Location: UK / Scotland
Sector: Scotch Whisky / Premium Spirits

Work at the Centre of the Global Scotch Whisky Cask Market

An opportunity has opened for an International Business Development Manager to join a growing whisky business focused on building brands, and selling premium Scotch whisky casks, to international trade partners and private clients.

This is a relationship-driven commercial role working with importers, independent bottlers, specialist retailers, whisky clubs, luxury brands and private clients around the world.

You’ll focus purely on developing relationships and closing deals with established trade buyers. Operational work such as bottling and export logistics is handled by the internal team, allowing you to concentrate on identifying opportunities and building long-term partnerships.

If you already operate within the global whisky trade and understand the cask market, this is a rare chance to work directly within one of the most specialised areas of the industry.

What You'll Be Doing

• Develop relationships with international independent bottlers, importers and specialist retailers
• Identify opportunities to sell premium Scotch whisky casks
• Expand the company’s network across priority markets, particularly Asia and Europe
• Present curated cask opportunities to targeted buyers
• Match available casks with the right trade customers
• Maintain ongoing engagement with key buyers and partners
• Represent the business at whisky shows, trade events and industry visits
• Support the development of bulk whisky projects and independent brands
• Monitor market trends in cask trading and independent bottling

Who This Role Suits

This role is designed for someone already active in the global Scotch whisky trade who understands how cask buying and independent bottling programmes operate.

You’ll likely have

• Existing relationships with independent bottlers, importers or specialist whisky retailers
• Experience in international whisky sales or business development
• Strong understanding of single cask programmes and cask trading
• Knowledge of international whisky markets, particularly Asia and Europe
• A commercial mindset and strong negotiation skills
• A genuine passion for Scotch whisky

Desirable experience

• Selling single casks to independent bottlers or retailers
• Bulk spirits trading or brokerage
• Experience working with import/export processes
• A strong international whisky industry network

Why This Role Is Different

This is not a typical brand ambassador or brand sales role.

Instead, you'll operate within one of the most specialist areas of the whisky industry: sourcing and selling premium Scotch whisky casks to experienced buyers.

You’ll work directly with importers, independent bottlers and specialist retailers, helping them access high-quality casks and develop long-term commercial partnerships.

For someone already embedded in the whisky trade, this is an opportunity to operate at the heart of the global cask market.

This is a business development role for someone who wants genuine autonomy, working with some of the country's most exciting Whisky and premium spirits brands.

You'll take charge of a portfolio of On Trade and route-to-market accounts across London (with some national reach), representing a premium spirits portfolio spanning owned and distribution brands. Malt whisky and rum are at the heart of it, so if you know your Speyside from your Islay and your Jamaican pot still from your Bajan blend, you'll be right at home.

This isn't about chasing volume for volume's sake. It's about value, building relationships that last, growing category share, and shaping how a premium spirits portfolio shows up across London's on-trade scene.

What you'll be doing

• Managing a mix of On Trade customers, RTM representatives and specialist retail accounts - direct and via third parties
• Running public tastings and staff training sessions
• Owning your expenses, account spend and samples budget
• Keeping your CRM up to date and working for you, not against you
• Reporting into your line manager and the wider commercial team

What success looks like

• Hitting volume and gross income growth targets across your account base, with a clear portfolio focus
• Setting your own goals, planning your own activity, and being honest with yourself about what's working
• Understanding the category landscape and trends well enough to spot the next opportunity before anyone else does
• Building customer relationships that are built to last, not just to close
• Bringing entrepreneurial thinking to problems
• Representing the brand and the business with genuine credibility, on trust as much as results

What you'll bring

• Strong existing knowledge of the London On Trade channel and customer base
• Excellent product knowledge, particularly premium spirits
• Sharp negotiation and influencing skills
• The autonomy and drive to make key decisions and own the outcomes
• A collaborative streak, this only works if you play well with the wider commercial team
• Confidence presenting and pitching, including tender proposals
• Strong Excel and Microsoft Office skills
• A genuine appetite to keep learning about new products and ways of working

Who this is for

Someone dynamic, proactive and determined, who wants to be judged on what they build, not just what they're told to do. If you're looking for a role where you're trusted to make it your own, this is it.