Trade Account Manager
Burgundy Wine Club
Greater Manchester, hybrid with nationwide travel
Full-time, 37.5 hours per week
Competitive salary, performance-related bonus and travel allowance
Build the trade division of a growing Burgundy importer
Burgundy Wine Club is looking for an ambitious Trade Account Manager to introduce some of Burgundy’s most exciting growers to the UK’s best restaurants, hotels and wine bars.
This is not a role in which you will inherit a static list of accounts and simply maintain them.
You will have the opportunity to build relationships, open new markets and play a major role in shaping the trade side of a growing specialist wine business.
We import exclusively from Burgundy and Jura, working directly with independent growers and domaines including Arnoux-Lachaux, J-F Mugnier, Fourrier, Morey-Coffinet, Pierre Girardin and a new generation of producers we believe deserve far greater recognition in the UK.
You will take these wines, their stories and the people behind them into the hospitality trade.
The opportunity
The role is focused primarily on winning and developing new trade accounts across the UK.
You will identify restaurants, hotels, wine bars and hospitality groups where our portfolio can make a genuine difference, then build the relationships needed to turn those opportunities into long-term customers.
That could mean placing a grower’s Bourgogne Chardonnay by the glass, developing a focused Burgundy selection for an independent restaurant or introducing a sommelier to a producer they have never previously had access to.
You will have considerable autonomy over how you build your network and develop your pipeline, supported directly by the founders and the wider Burgundy Wine Club team.
This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys opening doors, meeting people, pouring wines and turning enthusiasm into commercially successful relationships.
What you will be doing
Winning new accounts
You will:
- Identify and approach suitable restaurants, hotels, wine bars and hospitality groups throughout the UK.
- Build and manage a structured pipeline of prospective trade customers.
- Generate opportunities through calls, email, referrals, networking, tastings and in-person visits.
- Arrange and lead introductory meetings, portfolio tastings and sales presentations.
- Develop wine recommendations around each customer’s list, style, pricing and commercial requirements.
- Negotiate pricing, volumes and terms within agreed parameters.
- Convert promising prospects into active, regularly ordering customers.
Developing customer relationships
Opening the account is only the beginning.
You will help customers choose the right wines, introduce new arrivals and identify opportunities for listings, by-the-glass placements, seasonal selections, dinners and producer events.
You will build trusted relationships with sommeliers, wine buyers, restaurant owners, beverage directors and hospitality managers, while monitoring the commercial performance and potential of each account.
You will also provide the producer stories, tasting notes, staff training and practical support customers need to sell the wines successfully.
Tastings, events and Burgundy
Tasting and storytelling will be central to the role.
You will organise and deliver customer tastings, portfolio presentations, staff training and producer-focused events. You will also represent Burgundy Wine Club at relevant hospitality and industry events.
The role includes opportunities to travel to Burgundy, visit growers and build first-hand knowledge of the vineyards, domaines and wines you represent.
Managing the commercial pipeline
You will maintain accurate records of prospects, meetings and opportunities within our CRM, provide clear sales forecasts and track progress against agreed revenue, margin and new-account targets.
You will work closely with the directors to identify priority regions, customer types and commercial opportunities, sharing feedback from the market to help shape the future of our trade portfolio.
Who we are looking for
This role would suit someone who already understands how to win business within the restaurant and hospitality trade.
You may currently work for a wine importer, merchant, distributor or another premium drinks business. More important than your exact job title is your ability to build relationships, create opportunities and convert them into profitable, lasting accounts.
You should have:
- Previous experience in trade sales, business development or account management.
- A proven record of winning restaurant, hotel, wine-bar or hospitality accounts.
- Strong commercial awareness, including an understanding of pricing, margin and account potential.
- The confidence to approach and engage sommeliers, buyers, owners and senior decision-makers.
- Strong knowledge of Burgundy, including its principal regions, appellations, classifications and styles.
- The ability to communicate complex wines clearly, enthusiastically and without unnecessary pretension.
- Strong presentation, negotiation and relationship-building skills.
- A disciplined approach to prospecting, CRM management and follow-up.
- The ability to work independently and take ownership of commercial targets.
- A full UK driving licence, access to a vehicle and willingness to travel regularly.
An existing network within the hospitality trade would be valuable, as would experience selling premium or limited-production wines, but neither is a substitute for energy, credibility and the ability to win business.
The kind of person who will thrive here
You will be commercially ambitious, organised and persistent, while understanding that the best trade relationships are built over time.
You will be comfortable walking into a Michelin-starred restaurant, an ambitious neighbourhood wine bar or a growing hospitality group and adapting your approach accordingly.
You will care about the wines, but you will also understand the commercial realities of a restaurant wine list.
Most importantly, you will be excited by the opportunity to help build something.
Burgundy Wine Club is a young and growing company. This role offers the freedom to make a visible impact, develop a nationwide customer base and play a meaningful part in the direction of the business.
What we offer
- Competitive salary.
- Performance-related bonus.
- Travel expenses or company car allowance.
- Employee wine discount.
- Trips to Burgundy and opportunities to visit our producers.
- Direct access to growers, domaines and limited-production wines.
- Ongoing portfolio and Burgundy training.
- Hybrid working from our Greater Manchester office.
- 28 days’ annual leave, including bank holidays.
- Significant autonomy over the development of your customer base.
- Excellent opportunities for progression as the business grows.
Some evening work will occasionally be required for tastings, dinners and trade events. Travel and event time will be managed within the company’s agreed working arrangements.
How to apply
Please send your CV together to jobs@burgundywineclub.co.uk with a short covering statement explaining:
- Your relevant trade sales or account-management experience.
- The types of restaurant or hospitality accounts you have previously opened.
- Examples of sales targets or commercial results you have achieved.
- Your knowledge and experience of Burgundy.
- Why the opportunity to help build Burgundy Wine Club’s trade business appeals to you.
