About us
At Accolade Wines, our purpose is to enrich everyday moments through our amazing wine brands.
As one of the world’s leading wine companies, our award-winning portfolio includes loved brands such as Hardys, Grant Burge, St Hallett, Petaluma, Croser, Banrock Station, Mud House, Jam Shed, Tatachilla, Brookland Valley and many more.
The driving force behind our business is our people, their expertise, their passion and their professionalism. With over 1,400 dedicated employees in Australia, the UK, Europe, Asia, South Africa, New Zealand and North and South America, it is our teamwork that sets us apart.
About the role
The Channel Director will be a senior member of the UK & Ireland Commercial Team and a member of the Global Senior Leadership Team, you will drive the business forward through excellent collaboration internally and externally, and industry leading execution of our strategy.
You will manage, motivate, develop and drive ownership across the team and cross-functional colleagues to achieve our business objectives in the UK & Ireland Commercial Channel in our region. This role will compromise of x Direct Reports total delivering x per annum.
Key responsibilities include:
• Leadership: Hold yourself and the team accountable to delivering our numbers and living our values at all times. Deliver optimal negotiation strategies.
• Customer: Ensure we are the partner of choice for all customers in your channel.
• Portfolio: Secure new listings and increase distribution to hit specific targets for the priority brand portfolio
• P&L: Relentless pursuit to deliver budget & forecasts for your channel and constantly improve the commercial returns for Accolade and our customers
Strategy: Own and deliver the UK & Ireland short term Strategy & Objectives and ensure a robust long-term growth strategy for the channels within your remit.
• Targets resource and specific activation to maximise channel specific opportunities and beat the competition.
• Reviews customer JBP’s and adapts / course corrects these to ensure maximum profitable growth.
Team - Inspire and nurture the team to maximise their individual potential and drive a culture of continuous improvement.
• Has clear development and succession plans in place for team. Acts as a personal coach / mentor to grow high potential talent within Vinarchy.
• Manages all employee related activity in line with company policies
Commercial Insight - Deriving value opportunities for the customer, the category and Accolade Wines
• Collaborates across Accolade teams to optimise profitability and delivery
• Engaging the Accolade business behind SMARTER financial customer targets
• Lead and oversee sales agreements with our Customers and Partners
• Inspires the sales organisation through industry leading customer management
• Co-ordinates investment strategy to optimise returns (ROI)
• Ensure plans are executed to deliver channel P&L
• Creates commercial propositions which step-change the customer relationship
• Allocates investment to optimise category growth
• Use post evaluations to help shape the longer term (18 month+) strategy
Other Key responsibilities include:
Customer Planning - Build and Deliver annual customer plans with sustainable & profitable sales and negotiated delivery that is best in class
• Has a comprehensive 3-year strategy and plans to achieve these goals for both UK On Trade & Ireland
• Demonstrates strong interpretation of customer's P&L within the channel
• Accurate forecasting and timely identification of risks & opportunities
• Ensure step-change for the customer relationship in a planned and rigorous way
• Demonstrates pace in all customer related activities
• Delivers a profit growth plan jointly with the customer
Customer Leadership - Forging strong, layered relationships within the Customer's business & leveraging the Accolade network to maximise customer partnerships
• Builds, influences and leads cross-functional project teams with clear accountabilities
• Owns top-to-top relationships with key channel customers & partners
• Promotes best practice stakeholder management
• Assists or Leads project deliverables in complex scenarios
• Sustains a valuable, reciprocal and enduring relationship with all key stakeholders
• Leverages stakeholder capability for best return
Deliver Opportunities - Engaging with customers and partners to achieve shared objectives.
• Has a defined list of Opportunities that are SMART and tracked appropriately with key team ownership
• Creates a dialogue of equals at all levels, uncovering needs not yet known by the customer
• Asks high-gain questions (long-term view, & concept) re: partnership & possibilities
• Summarises and develops necessary transparency for LT and stakeholders
• Delivers aligned, shared goals that remove roadblocks to delivery
What you’ll bring:
• Experience: Minimum 10 years senior sales experience, with direct experience of managing On Trade & Ireland Commercial Wine Channels
• Leadership: 3 years+ Team leadership experience
• Results Driven: Track record of delivery
• Presenting with Impact - Lead the team in convincing/influencing the customer in a dynamic and structured way to agree to our proposals and ensure delivery of the outcome
• Negotiating - Ensure the team and the wider business delivers better returns from customer agreements
• Manager Others - Coaching and development, effective communication and influencing stakeholders.
Physical and Other Requirements
• Full driving license
• Ability to frequently travel within UK & Ireland - to customer head offices, trade events, Accolade offices
• Occasional overseas travel to accompany customers on customer visits (eg. Australia, South Africa)
• Bachelor’s degree advantageous
• WSET advantageous
What you can expect:
Accolade Wines will provide the ideal climate and a hand-picked rewards package for you to make a difference in our successful and growing business.
You will also have access to:
• Wine allowance and access to unique wine specials
• Flexible working (Up to 2-3 days working from home)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Start your weekend early with our Fast Friday finishes!
• Loyalty Leave
• Accolade Wines Anniversary day off
• Go Beyond Day - making a different in your local community
• Access to an extensive online learning library
• Employee Assistance Program
• Various exclusive employee discounts
Want to find out more? Watch us in action here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRtn17Hgz8M
Sound like your kind of drop? Apply now.
At Accolade Wines we are dedicated to building a diverse, dynamic and inclusive culture.