Join The Virgin Wines Crew
Here at Virgin Wines, we believe that life is for living to the fullest, and this applies to our work ethic as well as our desire to enjoy top quality wine. We’re very passionate about what we do and how we work, which comes pretty easily when you’ve got such an awesome product to talk about every day.
If you’d like to find out more about what it’s like to work here and opportunities to become a member of the team, you’ve come to the right place.
Juicy Details About Us
Since launching in 2000, we’ve sold over 100 million bottles to wine lovers across the UK, offering every style imaginable, catering to all palates and preferences.
Voted Specialist Online Drinks Retailer of the Year 2022, we pride ourselves on sourcing and crafting great tasting wines with talented, independent producers across the globe, and bringing our customers exclusive, exciting wines they won’t find anywhere else (more than 90% of our wines by volume are exclusive to us!).
From grape to glass, we like to build meaningful connections along the way, be it strong working relationships with winemakers, suppliers and corporate partners, or through the heartfelt service we provide our customers.
We take wine seriously, but never ourselves. What makes us unique in the wine world is that we turn our complex specialist subject into something that’s accessible and enjoyable for all.
Whether someone is at the beginning of their wine journey or a seasoned pro, we break down complex topics into easy-to-digest information and have a little fun with it! This applies to our staff too, as we’re always offering opportunities to learn more about wine on the job.
Being Part of the Team
If you’re a driven, glass half full kind of person, Virgin Wines might just be the place for you.
Grow
Invest your time and effort in an environment where you can really establish yourself and develop.
Blossom
Have the support and freedom you need to flourish and climb high in your career.
Bunch
Be part of a sociable team that get on well inside and outside of work.
We're committed to being an inclusive workplace that respects everyone's individuality, background and experience, and we place a lot of importance on creating a culture where we all feel empowered and valued for what we bring to the table. That's why we give all members of staff access to our Employee Assistance Program, which provides advice on a variety of personal and workplace issues, including free counselling sessions and legal advice. We also have many other great perks such as official WSET qualifications funded by us, regular social events and, of course… heavily discounted wine!
Other key things to know are that we're part of the iconic Virgin family and we were the first online wine retailer to be certified carbon neutral. Find out more about our pledge to have a positive impact on our planet here.
Job Vacancies
If you like the sound of us, we'd love to hear from you. We've popped our current job opportunities below, but if you don't see anything that fits what you're looking for, drop us an email at careers@virginwines.co.uk to express your interest in joining our crew. We look forward to hearing from you!
Overview:
This is an exciting time to join one of the wine industry's best-loved brands as we embark on a dynamic growth journey. We're on a mission to be the UK's most rewarding online wine retailer, and as part of our plans, we're looking for someone to join our dynamic Partnerships Team and play a key role in our future success.
Sitting within the Business Development function, the Partnerships team plays an integral role in Virgin Wines' customer recruitment strategy, helping to introduce new customers to Virgin Wines through affinity partnerships with like-minded brands/organisations in UK. As Business Development Manager you'll be responsible for developing a portfolio of partner brands. This involves identifying and forging relationships with senior decision-makers at target companies and negotiating mutually beneficial promotional campaigns that introduce new customers to our business.
You don't need to know your Claret from your Beaujolais to join our Partnerships Team, but you will need to be a tenacious sales professional who thrives on creating new opportunities, building relationships and closing deals. You'll have individual targets and activity related KPI to meet, and will make extensive use of Salesforce to self-manage your partner and prospect database. Leads are provided along with full training and ongoing development, but we encourage creative minds along with big and bold new ideas, and to thrive in this role you'll be capable of thinking outside the box. Virgin Wines is a very cross-functional business, so you must be a team-player who can work collaboratively with colleagues and other departments towards collective organisational objectives.
The package includes a competitive salary with uncapped commission, performance related incentives, 25 days annual leave and hybrid working (3 days in the office). Perks including huge staff discounts on wine, WSET training, company parties, EAP and more! For the right person there are also opportunities for career progression.
So, if you're good at forming relationships and want to work in a fun and stimulating environment with great people at a growing company, then this might just be the role you've been waiting for.
Duties:
- Develop and implement effective business development strategies to increase market share and revenue.
- Identify potential clients and conduct thorough market research to understand their needs and preferences.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with existing clients while actively seeking new business opportunities.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment on business goals and client expectations.
- Prepare and deliver compelling presentations to prospective clients, showcasing our products and services.
- Negotiate contracts and agreements to secure successful partnerships.
- Monitor industry trends and competitor activities to inform strategic decision-making.
- Utilise CRM software, particularly Salesforce, to track leads, manage client interactions, and report on sales performance.
Your skills:
- Proven experience in business development or sales roles.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport quickly.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and make informed decisions.
- Self-motivated with a results-oriented approach and the ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
- Exceptional organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- A proactive attitude towards problem-solving and overcoming challenges.
- A skilled negotiator; tenacious with enthusiasm for closing deals.
- Star-like qualities; lots of energy, passion and creative flair.
How to apply:
If you feel you possess the right skills and would like to apply for this position please send a CV and covering letter to us at kelly.spinks@virginwines.co.uk.
No applications for fully remote candidates will be considered at this stage. Please only apply if you are able to join us in the office in Norwich City Centre for 3 days a week. Fully remote applications will not be considered / replied to at this stage.
Data Protection:
During the recruitment process we may collect, store and process personal information about applicants and we recognise the need to treat this information in an appropriate and lawful manner. The information, which may be held on paper, on a computer or other media, is subject to certain legal safeguards specified in the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other regulations. The Act imposes restrictions on how we may use that information. If you consider that any of those restrictions has not been followed in respect of personal data about yourself or others please raise the matter with us.
