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Purchase and Sales Manager – Brewing/Distilling Raw Materials Job Description
The Purchase and Sales Manager is a very senior role at a brewery or distillery. They are primarily responsible for dealing with suppliers and customers including raw material suppliers, packaging suppliers, machinery suppliers, and retail customers.
Their position is critically important at a brewery or distillery because they help the facility obtain the high quality ingredients they require for making an excellent product. They help the business negotiate the contracts to purchase raw materials and ensure they are delivered. They also organise other purchases for the business, including packaging, bottles/cans, vehicles, and equipment.
The other important role performed by The Purchase and Sales Manager is negotiating sales contracts. They must liaise with the facility’s largest customers including retail liquor stores, liquor distributors, pubs, and supermarkets.
Purchase and Sales Manager Responsibilities
The Purchase and Sales Manager is a senior position with some wide-reaching responsibilities across the business including:
• Develop long-term relationships with customers and suppliers
The Purchase and Sales Manager is the primary point of contact for many of the customers and suppliers dealing with the brewery or distillery. The manager must develop a positive relationship with these parties.
• Negotiate purchasing and sales contracts
The Purchase and Sales Manager works closely with management staff and customers to negotiate profitable sales contracts. They must also ensure the items purchased by the facility arrive on time and as ordered.
• Ensure sales and purchasing contracts are executed
They must manage the execution of sales and purchasing contracts that the facility has signed. This includes ensuring goods and services are both delivered and paid for.
• Follow raw materials markets and develop purchasing strategies
It is important that The Purchase and Sales Manager have a strong understanding of the raw materials markets that the brewery or distillery depends on. They will use this information to develop purchasing strategies that ensure the business gets the raw materials it requires at an affordable price.
• Help the agronomy team develop excellent relationships with suppliers
The Purchase and Sales Manager facilitates closer relationships between the brewery or distillery’s agronomy team and raw material suppliers.
• Identify new markets and new potential customers
Discovering new markets and customers is one of the most important tasks that the Purchase and Sales Manager performs. They will analyse data sources, perform research, and use professional networks to develop new customers.
• Be a part of budgetary meetings
They will help the management team understand the expenses associated with purchases and the profitability of current sales. This input will be particularly important for budgetary meetings.
• Communicate with various stakeholders and keep them informed
The Purchase and Sales Manager will have to give various stakeholders in the business regular updates on financial matters. They will work with many departments in the business including quality control, finance, and maintenance.
• Create regular reports on purchases and sales
Regular reports must be created which detail purchases, sales, and market data.
Education
A Purchase and Sales Manager will usually have a Bachelor degree in sales, statistics, or business administration. Ideally, they will have also completed a post-graduate qualification.
Work Experience
• Extensive sales experience
• Experience managing raw materials/ingredients (ideally)
• Experience leading a team
• Experience creating budgets, managing invoices, and dealing with customers
Key Skills
• Attention to detail and strong analytical skills
• Leadership and team management skills
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills
• Detailed orientated with excellent research capabilities
• Highly motivated and able to take the initiative
• Sales skills
• Excellent problem-solving and negotiation skills
• The ability to work with team leaders from across the business
• Excellent computer skills
• Ability to attain sales and purchasing targets
• Outstanding planning and organisation skills
• Time management and resource management skills
• Social perceptiveness
• Customer service skills
• Systems analysis skills
• Management of material resources skills
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FAQ
What are the key responsibilities of a Purchase and Sales Manager in the brewing or distilling industry?
A Purchase and Sales Manager in this industry is tasked with forging long-standing relationships with suppliers and clients, negotiating purchase and sales contracts, ensuring the execution of these contracts, developing strategies for raw material procurement, fostering strong supplier connections for the agronomy team, identifying new markets and potential customers, contributing to budget meetings, communicating with stakeholders, and generating detailed reports on purchases and sales.
What is the significance of the Purchase and Sales Manager’s role in a brewery or distillery?
The Purchase and Sales Manager plays a critical role by ensuring the brewery or distillery acquires high-quality ingredients essential for producing superior products, negotiating material contracts, and securing timely deliveries. This role also involves organizing the procurement of other business necessities, like packaging and equipment, and handling sales discussions with key customers like retail liquor stores and supermarkets.
What qualifications are typically required for a Purchase and Sales Manager in the brewing industry?
Candidates for a Purchase and Sales Manager position usually hold a Bachelor’s degree in fields such as sales, statistics, or business administration, with many having additional post-graduate qualifications.
What kind of experience should a Purchase and Sales Manager possess?
Individuals in this role should have substantial experience in sales, preferably with a background in managing raw materials or ingredients, leading a team, and budget creation. They should also be adept at handling invoices, customer relations, and have experience in other financial aspects of business operations.
Which key skills are essential for a Purchase and Sales Manager in the brewing or distilling industry?
The role requires meticulous attention to detail, robust analytical abilities, leadership and team management, excellent communication, presentation skills, and strong research capabilities. They should also be highly motivated self-starters with sales, problem-solving, negotiation, computer, planning, organisation, time management, and customer service skills, as well as an understanding of systems analysis and material resource management.