The Assistant Manager – Sales will be responsible for establishing and growing the market for a premium Portuguese wine portfolio across India. The role will focus on developing sales and distribution networks, acquiring new customers, expanding market coverage, and building strong relationships with distributors, premium retailers, wine merchants, HoReCa accounts, and other key trade partners.
The position requires a commercially driven professional with strong knowledge of the premium beverage/wine industry, excellent relationship-building and negotiation skills, and the ability to independently develop new markets and deliver revenue growth.
Key Responsibilities
1. Sales & Business Development
- Develop and execute sales strategies across assigned markets.
- Identify new business opportunities and build a strong customer pipeline.
- Drive sales through HoReCa, premium retail, wine merchants, distributors, and relevant channels.
- Develop territory-wise sales plans and identify priority accounts.
- Acquire new customers and convert opportunities into sustainable business.
- Achieve monthly, quarterly, and annual sales targets.
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2. Market Development
- Build the brand as a premium Portuguese wine offering in India.
- Identify priority cities, channels, and customer segments.
- Develop market-entry plans for new states and cities.
- Expand market coverage and distribution.
- Identify market gaps and opportunities for portfolio and channel expansion.
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3. Customer & Key Account Management
- Build long-term relationships with key customers and trade partners.
- Manage relationships with hotels, restaurants, premium retailers, wine merchants, and hospitality groups.
- Drive product listings, placements, and repeat business.
- Understand customer requirements and develop commercially relevant solutions.
- Negotiate commercial terms within company guidelines.
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4. Distributor & Channel Management
- Identify, onboard, and manage distributors and channel partners.
- Develop joint business plans with distributors.
- Monitor distributor performance, inventory, sales, and market coverage.
- Support distributors in customer acquisition and account activation.
- Ensure product availability across priority markets.
- Track primary and secondary sales and take corrective action where required.
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5. Brand & Market Activation
- Work with the marketing team to develop market activation plans.
- Organise wine tastings, trade events, customer engagement programmes, and product presentations.
- Support wine education and product knowledge initiatives.
- Represent the brand at relevant wine, hospitality, and trade events.
- Maintain consistent premium brand positioning across customer touchpoints.
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6. Sales Planning & Reporting
- Prepare territory-wise sales plans and forecasts.
- Monitor performance against targets and identify risks and opportunities.
- Maintain an accurate sales pipeline.
- Prepare regular sales reports and market updates.
- Track competitor pricing, products, promotions, and market activity.
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7. Market Intelligence
- Monitor Indian wine market trends and consumer preferences.
- Identify emerging cities, customer segments, and business opportunities.
- Gather competitive intelligence and provide recommendations on pricing, positioning, and promotions.
- Share customer and market insights with commercial and marketing teams.
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Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor's Degree in Business, Hospitality, Marketing, or a related discipline.
- MBA preferred.
- WSET Level 2 or Level 3 certification is desirable.
- 5–10 years of experience in Sales / Business Development within wines, spirits, premium beverages, FMCG, or luxury hospitality.
- Experience in wine sales or the premium Alcobev industry is strongly preferred.
- Experience working with distributors and channel partners.
- Proven track record of developing new markets and acquiring customers.
- Strong understanding of the Indian wine / Alcobev market and regulatory environment.
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Technical & Functional Skills
- Sales & Commercial Excellence
- Business Development
- Territory Management
- Revenue Growth
- Sales Planning & Forecasting
- Negotiation
- Distributor & Channel Management
- Market Development
- Key Account Management
- Customer Relationship Management
- Premium Brand Positioning
- Wine Tastings & Trade Activations
- Market Analysis
- Competitor Analysis
- Pipeline Management
- Sales Reporting
- Presentation & Networking Skills
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Key Competencies
- Entrepreneurial Mindset
- Customer Focus
- Commercial Acumen
- Execution Excellence
- Ownership & Accountability
- Relationship Building
- Influencing & Negotiation
- Collaboration
- Adaptability & Agility
- Learning Orientation
- Integrity & Professionalism
