Sales Manager, Off-Trade Wine and Spirits

A confidential wine and spirits company is seeking a hands-on Sales Manager to lead its off-trade sales team in Tokyo.

Key responsibilities
• Own annual sales, gross margin, volume and account profitability targets.
• Build and execute account plans for national and regional retailers, supermarkets, department stores, liquor chains, e-commerce accounts and wholesalers.
• Personally manage strategic accounts and senior buyer relationships.
• Lead negotiations covering listings, shelf plans, promotions, rebates and commercial terms.
• Run monthly forecasting and gap analysis and take corrective action.
• Lead, coach and evaluate a team of approximately eight sales professionals.
• Partner with Marketing, Supply Chain and Finance on promotions, stock, pricing, margins and receivables.
• Provide customer and market insight to support portfolio, pricing and range decisions.

Location: Tokyo, with regular customer visits and domestic travel.
Employment: Permanent, full-time.
Start: Q1 2027 or earlier by agreement.

Required
• 10+ years in wine, spirits, beer or the broader alcoholic beverage industry.
• 5+ years of people management with responsibility for sales targets.
• Strong off-trade experience in Japan across retailers, supermarkets, liquor chains, department stores or wholesalers.
• Experience owning sales and gross-margin results.
• Strong relationships with buyers at major Japanese retail accounts.
• Native-level Japanese.

Preferred
• Experience with an imported wine company and knowledge of European wines.
• JSA Wine Expert, JSA Sommelier, WSET Level 3 or equivalent.
• Hands-on leadership style with a strong coaching mindset.