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. 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.