Key Account Manager - Prestige (London)

Sazerac Company; Kingston upon Thames; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Sazerac Company seeks a highly skilled Prestige UK Account Manager to grow distribution and activation of its premium spirits portfolio. You will manage key accounts, build brand equity, and drive sales through expert product knowledge and strategic partnerships.

Responsibilities include delivering a national brand activation plan, training teams, and optimizing the customer journey from sampling to placement in prestige and specialist outlets.

Qualifications

• Specialised knowledge of UK prestige trade/RTM, with strong commercial experience and understanding of brand building.
• Experience activating brands in On Trade, with at least 3 years of account management within the spirits industry.
• Strong influencing, negotiation, and relationship management skills with ability to build relationships at all levels.
• Strong IT and analytical skills to support decision-making.
• Excellent presentation and training skills, able to tailor content for different audiences.
• Interest in super-premium spirits with a creative, entrepreneurial mindset.
• Professionalism, credibility, trust and respect in internal and external interactions.
• Adaptable and resilient in a dynamic environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage a core number of accounts within a territory to deliver the Sazerac Prestige brand activation programme.
• Drive distribution for the UK prestige portfolio, with Buffalo Trace as a driver.
• Implement a lighthouse strategy to embed brands with influential operators in prestige and specialist sectors.
• Develop tailored solutions to meet consumer needs and establish expert status in the Spirits category.
• Provide brand training and education to customers, offering access to exclusive products like Single Casks and distillery insights.
• Plan budgets to deliver KPI targets including doubling net sales and profit annually.
• Identify opportunities via market intelligence and networking to engage key accounts and HNWI.

Skills

Prestige trade

Brand building

Account management

Negotiation

Presentation skills

Data analysis

Relationship management

Spirits knowledge

Adaptable

Education

Degree level

WSET Level 2

Job description

Sazerac Company Overview

Build your career at Sazerac! With almost 400 years of rich history, Sazerac Company has thrived as an independent, American family-owned company with operations in the United States and around the world. Since the 2000s, Sazerac has averaged double digit growth every year! Sazerac Company produces and markets the most award-winning bourbons and whiskeys in the world, including Buffalo Trace, Pappy Van Winkle, Eagle Rare, Blanton’s, Traveller, and Sazerac Rye. Additionally, Sazerac owns many popular brands across a range of spirits, including Fireball, Svedka, Wheatley, BuzzBallz, Southern Comfort, Seagram’s V.O., Myers’s, Goldschläger, Parrot Bay, 99 Brand, and Platinum Vodka.

Company/Location Overview

Location: London Based

Job Description/Responsibilities

The Sazerac Prestige team are responsible for building Sazerac’s reputation as having one of the most desired spirits portfolios in the world. This will be done by increasing brand distribution and visibility, accelerating sales and developing brand equity of the Sazerac Prestige UK portfolio within the Prestige and Specialist sectors of on and off trade outlets.

They will build and manage influential account and wholesaler relationships to grow sales, advocacy, and partnership activation amongst this influential community.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage a core number of accounts within a territory to deliver the Sazerac Prestige brand building plan and activation programme. (Perfect Serve, Sampling, Tailored Competitions, Menu Presence, permanent unique brand visibility, Single Cask Sales, Whisky Shows.)

• Sazerac’s Bourbon Portfolio to be the clear No.1 on territory, with Buffalo Trace being the volume driver.

• Implement and cultivate “Lighthouse” strategy to embed our brands within the most influential operators of prestige and specialist on and off trade retailers. Grow distribution and activation to increase visibility and advocacy for the portfolio of brands within venue. Create a community of external brand ambassadors within these customers to drive engagement and fame our brands amongst the trade key opinion leaders.

• Achieve preferred partner status with key outlets by developing tailored solutions to meet consumer needs and establishing expert status through advice on the Spirits Category, (with a focus on premium/super premium) proposing range by segmentation.

• Adopt a consultative approach to deliver real value for your customers through brand training and education, access to unique and exclusive products, such as Single Casks and Buffalo Trace Distillery NBD. Establish Sazerac as the experts of the American Whiskey category within the UK.

• Manage budgets to deliver headline KPI of doubling net sales and profit each year. As well as other KPIs e.g Pouring Accounts, Menu Presence, Listings, Activation, Incentives etc.

• Identifying opportunities via market intelligence and networking with customers to identify key HNWI (High Net Worth Individuals) within the territory.

• Effectively plan and manage the working day to ensure coverage is achieved at key trading times of customers. This will involve evening work and a requirement to live within reasonable travelling distance of the core area.

Qualifications/Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Specialised knowledge of UK prestige trade/RTM, with strong commercial experience and a comprehensive understanding of brand building, balancing commercial delivery with brand objectives.

• Experience activating brands in the On Trade, with at least 3 years of account management experience within the spirits industry.

• Strong influencing, negotiation, and relationship management skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels.

• Strong IT and analytical skills, with the ability to use data and insights to support decision-making.

• Excellent presentation and training skills, comfortable presenting to large groups and tailoring content to different customer and consumer audiences.

• A strong interest in super-premium spirits, combined with a creative, entrepreneurial mindset and passion for building and developing the B&R business.

• Ability to demonstrate professionalism, credibility, trust, and respect both internally and externally.

• Adaptable, resilient, and able to thrive in a dynamic environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Educated to degree level.

• WSET qualification Level 2.

• General certificate in Distilling (GCD) preferred.