Naked Wines’ mission is to change the way the whole wine industry works, for the benefit of wine drinkers, winemakers, and our people.
Our customers, we call them Angels, support talented and independent winemakers across Australia and the world, in return for access to exclusive hand-crafted wines at amazing prices. Our unique model solves the biggest challenges for some of Australia’s (and the world’s) most talented winemakers who want to go it on their own, providing them with upfront funding as well as distribution and direct connection to customers. Because we fund our winemakers upfront, Naked Wines can remove a huge chunk of the costs that would usually be passed back to the customer.
Globally, Naked Wines gives a fast growing army of over 900,000 passionate everyday wine-drinking Angels direct access to over 250 of the world’s best independent winemakers making over 1,000 exclusive quality wines in 17 different countries which makes us a leading player in the fast-growing direct-to-consumer wine market.
In Australia, we currently have over 120,000 Angels supporting 67 winemakers from Australia and New Zealand to create over 350 exclusive wines for them.
Think of Naked Wines as a listed wine company with a startup vibe that is disrupting an industry, whilst delivering profits and significant growth.
Our model is based on a virtuous circle:
· Doing the right thing
· Generates extreme customer loyalty
· Which generates cash, which can be reinvested in growth
· Which attracts the best people and the best suppliers
If you are a wiz-bang phone salesperson with drive, this is a great next step for someone who has been nailing it and wants to expand their skill set and broaden their experience.
About the Role: As the Senior Wine Buyer for Naked Wines Australia, you will be responsible for managing our winemaker collective and building a great portfolio to connect everyday wine. You will work very closely with the leaders of the other functions of the business to make sure our passionate wine voice is heard, always wearing the "winemaker hat" to advocate for our makers. You will be the wine culture ambassador in Australia, ensuring we give customers access to fantastic wines while giving winemakers the opportunity to concentrate on what they do best: making wine.
You will be responsible for:
- Work closely with the leadership team, ensuring the winemaker's perspective is represented in strategic decisions and championing a passionate wine culture.
- Acting as the wine culture ambassador in Australia, fostering wine passion and education internally and externally.
- Working cross-functionally with merchandising, marketing, finance, customer service, the sales team, and operations to align strategies and deliver on company goals.
- Overseeing the planning, buying, and procurement of all wine, while driving collective buying initiatives to leverage our scale and secure better rates for our winemakers.
- Coordinating the annual buy plan process through great organisation and strong collaboration with internal teams and winemakers.
- Negotiating cost prices and commercial terms of existing wines during the annual buy plan, top-up purchasing, and promotional campaigns.
- Utilising data analytics to develop and manage the buy plan forecast, ensuring right-sized future inventory, and monitoring in-season inventory to prevent overstocking or under-stocking.
- Leading winemaker success across commercial, operational, and engagement aspects, including managing the performance of our wines from quality assurance through to customer feedback.
- Managing winemaker relationships to ensure we foster a community of engaged and informed winemakers, and handling any queries or challenges from suppliers.
- Enabling commercial data accuracy, understanding, and utilising the Global PO system.
- Constantly looking for ways to optimise value for Naked customers through commercial opportunities.
- Leading industry relations to identify key issues and opportunities for Naked Wines and its makers.
- Lead and mentor the Wine Operations Manager and Procurement Manager, collaborating daily to align purchasing strategies with seamless operational execution.
Requirements
- Able to build strong relationships with our winemakers.
- Knowledgeable of the commercial levers when negotiating with winemakers, and a win-win negotiator able to hold your ground under pressure.
- Able to handle and manipulate commercial data to inform your strategies and deliver targets.
- Fastidious about detail and accuracy, and highly adaptable to frequently changing circumstances and shifting goals.
- Hard-working, capable of managing competing priorities, and effectively handling your own time and workload.
- Curious about wine trends, customer habits, innovation and sustainability.
We’ll love you because you have:
- A Bachelor degree.
- At least 5 years of experience in the wine industry in a purchasing or other commercial role.
- A deep understanding of the domestic and NZ wine landscape, including the market, production, regulatory frameworks, and networks.
- Strong analytical skills and proficiency in interpreting market data and performance metrics.
- Exceptional communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to act quickly, strategically, and decisively in unpredictable situations.
- A genuine passion for wine and an energised attitude towards the opportunity Naked presents for winemakers.
- A wine certification or expertise (WSET Level 2 required, but WSET Level 3 is preferred).
Benefits
● Competitive Salary dependent on experience
● Long Term Incentive Program (Employee Share Scheme)
● Monthly Wine Allowance
