Distributor Manager at William Grant & Sons

What We Can Offer You

• We offer a competitive salary and benefits which are designed to promote our employees financial wellbeing. Employees are also eligible to participate in a bonus plan.
• Holiday entitlement.
• Private Healthcare
• Pension provision for local nationals is addressed by the statutory plan (this is currently under individual arrangements)
• Our Employee Assistance Programme offers practical, impartial support on everyday matters ranging from medical, financial and legal to home and family issues.
• Our Life Assurance cover is a multiple of three times your annual basic salary.
• Product allowance so that you can enjoy our fantastic portfolio of brands with your family and friends.
• Every employee has the opportunity to claim funding each year for a charity or charities for which they have raised money, volunteered their time or personally donated.
• Learning resources to help you be your best self.

Main Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong relationships with the in-market distributor to support the delivery of agreed commercial plans and performance objectives.
• Act as the primary day-to-day contact for the distributor, providing support and guidance on executional requirements.
• Implement and manage the Integrated Business Operating Rhythm (IBOR) process, ensuring effective collaboration between internal stakeholders and the distribution partner.
• Support the development and deployment of Route-to-Consumer (RTC) plans and global capability-building tools to enhance distributor effectiveness.
• Hold the distributor accountable for the delivery of channel plans, ensuring optimal distribution, merchandising execution standards (MES), and market activation.
• Ensure marketing campaigns and activation programmes are executed effectively across priority channels, outlets, and geographies.
• Prepare, analyse and provide commentary on monthly Route-to-Consumer and commercial performance reports.
• Coordinate new product launches with internal teams and distribution partners, ensuring timely execution and compliance with local regulatory requirements.
• Analyse sales, stock, forecast, distribution, activation and market share data to identify risks, opportunities, and actions to drive growth.
• Develop a strong understanding of market trends, customer needs, shopper behaviour and competitor activity to support strategic decision-making and business growth.

Our Ideal Candidate

• We are seeking a commercially astute professional with a proven track record in distributor, channel, or sales management. You will be a confident relationship builder, capable of influencing partners and stakeholders while using data and insights to drive business performance.

You Will Ideally Have

• 5–10+ years' experience in sales, channel management, or distribution management.
• Experience working with distributors within FMCG, beverages, or branded consumer goods environments.
• A proven track record of achieving and exceeding revenue and commercial targets.
• Strong commercial awareness and negotiation skills.
• Expertise in channel strategy, route-to-market execution, and partner development.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to make data-driven decisions and identify growth opportunities.
• Financial acumen, including an understanding of margins, stock management, forecasting, and credit control.
• Excellent leadership, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to drive results through cross-functional teams and external partners.
• A proactive, resilient and results-focused approach with a passion for delivering outstanding commercial performance.