National Account Manager (Retail Alcohol)

Location: UK wide - Field Based

Are you ready to Be Your Best Barr None? Lets Grow!!! We are all about Being Your Best Barr None and having a career with real Moments that Matter! Employing around 850 people across the UK, we are proud to be a responsible business that takes care of our people, values diversity, gives something back to our communities and works to minimise our environmental impact.

For 150 years AG Barr has been building great brands and is home to some of the nations favourite flavours. At our core is IRN-BRU, launched in 1901 and still going strong today, the vibrant RUBICON fruit based brand, Boost making every moment better with a caffeine kick, hydration hit or tasty treat, and FUNKIN where real fruit means authentic taste. We also have a number of exciting owned brands within our portfolio including MOMA, which crafts quality oats into great tasting oat drinks and porridges. There’s never been a better time to join us!

The National Account Manager will be responsible for leading, building, and driving designated customer accounts with a specific focus on Major Grocery Multiples. You will manage a balanced approach between the needs of key grocery partners and our overarching business objectives. As the National Account Manager, you will oversee the performance and delivery of strategic initiatives, serving as the champion for our Alcohol portfolio. This role requires a combination of commercial understanding, strong communication skills, and the specific expertise required to navigate the alcohol category within the grocery sector to deliver sustainable growth.

As a National Account Manager, your responsibilities will include:

• Grocery Account Management: Take full ownership of key grocery accounts, managing promotional activities, forecasting, and working collaboratively with key internal and external teams. You will ensure our alcohol brands maintain high visibility and availability on the shelf.
• Championing the Alcohol Portfolio: Act as the subject matter expert for the alcohol category (including Funkin). You will drive distribution and rate of sale for these specific SKUs, understanding the nuances of selling alcohol versus soft drinks in a retail environment.
• Commercial Understanding: Develop a strong understanding of P&L management and drive contribution through effective negotiation. Build comprehensive joint business plans (JBPs) with major grocers, ensuring alignment with our alcohol growth strategy.
• Forecasting & Data Management: Own the process for weekly, period, and annual forecasting, using multiple data sources (including retailer specific data) to generate accurate forecasts for the alcohol category. Work closely with the supply chain team to ensure stock availability meets the volatile demand of the sector.
• Negotiation & Influencing: Prepare and execute successful negotiations with grocery buyers, ensuring the protection of AG Barr's values and mitigating risks. Build strong relationships with key contacts (Buying, Supply, Format) to ensure long-term strategic partnerships.
• Building Customer Influence: Adapt communication style to align with major retailer needs. Gain deep insights into customers’ internal systems and objectives, using this knowledge to create effective, customer-centric plans that privilege our alcohol range.
• Collaboration & Cross-Functional Work: Partner with commercial managers, brand teams, and internal departments to ensure strategic alignment. You will work to translate brand marketing for Funkin and other alcohol assets into effective instore execution.
• Performance Monitoring & Reporting: Track and report on key performance metrics (Rate of Sale, Distribution, Margin), ensuring business objectives are met.

What you’ll bring:

• FMCG & Grocery Experience: Proven experience in account management within an FMCG environment, specifically managing Major Grocery Multiples (Top 4).
• Alcohol Category Experience: Experience working with Alcohol brands (Spirits, RTDs, Beer, or Cider) is highly desirable. You should understand the specific regulations, duties, and promotional mechanics unique to this category.
• Commercial Acumen: Strong understanding of P&L management, forecasting, and business development. Proven ability to build Joint Business Plans (JBPs) and negotiate effectively to drive results in a competitive retail landscape.
• Relationship Management: Experience in managing senior-level relationships with grocery buyers. Ability to influence decision-makers and effectively present at various organizational levels.
• IT Proficiency: Strong IT skills, including proficiency with CRM, forecasting tools, and Google Office. Experience with retailer data portals, Demantra, and Cognos is a plus.
• Presentation & Communication: Excellent presentation skills, with the ability to engage effectively with both internal teams and external stakeholders.

What we offer… We believe in creating a diverse and inclusive culture where your voice can be heard. Our skilled, loyal and committed people are critical to the future success of AG Barr which is why we are continually investing in our employees to develop their talent. We look after our employees by offering a competitive salary and benefits package which includes:

• Up to 34 days holiday (depending on shift pattern)
• Flexible holiday trading
• Living Wage Employer
• Healthcare Cash Plan
• Peppy Health
• Flexible benefits e.g. discounts & cashbacks, gym memberships, technology purchases etc
• Life assurance
• Save as you earn scheme
• Staff sales discount
• Free AG Barr products throughout your working day
• Pension
• Annual salary review
• Ongoing professional development

And much more! To find out more about what it is like to work for AG Barr, please visit our careers platform here. We are an equal opportunities employer and happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments that may be needed for successful candidates with a disability, health or mental health condition. While we have highlighted our ideal requirements for this role, we are realistic that the successful candidate probably won’t meet every single requirement in this advert, but we are big advocates of people growing in role. So even if you don’t meet every single requirement, we encourage you to submit an application - you may be just what we are looking for! Apply now! Speculative CVs from agencies will not be accepted. Please note, we may close vacancies early where we receive significant numbers of applications, so apply now!