We are looking for a seasoned Sales Manager to lead our off-premise business in Bangalore. This is a senior individual contributor role with significant ownership. The ideal candidate will drive volume and distribution through distributor partnerships while maintaining direct outlet-level engagement. Beyond execution, the person must be able to think strategically, articulate plans clearly and bring sharp market insight to the table.
Roles & Responsibilities:
Distributor Management
- Own and drive relationships with Ardents distributor network in Bangalore.
- Work closely with distributor sales teams to plan, track and achieve monthly volume targets.
- Monitor stock positions, ensure a healthy pipeline and minimise supply gaps.
- Drive primary and secondary offtake through systematic and consistent distributor engagement.
Outlet Coverage & Distribution
- Expand numeric and weighted distribution across key off-premise channels.
- Identify and onboard new outlets to grow the active outlet base.
- Ensure in-outlet visibility, shelf presence and compliance with trade schemes.
- Conduct regular outlet visits to monitor competition, gather market intelligence and build strong trade relationships.
Strategy & Planning
- Develop and articulate a clear go-to-market strategy for the Bangalore off-premise market.
- Identify growth opportunities across channels, geographies and price segments within the city.
- Translate strategy into actionable plans with measurable milestones.
- Present market assessments,
competitive landscape and business plans to leadership in a clear and structured manner.
Trade Schemes & Activations
- Execute trade schemes and consumer promotions at the outlet level through promoters.
- Ensure scheme communication reaches the right outlets and is implemented correctly.
- Monitor scheme effectiveness and share timely feedback with the marketing team.
Reporting & MIS
- Maintain accurate and timely sales reports, outlet coverage trackers and distributor performance data.
- Share weekly and monthly updates with leadership on volumes, distribution, competition and market dynamics.
Preferred candidate profile
Experience
- 10-12 years of sales experience in the alcobev industry.
- Strong understanding of the Karnataka alcobev trade structure and off-premise market dynamics.
- Proven track record of driving volume through distributor partnerships and outlet-level execution.
- Prior experience with premium or semi-premium Scotch whisky, vodka or gin brands is an advantage.
Skills & Competencies
- Strategic thinker ability to assess market situations, spot opportunities and build structured plans.
- Articulate communicator ability to present ideas, plans and business updates clearly and confidently to internal and external stakeholders.
- Strong distributor relationship management and negotiation skills.
- High ownership mindset ability to work independently and drive outcomes without hand-holding.
- Good grasp of off-premise channel dynamics across retail and modern trade.
- Proficient in basic MIS and reporting tools.
- Solid communication skills in English and Kannada.