Key Account Manager

Highweald Wine Estate; Haywards Heath; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Highweald Wine Estate seeks a proactive business builder to manage a strategic UK distributor relationship and accelerate growth. The role values relationship skills, closing opportunities, and the ability to sense and seize opportunities across customer scales and formats.

Experience in wine is advantageous but not essential; the right candidate will demonstrate tenacity, structured sales background, and the ability to work with a small, driven team to deliver results.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in account management and business development.
• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience negotiating, contracting, and meeting revenue targets.
• Ability to communicate at all levels and coordinate multi-account management.
• Organizational skills and time management for multiple accounts.
• Wine industry interest; formal wine education an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage distributor relationship to accelerate growth.
• Identify opportunities and close deals with strategic partners.
• Present at tastings and client events to raise brand visibility.
• Collaborate with marketing on events and campaigns.

Skills

Account management

Business development

Relationship building

Negotiation

Closing deals

Communication

Presentation skills

Time management

Organizational skills

Wine industry interest

Education

WSET qualifications

Tools

CRM tools

Spreadsheets

Presentation software

Job description

Highweald is having an outstanding year, the Team here have more than quadrupled last year’s sales and we still have 2 months to go! We are very excited to have just agreed a new strategic partnership for distribution in the UK, and we are looking to appoint an exceptional business builder to manage the relationship.

The successful individual will first and foremost be a business and relationship builder, someone completely at ease with customers of all scales and formats. Our ambition is to accelerate our current growth trajectory, and the success of this partnership will be absolutely critical to delivering that. Whilst Wine experience is advantageous, it is by no means essential. What is essential is the ability to sense an opportunity, the experience to close an opportunity and the demeanour that makes people want to work with us to the exclusion of others.

We have a small but highly talented and driven Team at Highweald, a first-class product and a shared vision of what success looks like. If you can demonstrate a structured sales background, an understanding of what a successful distributor relationship looks like and the tenacity to unlock opportunities then we would like to hear from you.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in account management and business development, sales, or commercial management, ideally within wine, beverages, hospitality, or FMCG sectors.
• Strong skills in relationship building, client management, and stakeholder engagement, with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels.
• Demonstrated capability in negotiation, contract management, and closing deals, with a track record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets.
• Experience collaborating with marketing teams on events, and brand initiatives to support growth and visibility.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple accounts.
• Comfortable delivering presentations, hosting tastings or client events, and representing the brand professionally in public settings.
• Genuine interest in wine and the broader drinks industry; formal wine education (e.g., WSET qualifications) is an advantage.
• Proficiency in standard business software (e.g., CRM tools, spreadsheets, presentation software) and accurate record-keeping.