National Account Manager – Specialist Retail

Specialist Retail is one of Amber Beverage UK's most important strategic growth channels.

Our customers influence trends, shape consumer purchasing decisions and set the benchmark for premium wines and spirits in the UK. They are often the first to champion new brands, making them critical partners in building long-term brand equity.

As Amber Beverage UK continues to invest in premium and super-premium brands, we are looking for an ambitious National Account Manager to lead the development of this channel and accelerate our growth with the UK's most influential specialist retailers.

The Role

Reporting to the Sales Director, you will take full commercial responsibility for Amber Beverage UK's Specialist Retail channel.

Based in London and working from our Covent Garden head office, you will manage many of the UK's most influential premium retail customers while developing new business opportunities across the UK. London sits at the centre of the UK's premium drinks market, making regular customer engagement, store visits and relationship building a fundamental part of the role.

You will own a portfolio of high-profile national customers while identifying and winning new business across the UK's premium retail market.

Success in this role will come from building trusted customer partnerships, creating compelling commercial plans and delivering profitable growth across Amber Beverage UK's premium portfolio.

Working closely with Brand, Marketing, Supply Chain and Commercial Brand Advocacy teams, you will help bring brands to life through launches, activations, education and premium execution.

This is an entrepreneurial role suited to someone who enjoys building brands, identifying opportunities and influencing customers.

Location

• London based, working from Amber Beverage UK's head office in Covent Garden.
• Our Covent Garden office places you at the heart of London's premium drinks and hospitality industry, close to many of the UK's leading customers, brand owners and industry partners.
• The role combines office-based collaboration with regular customer meetings and time spent in trade.
• National travel is required to support customers, supplier meetings, trade exhibitions and industry events.
• Hybrid working, with the majority of time focused on customer-facing activity.

Example Customer Portfolio

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing relationships across a portfolio of prestige and specialist retailers, including:

• Amathus Drinks
• The Whisky Exchange
• Hedonism Wines
• Berry Bros. & Rudd
• Jeroboams
• Gerry's Wines & Spirits
• Selfridges
• Harrods
• Harvey Nichols
• John Lewis
• Fenwick
• Independent and regional wine and spirits retail groups

This list is indicative and not exhaustive. The successful candidate will also identify, win and develop new prestige and specialist retail customers across the UK.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Leadership

• Own and develop Amber Beverage UK's Specialist Retail strategy.
• Deliver annual sales, profit and distribution targets.
• Develop and execute Joint Business Plans with key customers.
• Secure new listings across Amber's premium portfolio.
• Negotiate commercial agreements, pricing and promotional investment.
• Deliver profitable and sustainable revenue growth.
• Build long-term strategic partnerships with customers.
• Represent Amber Beverage UK at senior buyer level.

Account Management

• Develop annual customer business plans.
• Grow distribution across the Amber portfolio.
• Launch new products and innovation into priority customers.
• Identify opportunities to increase visibility and rate of sale.
• Conduct regular customer reviews using EPOS and sales data.
• Deliver accurate forecasting and commercial planning.
• Maintain excellent commercial discipline across all accounts.

Brand Building & Activation

• Work with Brand and Marketing teams to develop customer activation plans.
• Deliver premium launches across specialist retail.
• Support tasting programmes, masterclasses and consumer events.
• Increase visibility through premium merchandising and theatre.
• Build advocacy for Amber's brands across key retailers.
• Ensure every brand is represented to the highest possible standard.

Business Development

• Identify new specialist retail opportunities across the UK.
• Win new premium retail customers.
• Expand Amber Beverage UK's distribution footprint.
• Build relationships with key industry influencers and retail partners.
• Represent Amber Beverage UK at industry events and trade exhibitions.

Insight & Performance

• Analyse customer performance, market trends and category data.
• Use commercial insight to identify growth opportunities.
• Review promotional effectiveness and return on investment.
• Produce regular business reviews and customer updates.
• Work closely with Supply Chain to improve forecast accuracy.
• Share customer and market insight across the wider commercial team.

Experience & Skills

• Proven National Account Management experience within the drinks industry or premium FMCG.
• Strong understanding of the UK prestige and specialist retail sector.
• Experience managing premium retailers, luxury department stores or specialist wine and spirits customers.
• Clear understanding of how prestige retailers operate, including premium positioning, customer experience, gifting, seasonal trading and brand presentation.
• Ability to adapt brand plans, product ranges and activation to suit different prestige retail environments.
• Strong commercial negotiation skills.
• Experience developing Joint Business Plans.
• Strong analytical capability with experience using customer and sales data.
• Excellent presentation and influencing skills.
• Experience working cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing and Supply Chain.
• Highly organised with excellent commercial planning skills.
• Passion for premium wines, spirits and brand building.
• Full UK driving licence.

The Type of Person We're Looking For

• Commercially ambitious with a strong track record of delivering profitable growth.
• Passionate about premium brands and the drinks industry.
• Entrepreneurial and proactive, with the confidence to identify and pursue new opportunities.
• An outstanding relationship builder who can influence at every level of a customer's organisation.
• Customer-focused with excellent commercial judgement.
• Analytical, using insight and data to support decision-making.
• Confident negotiating with senior buyers and decision-makers.
• Highly organised with excellent planning and execution skills.
• Self-motivated, resilient and comfortable working autonomously.
• A collaborative team player who enjoys sharing ideas and contributing to wider business success.

Why Join Amber Beverage UK?

This is an opportunity to shape one of the UK's most important Specialist Retail channels within a fast-growing premium drinks business.

You'll work with an award-winning portfolio of premium and super-premium brands, have the autonomy to influence commercial strategy and play a key role in growing Amber Beverage UK's presence across the country's leading prestige retailers.

Working from our Covent Garden office, you'll be at the centre of London's premium drinks industry, collaborating with customers, brand owners and colleagues while building long-term partnerships that help shape the future of our business.

If you're looking for a role where you can make a genuine commercial impact, build premium brands and develop your career within an ambitious and entrepreneurial company, we'd love to hear from you.

Package

• Competitive salary
• Performance-related bonus
• Car allowance
• Private healthcare
• Medical cashback plan
• Enhanced pension
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Three days Christmas closure
• Company pension
• Product allowance
• Career development opportunities within a growing international business

Who we are…

Amber Beverage UK is an ambitious brand builder and distributor for established and up-and-coming spirits brands. Our portfolio includes Amber Beverage Group’s owned brands, together with third-party distributed brands for a broad, exciting and multi-category range. ABUK has dedicated salespeople in each region of the UK, and functional experts covering the off-trade, national accounts and wholesalers. In 2023, ABUK merged with Indie Brands to combine the insurgent heritage and entrepreneurial spirit of Indie Brands with the scale, structure and systems support of ABUK.

ABUK is part of the Luxembourg-headquartered Amber Beverage Group, which produces, bottles, distributes and markets a range of drinks including Moskovskaya Vodka, Rooster Rojo and KAH Tequila to over 70 international markets.

We are committed to giving everyone the best chance of succeeding in our recruitment process. If there is anything we can do to support you in overcoming any obstacles, please get in touch.

National Account Manager – Specialist Retail

Specialist Retail is one of Amber Beverage UK's most important strategic growth channels.

Our customers influence trends, shape consumer purchasing decisions and set the benchmark for premium wines and spirits in the UK. They are often the first to champion new brands, making them critical partners in building long-term brand equity.

As Amber Beverage UK continues to invest in premium and super-premium brands, we are looking for an ambitious National Account Manager to lead the development of this channel and accelerate our growth with the UK's most influential specialist retailers.

The Role

Reporting to the Sales Director, you will take full commercial responsibility for Amber Beverage UK's Specialist Retail channel.

Based in London and working from our Covent Garden head office, you will manage many of the UK's most influential premium retail customers while developing new business opportunities across the UK. London sits at the centre of the UK's premium drinks market, making regular customer engagement, store visits and relationship building a fundamental part of the role.

You will own a portfolio of high-profile national customers while identifying and winning new business across the UK's premium retail market.

Success in this role will come from building trusted customer partnerships, creating compelling commercial plans and delivering profitable growth across Amber Beverage UK's premium portfolio.

Working closely with Brand, Marketing, Supply Chain and Commercial Brand Advocacy teams, you will help bring brands to life through launches, activations, education and premium execution.

This is an entrepreneurial role suited to someone who enjoys building brands, identifying opportunities and influencing customers.

Location

• London based, working from Amber Beverage UK's head office in Covent Garden.
• Our Covent Garden office places you at the heart of London's premium drinks and hospitality industry, close to many of the UK's leading customers, brand owners and industry partners.
• The role combines office-based collaboration with regular customer meetings and time spent in trade.
• National travel is required to support customers, supplier meetings, trade exhibitions and industry events.
• Hybrid working, with the majority of time focused on customer-facing activity.

Example Customer Portfolio

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing relationships across a portfolio of prestige and specialist retailers, including:

• Amathus Drinks
• The Whisky Exchange
• Hedonism Wines
• Berry Bros. & Rudd
• Jeroboams
• Gerry's Wines & Spirits
• Selfridges
• Harrods
• Harvey Nichols
• John Lewis
• Fenwick
• Independent and regional wine and spirits retail groups

This list is indicative and not exhaustive. The successful candidate will also identify, win and develop new prestige and specialist retail customers across the UK.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Leadership

• Own and develop Amber Beverage UK's Specialist Retail strategy.
• Deliver annual sales, profit and distribution targets.
• Develop and execute Joint Business Plans with key customers.
• Secure new listings across Amber's premium portfolio.
• Negotiate commercial agreements, pricing and promotional investment.
• Deliver profitable and sustainable revenue growth.
• Build long-term strategic partnerships with customers.
• Represent Amber Beverage UK at senior buyer level.

Account Management

• Develop annual customer business plans.
• Grow distribution across the Amber portfolio.
• Launch new products and innovation into priority customers.
• Identify opportunities to increase visibility and rate of sale.
• Conduct regular customer reviews using EPOS and sales data.
• Deliver accurate forecasting and commercial planning.
• Maintain excellent commercial discipline across all accounts.

Brand Building & Activation

• Work with Brand and Marketing teams to develop customer activation plans.
• Deliver premium launches across specialist retail.
• Support tasting programmes, masterclasses and consumer events.
• Increase visibility through premium merchandising and theatre.
• Build advocacy for Amber's brands across key retailers.
• Ensure every brand is represented to the highest possible standard.

Business Development

• Identify new specialist retail opportunities across the UK.
• Win new premium retail customers.
• Expand Amber Beverage UK's distribution footprint.
• Build relationships with key industry influencers and retail partners.
• Represent Amber Beverage UK at industry events and trade exhibitions.

Insight & Performance

• Analyse customer performance, market trends and category data.
• Use commercial insight to identify growth opportunities.
• Review promotional effectiveness and return on investment.
• Produce regular business reviews and customer updates.
• Work closely with Supply Chain to improve forecast accuracy.
• Share customer and market insight across the wider commercial team.

Experience & Skills

• Proven National Account Management experience within the drinks industry or premium FMCG.
• Strong understanding of the UK prestige and specialist retail sector.
• Experience managing premium retailers, luxury department stores or specialist wine and spirits customers.
• Clear understanding of how prestige retailers operate, including premium positioning, customer experience, gifting, seasonal trading and brand presentation.
• Ability to adapt brand plans, product ranges and activation to suit different prestige retail environments.
• Strong commercial negotiation skills.
• Experience developing Joint Business Plans.
• Strong analytical capability with experience using customer and sales data.
• Excellent presentation and influencing skills.
• Experience working cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing and Supply Chain.
• Highly organised with excellent commercial planning skills.
• Passion for premium wines, spirits and brand building.
• Full UK driving licence.

The Type of Person We're Looking For

• Commercially ambitious with a strong track record of delivering profitable growth.
• Passionate about premium brands and the drinks industry.
• Entrepreneurial and proactive, with the confidence to identify and pursue new opportunities.
• An outstanding relationship builder who can influence at every level of a customer's organisation.
• Customer-focused with excellent commercial judgement.
• Analytical, using insight and data to support decision-making.
• Confident negotiating with senior buyers and decision-makers.
• Highly organised with excellent planning and execution skills.
• Self-motivated, resilient and comfortable working autonomously.
• A collaborative team player who enjoys sharing ideas and contributing to wider business success.

Why Join Amber Beverage UK?

This is an opportunity to shape one of the UK's most important Specialist Retail channels within a fast-growing premium drinks business.

You'll work with an award-winning portfolio of premium and super-premium brands, have the autonomy to influence commercial strategy and play a key role in growing Amber Beverage UK's presence across the country's leading prestige retailers.

Working from our Covent Garden office, you'll be at the centre of London's premium drinks industry, collaborating with customers, brand owners and colleagues while building long-term partnerships that help shape the future of our business.

If you're looking for a role where you can make a genuine commercial impact, build premium brands and develop your career within an ambitious and entrepreneurial company, we'd love to hear from you.

Package

• Competitive salary
• Performance-related bonus
• Car allowance
• Private healthcare
• Medical cashback plan
• Enhanced pension
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Three days Christmas closure
• Company pension
• Product allowance
• Career development opportunities within a growing international business

Who we are…

Amber Beverage UK is an ambitious brand builder and distributor for established and up-and-coming spirits brands. Our portfolio includes Amber Beverage Group’s owned brands, together with third-party distributed brands for a broad, exciting and multi-category range. ABUK has dedicated salespeople in each region of the UK, and functional experts covering the off-trade, national accounts and wholesalers. In 2023, ABUK merged with Indie Brands to combine the insurgent heritage and entrepreneurial spirit of Indie Brands with the scale, structure and systems support of ABUK.

ABUK is part of the Luxembourg-headquartered Amber Beverage Group, which produces, bottles, distributes and markets a range of drinks including Moskovskaya Vodka, Rooster Rojo and KAH Tequila to over 70 international markets.

We are committed to giving everyone the best chance of succeeding in our recruitment process. If there is anything we can do to support you in overcoming any obstacles, please get in touch.