Senior Sales Manager-Spirits

SENIOR SALES MANAGER – SPIRITS

LOCATION:

Nyetimber Group London Office

REPORTS TO:

Group Head of Off Trade Sales UK

RESPONSIBLE FOR:

No direct reports

COMMUNICATORS:

Position works with Sales team members, Brand Ambassadors, Trade Marketing, Sales Logistics and Brand.

MAIN PURPOSE:

The Senior Sales Manager is responsible for driving sales growth, brand presence and distribution of Nyetimber’s spirits portfolio across London’s most important on- and off-trade accounts.

This strategic role requires the ability to engage credibly with whisky specialists, collectors, expert retail teams and bartenders, building trusted relationships that enhance brand advocacy and deliver commercial success. The successful candidate will combine deep category expertise with strong commercial acumen to identify growth opportunities, execute best-in-class brand activations and strengthen The Lakes Distillery’s position within the luxury spirits market.

SCOPE:

Given the importance of specialist whisky retailers within the customer base, the successful candidate will have a strong understanding of the premium and collectible whisky category. The role is responsible for managing a portfolio of key luxury retail and specialist merchant accounts, including Master of Malt, Hedonism, The Whisky Shop, and Berry Bros. & Rudd.

Key responsibilities include driving sales performance, delivering impactful brand activation, and developing long-term strategic partnerships across the account base.

The successful candidate will build strong relationships with buyers, merchandisers, marketing teams, store managers and wines and spirits advisors to ensure the brands are effectively represented and promoted in line with the Group’s luxury positioning.

In addition, the role is responsible for growing brand presence and sales within the London on trade. This includes managing key spirits wholesalers such as The Whisky Exchange Trade, Venus, and The Drinks Club, while expanding The Lakes Distillery’s presence across London’s leading luxury hotels, bars and restaurants through the development of strong customer partnerships and targeted activation initiatives.

VALUES & MOTIVATORS:

PIONEER

Nyetimber is the pioneer of English Sparkling Wine. To be a pioneer means ‘to not follow’ and this spirit is central to how we all think and operate when setting out plans and direction for the brand.

Exceptional goes beyond wine making, it extends to every touch point of the brand. At every possible opportunity Nyetimber should difference itself with faultless and high-quality execution and service.

EXCEPTIONAL

Exceptional goes beyond wine making, it extends to every touch point of the brand. At every possible opportunity Nyetimber should difference itself with faultless and high-quality execution and service.

JOIE DE VIVRE

A feeling of joy, happiness and sophisticated love of life that will give us an emotional connection to our customers around the world.

Responsibilities

Account Management & Commercial Growth

• Build and maintain strong commercial relationships with buyers and decision makers across luxury retailers, whisky specialists, wholesalers, fine wine merchants and the London-on-trade.
• Deliver year-on-year growth in volume and value across assigned accounts in line with budget and KPI targets.
• Identify and secure new listings for The Lakes Distillery portfolios across specialist retailers, merchant, wholesalers, hotels, restaurants and bars.
• Negotiate commercial agreements, trading terms and promotional activity with customers throughout the year.
• Lead the Joint Business Planning (JBP) process with key customers under the strategic direction of the Head of Sales Off Trade.

Brand Activation & Marketing

• Collaborate closely with the Trade Marketing and Brand teams to design, develop and execute high-impact activations that strengthen each brand’s premium positioning and enhance consumer engagement.
• Plan and execute customer activations including tastings, store events, digital promotions and seasonal campaigns.
• Deliver flagship activations with key customers.
• Ensure strong brand visibility, uphold exemplary merchandising standards and maintain exceptional product presentation across all retail environments.

Customer Engagement & Brand Advocacy

• Act as a category expert for The Lakes Distillery within the London on and off-trade.
• Confidently present whisky to knowledgeable trade audiences, delivering engaging training sessions, tastings and masterclasses that enhance brand awareness and product knowledge.
• Build strong relationships with spirits advisors, store teams and bartenders to drive product knowledge and advocacy.
• Represent Nyetimber and The Lakes Distillery at customer events, industry tastings and key brand activations.

Strategic Development

• Develop and deliver a strategic plan for growing The Lakes Distillery presence in the key London on and off-trade venues.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the brands’ position within the luxury drinks sector.
• Conduct competitor analysis and gather market insights to inform commercial strategy, identify growth opportunities and support data-driven decision-making.
• Maintain strong cross-functional collaboration with marketing, logistics and production teams to support customer requirements and orders.

Reporting & Internal Collaboration

• Conduct regular one-to-one meetings with the Head of Sales Off Trade to review performance, discuss strategic priorities and ensure alignment with key commercial objectives and business initiatives.
• Collaborate closely with The Lakes Brand Ambassador and the London on-trade sales team to identify and convert opportunities that strengthen The Lakes Distillery’s presence within London’s luxury hospitality sector.

Qualifications and Experience

• Essential: Proven sales experience working with premium whisky brands, with responsibility for managing customer accounts and delivering commercial growth.
• A strong understanding of and connections within London’s luxury on-trade sector.
• Strong understanding of, and personal connection within, the premium spirits category, particularly within specialist retail channels and the luxury on trade.
• Demonstrated success in developing premium brands and delivering commercial growth.
• Strong network within the UK spirits trade, with a particular focus on whisky.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and take ownership of commercial objectives.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence internal and external stakeholders.
• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple projects and accounts simultaneously.
• Strong presentation and reporting skills, with proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint. Experienced in analysing and interpreting data, producing accurate and insightful reports, and delivering clear, engaging presentations to a variety of audiences.
• WSET Spirits qualification would be advantageous.
• Enthusiastic about travelling extensively across the UK, building strong customer relationships face-to-face and representing the brand at industry events, tastings and key networking opportunities, some of which take place outside standard working hours.