin, and distribution targets.
• Build and develop strong customer relationships, identifying opportunities to increase product range, grow share of wallet, and deliver long-term value.
• Generate new business through proactive prospecting, networking, and market insight, creating a healthy pipeline of opportunities.
• Deliver best‑in‑class sales execution through effective territory planning, promotional activity, brand activations, and customer engagement.
• Use commercial insights, CRM data, and market trends to identify opportunities, manage performance, and support informed decision‑making.
• Collaborate with internal teams and supplier partners to maximise customer outcomes, enhance brand visibility, and achieve shared business objectives.

Key Skills & Experience

• Proven sales, account management, or business development experience within the drinks, hospitality, or FMCG sectors.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to identify growth opportunities and drive profitable sales performance.
• Skilled at building and maintaining influential relationships with customers, suppliers, and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success in winning new business and developing existing accounts.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills, with confidence influencing decision-makers.
• Strong organisational and territory management skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively in a fast‑paced environment.
• Comfortable using CRM systems, sales reporting tools, and Microsoft Excel to manage performance and pipeline activity.
• Self‑motivated, resilient, and able to work autonomously while delivering results.

Requirements

• Full UK driving licence.
• WSET Level 2 qualification or a genuine interest in studying towards it (training provided).

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to play a key role in driving growth across a dynamic and growing business. You'll have the autonomy to manage your territory, the support of experienced commercial teams, and the chance to work with a strong portfolio of leading brands while developing your career within a high‑performing sales environment.

About Us

Operating through the Matthew Clark, Bibendum, Tennent’s and Bulmers Ireland brands, the Group has a market leading range, scale and reach including an intimate understanding of the markets it serves.

From grass to glass, and everything in between, we grow, brew, manufacture, market, and deliver some of the world’s favourite drinks. C&C Group’s portfolio of owned/exclusive brands include: Bulmers, the leading Irish cider brand; Tennent’s, the leading Scottish beer brand; Magners the premium international cider brand; as well as a range of fast‑growing, premium and craft ciders and beers, such as Heverlee, Menabrea, Five Lamps and Orchard Pig.

We seek to champion and embed sustainability in everything that we do at C&C. While delivering joy to customers, we always shine a light on people and the planet. We have a clear ESG vision delivering to a better world. We respect, support, and develop all our people to be their best, with a focus on results by creating a culture of winning together.

We also recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to delivering on our mission. Please let us know if you require accommodations during the interview process.