An ambitious, independent premium spirits producer is entering its next phase of growth and is looking for a Head of Sales to help shape what comes next. The foundations are in place: a strong established product portfolio, a clear point of difference, and growing demand in both the UK and Europe.
What’s needed now is a commercial leader who wants to be right in the thick of it.
This is not about inheriting a big team or managing from a distance. It’s about taking personal ownership of sales, building momentum in the market, and turning opportunity into revenue. You will help define the direction, but you will also be the one opening doors, deepening relationships, and converting interest into listings and long-term partnerships.
Initially a part-time, three-day-per-week contract role, this position offers flexibility without compromising on influence, autonomy, or impact.
The Opportunity
Working closely with the founders, you will take ownership of revenue growth and route to market across the UK and Europe. While you will help shape sales strategy and priorities, this role is fundamentally about execution.
You will be the person building relationships, negotiating listings, developing distributors, and driving sales on the ground.
If you enjoy being close to customers and want real autonomy in a part-time, flexible structure, this role offers exactly that.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Personally driving UK sales across wholesale and on-trade channels
- Managing and developing relationships with UK wholesalers and route-to-market partners
- Calling on key on-trade accounts and selected groups to build visibility and distribution
- Owning and growing international distributor relationships, primarily across Europe
- Identifying and opening new export opportunities where there is clear commercial potential
- Negotiating pricing, commercial terms, listings, and joint business plans
- Forecasting and reporting sales performance, with clear commercial insight
- Acting as a credible brand ambassador at trade events, tastings, and customer meetings
What We’re Looking For
- Strong sales experience within premium spirits, ideally whisky or gin
- Proven UK route-to-market experience, including wholesalers and on-trade
- Existing relationships within the UK drinks trade
- Experience working with international distributors, particularly in Europe
- A senior commercial professional who still enjoys doing the selling themselves
- Commercially sharp, confident negotiator, and relationship-led seller
- Comfortable working independently in a part-time, contract role
The Important Bit
- This is a senior role, but it is not a hands-off one.
- You will not be managing a large sales team. You will be the sales function, owning both strategy and delivery, and spending a meaningful amount of time in front of customers and partners.
- If you’ve reached a stage in your career where flexibility matters, but challenge, influence, and real commercial impact still matter too, this could be a brilliant fit.
The Package
- Initial Part-time contract role, 3 days per week, with room to flex up
- High autonomy and influence
- Competitive day rate, dependent on experience
- UK travel and occasional European travel required
This role will suit someone who has already built a strong reputation in drinks sales and is now looking for something a little different.
Perhaps you enjoy the strategic side of the business, but you still get real energy from being customer-facing. Perhaps you want flexibility, but not at the expense of challenge or seniority. Or perhaps you simply want to work with a producer where your experience, judgement, and relationships will genuinely shape the commercial future of the brand.
This is a chance to step into a senior, hands-on role where you are trusted to deliver, given space to operate, and expected to make a visible impact from day one.
If you are a commercially driven spirits sales leader who still loves doing the selling yourself, this could be a hugely rewarding next chapter.