DrinkAbility
Business Development Manager - East London
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Business Development Manager - East London On-Trade
Field-based | Shoreditch, Hackney, Dalston, Bethnal Green, Hoxton, London Fields & surrounding areas
Fancy owning East London's most exciting drinks scene? If you get a buzz from walking into a bar and knowing exactly how to make a brand come alive there, this one's for you. We're looking for a Business Development Manager to represent a premium beverage portfolio across East London's independent on-trade, the bars, the music-led venues, the specialist retailers that set the tone for what's next in drinking culture.
This isn't a role where you'll be chasing supermarket shelf space or sitting behind a desk. You'll be out in the field, building genuine relationships, and helping brands find their place in some of London's most exciting venues.
What you'll actually be doing:
- Owning the patch: day-to-day handling of up to 200 on-trade accounts across East London, from brand presentations to ongoing relationship management
- Building real relationships: getting to know the independent bars, music-led venues and specialist retailers that make this scene what it is, and becoming a trusted face behind the brands
- Driving growth: developing sales strategies that protect existing listings and win new distribution
- Bringing brands to life in-outlet: implementing POSM and trade marketing activity that actually gets noticed
- Holding the standard: making sure brand execution stays sharp and consistent across your whole account base
- Making budgets work harder: partnering closely with brand teams to get the most out of contracted marketing spend
- Owning your numbers: performing against clear KPIs as part of the wider business
- Getting stuck into the extras: ad-hoc projects that push the business forward, because no two weeks look the same here
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What you'll bring:
- A genuinely self-motivated, ambitious streak - you don't need someone standing over you
- The ability to work independently while still being a strong team player
- Sharp communication skills - you're articulate, numerate, and know how to read a room
- The confidence to influence people, whether that's a bar owner or a brand partner
- A creative, solutions-first mindset, when something doesn't work, you find another way
- A track record (or the raw potential) for juggling multiple projects without dropping the ball
- F&B or sales experience is a strong plus, and knowledge of the East London on-trade scene will put you ahead of the pack, but neither is essential if you've got the drive
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Why this role is different:
This is a business built on transparency, initiative and genuine collaboration - not corporate box-ticking. You'll be encouraged to make proactive suggestions, challenge the way things are done, and help shape strategy rather than just execute someone else's plan. If you want a role where your ideas actually go somewhere, this is it.
Ready to make your mark on East London's drinks scene? Send your CV, or get in touch for a chat - we'd love to hear from you.
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