Head of Portfolio Growth in London

Head of Portfolio Growth in London

London Full-Time 80000 - 100000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
Pernod Ricard

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead growth strategies for iconic brands like Absolut and Jameson in a dynamic market.
  • Company: Join Pernod Ricard, a global leader in the spirits industry with a vibrant culture.
  • Benefits: Enjoy 28 days holiday, private medical insurance, and discounts on our premium brands.
  • Other info: Embrace a culture of conviviality and sustainability in a supportive work environment.
  • Why this job: Shape the future of the spirits market while collaborating with diverse teams worldwide.
  • Qualifications: Experience in consumer goods and strong strategic skills are essential.

The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.

We operate a hybrid working approach, which allows you to manage your time between home and office.

Be part of something big. We are Pernod Ricard, a leading company in the global spirits industry with over 19,000 employees globally. We own 16 of the world’s top 100 Spirits Brands and hold one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry with 240 premium brands available in over 160 countries.

Here in the UK, we are an organisation of 2,000 employees, headquartered in London, in a brand-new office designed with sustainability, ‘conviviality’ and collaboration in mind. We also have offices in Scotland and various distilleries and production sites across the UK from Plymouth to London to Speyside.

Your new team is based in London as part of Pernod Ricard’s Crystal Brand Unit. The Crystal Portfolio Growth team is responsible for accelerating growth across a focused portfolio including Absolut, Malibu, Kahlúa, Agave, Gins, and Aperitifs. The team partners closely with global brand teams, regional teams and local markets to translate Crystal’s strategic priorities into market-level growth plans, ensuring strong alignment between brand strategy, portfolio choices, commercial execution and investment priorities.

We aim to redefine the global spirits market by inspiring people from all backgrounds to connect, share ideas and enjoy our products responsibly. We are also committed to long-term sustainability, acting in the best interests of consumers, society, the environment and our employees. We seek talented, bold individuals to join our team and drive growth.

The Crystal Portfolio Growth team is a group of eight specialized business development professionals based across Paris, London, and Shanghai, responsible for accelerating the growth across Crystal’s portfolio within the Pernod Ricard global network. The team brings together strategic portfolio management, commercial acceleration, and cross-functional business leadership, partnering closely with global and local market teams to unlock growth opportunities, create organisational cohesion and strengthen portfolio performance across key geographies.

Fast-paced, international, and highly collaborative, the team offers broad exposure to senior stakeholders across the organization. The role provides the opportunity to shape growth priorities, influence strategic decisions across markets, and work on some of the business’s most important commercial and brand acceleration initiatives.

Role purpose: The Head of Portfolio Growth will be responsible for operationalizing Crystal’s global strategy at market level by building strong ongoing collaboration with regional and local market teams. The role sits at the crossroads of portfolio strategy, commercial execution and market leadership, ensuring alignment between global priorities and local market plans while acting as a strategic partner to accelerate growth opportunities.

Your unique contribution: You will play a key role at the intersection of strategy and execution, with responsibility across three core areas:

  • Portfolio and Brand Strategy Alignment: Drive alignment between global brand strategy and local market execution, ensuring consistency across brand planning, portfolio priorities, launch plans, and key commercial initiatives in your markets.
  • Connect global and local planning cycles by coordinating Integrated Business Planning (IBP) processes, ensuring clarity, rhythm, and consistency in execution.
  • Oversee the timely and effective delivery of brand assets and innovations (NPD), proactively managing risks and mitigation plans where needed, while ensuring brand plans are fully aligned with S&OP processes to connect commercial ambition with supply and demand realities.
  • Cross-Functional Business Partnership: Act as a strategic partner to regional and local market teams, working across marketing, commercial, finance, strategy, and supply chain to unlock growth opportunities and drive execution excellence.
  • As a central point of contact for markets, you will support problem-solving and arbitration on key growth and business topics, while enabling clear and effective two-way communication between global and local stakeholders.
  • Play a leadership role in orchestrating key planning forums and business reviews, ensuring strong alignment, clarity of priorities, and timely decision-making.
  • Market and Portfolio Leadership: Serve as the voice of the market within Crystal, bringing forward commercial insights, identifying risks and opportunities, and ensuring local priorities are reflected in global portfolio decisions.
  • Actively challenge and refine A&P investment strategies and portfolio choices, addressing misalignment and driving resolution with senior stakeholders.
  • Support the development of robust innovation business cases by consolidating market inputs and partnering closely with finance to strengthen decision-making and investment impact.

Who you’ll be working with: Internally, you’ll work closely with Marketing, Commercial, Finance, Strategy, Supply Chain, and Leadership teams across both the Crystal Business Unit and your designated Management Entity/markets.

Your blend of talent: This position could be right for you if you:

  • Bring strong commercial and strategic experience within consumer goods, FMCG, wines & spirits, or similar brand-led industries.
  • Have a track record of translating global strategy into local execution and driving growth across multiple markets.
  • Operate effectively within complex, international matrix organisations, demonstrating strong collaboration and interpersonal agility.
  • Excel in stakeholder management and influencing, building alignment across diverse teams, functions, and markets.
  • Communicate clearly and with impact, particularly with senior stakeholders.
  • Combine analytical strength with a results-driven mindset, turning insights into actionable recommendations.
  • Bring strong project and change management capabilities, delivering cross-functional initiatives with discipline and prioritisation.
  • Navigate ambiguity confidently, using sound judgment to drive decisions and outcomes.
  • Demonstrate cultural awareness and strong social and emotional intelligence.

Our mix of benefits: For your health, we offer private medical insurance, income protection and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme. Our lifestyle benefits include 28 days’ annual holiday, your employee pension, share incentive plan, season ticket loans, payroll giving and more! You can access lots of gifts & discounts, including an allowance each year to spend on our brands in our staff shop and employee discounts from a range of high street retailers. We have regular events in our very own office bar, employee-run networks, a culture of flexibility and trust and a variety of tools and resources to help you focus on your wellbeing and mental fitness.

Conviviality: the Pernod Ricard Way: We have our own way of doing things. We call it conviviality! It’s our way of being, and something unique you feel and experience when working for Pernod Ricard. We’re committed to conviviality, and with this, you’ll be Proud to Belong to our Pernod Ricard family. You’ll be Empowered to Perform, supported to succeed, and acknowledged for the value you bring. We combine all this with our Commitment to Care: we are unlocking the magic of human connection to transform our industry and make a positive impact on the world through our strong focus on sustainability and responsibility.

We’re committed to diversity and inclusion: People are at the heart of everything we do at Pernod Ricard and are the foundation of our collective spirit as ‘Créateurs de Convivialité’. We promote diversity and inclusion throughout our business and supply chain. In our teams, we proactively foster a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture – an environment where we can truly be ourselves.

We will assess your application for this role based on your skills, experiences and achievements, not your gender, age, ethnic or educational background or any other such factors. Please feel free to leave these off your CV and application form if you so wish. Similarly, if you would like to discuss opportunities for flexible working or require accommodations or support to complete our application process, please let us know.

Responsible drinking: As ‘Créateurs de convivialité’, we want to turn social interactions into genuine and friendly experiences of sharing and wellbeing. In our culture, we want to create diverse teams in which our differences contribute to our success. Therefore, all are welcome at Pernod Ricard, regardless of your religious beliefs or personal choices on the consumption of alcohol. In our business, we work together with industry members, civil society, governments, local authorities and UN bodies to promote responsible drinking.

Head of Portfolio Growth in London employer: Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and supportive work environment in Chiswick, London, where employees can thrive both personally and professionally. With a strong commitment to sustainability and conviviality, the company fosters a culture of collaboration and inclusivity, providing ample opportunities for growth and development while ensuring a healthy work-life balance through hybrid working arrangements. Employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, generous holiday allowances, and unique perks such as discounts on premium brands, making it a truly rewarding place to build a career.

Pernod Ricard

Contact Details:

Pernod Ricard Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Head of Portfolio Growth in London

Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, especially those at Pernod Ricard. Use LinkedIn to connect and engage with them. A friendly message can go a long way in getting your foot in the door.

Tip Number 2

Prepare for interviews by researching Pernod Ricard’s brands and their market strategies. Show us you know your stuff! Tailor your answers to reflect how your experience aligns with their goals in portfolio growth.

Tip Number 3

Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how you can drive growth and align strategies. We want to hear about your past successes and how they relate to the role of Head of Portfolio Growth.

Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the Pernod Ricard family.

We think you need these skills to ace Head of Portfolio Growth in London

Commercial Strategy
Portfolio Management
Market Analysis
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Stakeholder Management
Project Management
Change Management

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Head of Portfolio Growth role. Highlight your experience in consumer goods and strategic execution, showing how you've driven growth in previous roles. We want to see how you can connect global strategies with local market needs!

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're passionate about the spirits industry and how your skills align with our mission at Pernod Ricard. Be bold and let your personality come through – we love authenticity!

Showcase Your Achievements:When detailing your experience, focus on specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to drive results. Use metrics where possible to quantify your impact. We’re all about results-driven mindsets, so show us what you’ve accomplished!

Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website for the best chance of being noticed. It’s straightforward and ensures your application goes straight to the right people. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!

How to prepare for a job interview at Pernod Ricard

Know Your Brands

Before the interview, dive deep into Pernod Ricard's portfolio. Familiarise yourself with their key brands like Absolut and Jameson, and understand their market positioning. This will help you speak confidently about how your experience aligns with their brand strategies.

Showcase Your Strategic Mindset

Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you've translated global strategies into local execution in previous roles. Highlight your ability to drive growth across multiple markets, as this is crucial for the Head of Portfolio Growth position.

Emphasise Collaboration Skills

Since the role involves working closely with various teams, be ready to share experiences where you've successfully collaborated across functions. Discuss how you’ve navigated complex organisational structures to achieve common goals.

Demonstrate Cultural Awareness

Pernod Ricard values diversity and inclusion, so be prepared to talk about how you’ve fostered an inclusive environment in your past roles. Share insights on how cultural awareness has influenced your decision-making and stakeholder management.