Senior Account Manager

MacGregor Black; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

MacGregor Black is partnering with a premium drinks business to appoint a Senior Sales Manager – Spirits in London. You will own relationships with specialist retail and premium on-trade accounts, driving growth, distribution and brand presence across a luxury spirits portfolio.

You will lead new business development, negotiations and commercial terms, delivering tastings and brand activations while training staff and bartenders.

Qualifications

• Proven sales and account management in premium spirits with growth delivery.
• Strong knowledge of the premium and collectible whisky category.
• Established relationships across luxury drinks retail, wholesalers, and the London on-trade.
• Track record of developing premium brands and expanding sales & distribution.
• Experience negotiating commercial terms with major accounts.
• Experience delivering tastings, masterclasses and brand activation initiatives.
• Excellent presentation, communication and relationship-building skills.
• WSET Spirits qualification is advantageous

Responsibilities

• Manage and grow relationships with luxury retailers, specialist merchants, hotels, restaurants and bars.
• Deliver year-on-year growth across an established portfolio.
• Identify new listings and distribution opportunities in specialist retail and premium on-trade.
• Negotiate commercial agreements and promotional activity with key customers.
• Develop joint business and account plans with priority customers.
• Collaborate with Trade Marketing and Brand teams on premium activations.
• Plan tastings, events and seasonal campaigns to enhance brand presence.
• Provide product training and education to buyers, staff and bartenders.
• Build relationships with industry influencers and trade professionals to drive advocacy.
• Develop strategic plans to strengthen portfolio in London's luxury drinks market.
• Monitor market trends and competitor activity to inform growth.
• Support cross-functional teams to meet customer requirements.
• Provide regular performance updates and market insights to senior leadership.
• Represent the brand at industry events and tastings across the UK.

Skills

Premium spirits sales

Whisky category knowledge

Account management

New business development

Brand activation

Tastings & masterclasses

Training & education

Presentations & communication

Relationship-building

Willingness to travel

Education

WSET Spirits qualification

Job description

MacGregor is pleased to be working with a highly regarded premium drinks business that is looking to appoint a Senior Sales Manager – Spirits to drive the growth, distribution and brand presence of its luxury spirits portfolio across London.

This is a senior commercial role with responsibility for managing a portfolio of strategically important specialist retail, luxury hospitality and on-trade accounts, while identifying new opportunities to grow the brands.

The successful candidate will bring strong commercial experience within premium spirits, together with a deep understanding of the whisky category and established relationships across London's luxury drinks market.

The Role

Working closely with senior sales, brand and trade marketing teams, you will take ownership of key customer relationships and develop commercial opportunities across London's specialist retail and on-trade channels.

You will combine account management, new business development, commercial negotiation and brand activation, acting as a credible category expert and ambassador for the portfolio.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Managing and developing relationships with buyers and decision-makers across luxury retailers, specialist merchants, wholesalers, hotels, restaurants and bars.
• Delivering year-on-year growth across an established portfolio of strategically important accounts.
• Identifying and securing new listings and distribution opportunities across specialist retail and premium on-trade.
• Negotiating commercial agreements, trading terms and promotional activity with key customers.
• Developing joint business plans and strategic account plans with priority customers.
• Working closely with Trade Marketing and Brand teams to develop and deliver premium brand activations.
• Planning and delivering tastings, masterclasses, store events, customer experiences and seasonal campaigns.
• Ensuring strong brand visibility, merchandising and presentation across retail and hospitality environments.
• Acting as a category expert, delivering product training and education to buyers, retail teams, spirits specialists and bartenders.
• Building strong relationships with industry influencers and trade professionals to develop brand advocacy.
• Developing strategic plans to strengthen the portfolio's position within London's luxury drinks market.
• Identifying market trends, competitor activity and commercial opportunities to inform future growth.
• Working cross-functionally with Marketing, Logistics, Production and wider Sales teams to support customer requirements.
• Providing regular performance updates, forecasts, market insight and recommendations to senior sales leadership.
• Representing the business at customer events, industry tastings and relevant trade activities across the UK.

About You

We are looking for an experienced premium spirits sales professional, ideally with a strong background in whisky and established relationships across London's luxury drinks market.

You will ideally bring:

• Proven sales and account management experience within the premium spirits sector, with responsibility for delivering commercial growth.
• Strong knowledge of the premium and collectible whisky category.
• Established relationships across specialist drinks retail, luxury hospitality, wholesalers and the London on-trade.
• A proven track record of developing premium brands and growing sales and distribution.
• Experience managing strategically important customer accounts and negotiating commercial agreements.
• Strong new business development and account growth experience.
• Experience delivering tastings, masterclasses, training, events or other brand activation initiatives.
• The confidence and credibility to engage with knowledgeable buyers, whisky specialists, spirits advisors and senior hospitality stakeholders.
• Strong commercial awareness, analytical ability and experience working with sales data, forecasts and performance reporting.
• Excellent presentation, communication and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to work autonomously, manage multiple accounts and take ownership of commercial objectives.
• A willingness to travel across the UK and represent the brand at customer and industry events.
• A WSET Spirits qualification would be advantageous.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to join an established premium drinks business and take ownership of a strategically important portfolio within London's luxury spirits market.

The role offers the opportunity to work across specialist retail and premium on-trade, build relationships with some of the UK's most influential drinks customers and play a significant role in developing the presence of an ambitious luxury spirits portfolio.