The Senior Key Account Director – Beverage acts as the Beverage Segment Lead and is accountable for the commercial performance, strategic direction, and future positioning of DW Reusables’ European beverage segment. The role combines:
* direct ownership of DW’s largest beverage key accounts, and
* segment leadership for beverage, including setting direction, driving account strategy, and raising commercial effectiveness across the segment.
The role holds commercial leadership responsibility for the beverage segment and for all Sales Managers engaged in beverage accounts, setting direction, driving account strategy, and raising commercial effectiveness. The role requires a hands‑on builder who personally puts required structures and approaches in place and then embeds them through the organization.
Key accountabilities
1. Own and develop DW’s largest beverage key accounts
* Act as senior commercial lead for DW’s major beverage customers
* Build and maintain senior‑level relationships across procurement, supply chain, operations, and sustainability
* Lead strategic negotiations, tenders, escalations, and long‑term agreements
* Balance long‑term partnerships with clear commercial boundaries
2. Define and drive beverage segment strategy
* Develop and own a clear beverage segment strategy, looking 3–5 years ahead
* Analize market trends, customer strategies, replacement cycles, and competitive dynamics to define clear segment priorities
* Translate these external drivers into a clear direction for DW’s offering, including:
* Future product requirements to be developed
* How existing solutions need to evolve to remain relevant
* Provide structured input to product strategy, portfolio decisions, pricing logic, and capex prioritisation
3. Implement and drive Customer Value Roadmaps
* Translate the beverage segment strategy into concrete Customer Value Roadmaps for key beverage customers
* Ensure structured account planning is consistently applied across the beverage segment
* Translate customer strategies into:
* multi‑year account objectives
* Enforce disciplined execution, follow‑up and review of account plans and value roadmaps
* Commercial leadership responsibility for Sales Managers engaged in beverage accounts, with clear expectations on priorities, execution quality, and results
* Challenge the quality of account strategies, customer interactions, and follow‑up discipline
* Act as escalation point and role model in complex customer situations
Leadership is exercised through commercial authority, content expertise and role modelling in customer situations.
* Drive pricing discipline, margin awareness, and complexity management
* Support the shift from transactional selling to structured account development
* Ensure consistency in how DW positions itself across beverage customers
6. Interface with the Commercial Director and broader organisation
* Act as the primary beverage counterpart to the Commercial Director
* Ensure alignment between beverage segment strategy and overall commercial priorities
* Feed structured customer and market insight into product development, operations and sustainability initiatives
Profile & experience
Required
* Senior experience in Key Account Management in complex B2B environments, preferably in beverage, packaging, or industrial sectors
* Proven ability to manage large, multinational customers with multiple stakeholders
* Demonstrated capability to think beyond individual accounts and actively shape segment‑level direction and priorities
* Strong commercial judgement on pricing, complexity, and trade‑offs
* Ability to lead and influence beyond formal reporting lines
Languages
* Fluent in English and German
* Dutch and/or French are a strong advantage
Strongly preferred
* Deep understanding of beverage supply chains, refillable systems, and customer operating models
* Experience working with global or regional procurement organisations
* Track record in personally building and implementing structured account planning and value‑based selling approaches
* Profound understanding in sustainability strategies and initiatives, driven by our customers and upcoming legislation
Personal characteristics
* Strategically minded, but pragmatic and execution‑focused
* Strong backbone: able to challenge customers and internal stakeholders constructively
* High credibility through experience, preparation, and judgement
* Structured thinker who simplifies complexity
* Takes end‑to‑end responsibility and follows through until results are delivered
* Leads through content, clarity, and consistency
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