Key Account & Brand Development Manager - Beverage Industry

• Job Title: Key Account & Brand Development Manager - Beverage Industry
• Location: Sydney (NSW), Australia
• Starting Date: September 2026
• Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent
• Industry: Food & Beverage
• Work Arrangement: Remote / Field-based (no fixed office required)
• Reporting Line: Asia Pacific Export Director, based in Hong Kong

About the Company

• Our client is a premium French brand of on-premises beverage ingredients, recognised in over 80 countries for its quality and flavour range, especially valued in coffee shops and cocktail bars worldwide.
• With a rich heritage spanning more than a century and a global team of around 250 employees, the company is looking for a Key Account & Brand Development Manager to help accelerate its presence in Australia.
• This is a chance to join an entrepreneurial, dynamic environment and make a real impact.

About the Role

• We're seeking a dynamic, commercially driven Key Account & Brand Development Manager with a strong background in the beverage industry / mixology. In this role, you'll grow brand awareness and drive sales of an on-premise beverage ingredients portfolio (syrups, purees, sauces, etc.) by leveraging your industry knowledge, relationship-building skills, and technical expertise.

• Your mission will be to influence customer choice, create demand, and build the brand's presence in the Australian on-premise market through portfolio recommendations, product activation, technical support, and brand advocacy, while working closely with distributor and wholesale partners to drive sell-through.

Key Responsibilities

• Activate and influence key accounts (bars, restaurants, hotels, hospitality groups and venues) to adopt and order products through the relevant channel (distributor, wholesaler or platform).
• Build strong relationships with existing and new wholesalers and distributors to support and guarantee market coverage.
• Train and advise clients on product benefits and usage.
• Monitor sales performance, report on activities, and provide market feedback to the marketing and R&D teams.
• Provide technical support and conduct tastings and cocktail demonstrations to showcase product benefits and drive adoption.
• Represent the brand at trade shows, workshops, and industry events (including Sydney Bar Week and similar), collaborating with marketing on sales tools.
• Stay updated on market trends (new ingredients, techniques, consumer preferences) to feed back into new product development.
• Cover Sydney / NSW as a priority, with progressive expansion to Melbourne and Brisbane / Gold Coast as the role develops.

Requirements

About You

Technical Skills:

• Strong commercial and B2B sales competencies.
• Proven experience in the beverage / mixology industry with a solid network among key players (bars, hospitality groups, distributors, wholesalers).
• Deep understanding of Australian on-premise dynamics and consumer behaviour.

Soft Skills:

• Highly autonomous, reliable and commercially driven, comfortable operating independently with limited day-to-day supervision.
• Excellent customer relationship and solution-oriented mindset.
• Self-motivated, organised and proactive.

Education & Experience

• Degree in Business, Marketing, Hospitality, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in commercial roles (B2B sales or business development) in the beverage industry, or as a bartender / mixologist with proven sales experience.
• Comfortable conducting product tastings, demonstrations and cocktail application discussions in a bar or hospitality environment.
• Open to interstate travel (Melbourne, Brisbane / Gold Coast) as needed.