Area Sales Manager

C&C Group Plc; Milton Keynes; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

C&C Group Plc in the United Kingdom is seeking an Area Sales Manager to manage a diverse on-trade portfolio across a defined territory. This field-based role focuses on driving profitable sales growth, building relationships with customers, suppliers, and internal teams, and delivering outstanding commercial results.

You will identify opportunities, plan territory activities, and use your industry knowledge to increase brand distribution and customer experience.

Qualifications

• Proven sales/account management experience in drinks, hospitality, or FMCG sectors.
• Strong commercial awareness with ability to spot growth opportunities.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Ability to build influential relationships with customers, suppliers and stakeholders.
• Strong organisational and territorial management skills in a fast-paced environment.
• Full UK driving licence.
• WSET Level 2 qualification or willingness to study toward it.

Responsibilities

• Drive sales growth and profitability across a defined portfolio of on-trade customers.
• 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.

Skills

Sales experience

Account management

New business development

Client relationship building

Negotiation skills

Presentation skills

Territory management

CRM proficiency

Microsoft Excel

Self-motivated

Education

WSET Level 2

Tools

CRM systems

Sales reporting tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

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. Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply. Please let us know if you require accommodations during the interview process.