ABOUT CASTLE MALTING

Today Castle Malting is a world-leading brand in the field of malts for craft brewers and brewing ingredients. Based in Mons, Belgium, a beer country classified as intangible heritage by UNESCO, the Castle Malting produces its malts (Classic, Special, Conventional and Organic). It is the oldest malting plant in Belgium (1868) and one of the oldest in the world, located in the vicinity of the splendid castle of Beloeil, and offers a wide range of base and specialty malts of the highest quality, allowing to brew any beer style from Pilsen and White, to the darkest Abbey and various organic beers.           

Cherishing the centuries-old Belgian malting traditions and introducing bold, innovative policies, the Castle Malting® management and team have managed to create a truly unique company able to respond to malt demands of any kind – from those of a homebrewer to the customized requirements of craft and industrial breweries.

Since 2023, Castle Malting has been part of The Soufflet Group (2 billion euros turnover), world leader in malt (since the merger with United Malt Group UMG in November 2023) and in the distribution of brewing ingredients, a subsidiary of the IN VIVO agri-food group (12.3 billion in turnover).

THE ROLE

As Sales Manager for the Benelux and Northern Europe region you are in charge of revitalizing the portfolio of direct customers, previously overlooked, alongside fostering relationships with our distributors as well as identifying new client opportunities. Next to that it is crucial that you also actively participation in industry events like the "Brussels Beer Challenge". Vigilance towards competitors' strategies and reporting thereon is paramount, alongside diligent monitoring and resolution of client concerns, encompassing debt recovery and quality assurance. This role reports directly to the Managing Director .

We are looking for a seasoned professional with a background in B2B sales and/or business development. This role requires a commercially minded individual with a passion for sales, equipped to manage and support distributors across the Benelux and Northern Europe.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Develop the Benelux business/customer portfolio.

• Prospect to redeploy our portfolio of direct customers which has been "neglected in the past" and has allowed our competitors to gain strong positions.
• Develop our network of distributors.
• Presence at trade fairs and events such as the "Brussel beer Challenge"
• Be on the lookout and report on our competitors' activities,
• Monitor and manage any client issues (debt recovery, quality issues).

Structuring, leading, and developing the activity of distributors in Northern Europe

• Monitor and provide the necessary commercial support for the development of our distributors (Pricing, Promotions, Communication).
• Set up distributors in the countries where we still operate directly.
• Setting up and monitoring our distributors' business performance indicators.
• Propose and implement continuous improvement solutions to ensure the satisfaction of our distributors.
• Identify and implement synergies with UMG's UK subsidiaries.
• Monitor and manage any client issues.

Client intelligence" and recommendations to increase our business.

• Follow the activity of our competitors and listen to our distributors and customers to identify and recommend the relevant growth drivers and complements of the portfolio.
• Identify and recommend relevant business partnerships.

Contribution to the structuring of the MDC sales team

• Participate in sales meetings 2-3 times a month.
• Coordination with the French-speaking sales team.
• Participate in cross-functional meetings (Leadership team, sales forecasting, etc.).

PERSONAL PROFILE

We are in search of a candidate who combines a robust commercial drive with a meticulous rigor, outstanding organizational skills, and a quick reactivity to change. The right individual will have excellent Interpersonal Skills for effective teamwork and communication, alongside sharp Negotiation and Persuasion Skills to navigate and influence positive outcomes. If these traits describe you, you could be the ideal fit for our dynamic team.

• Baccalaureate + 3 or + 5 (Bachelor's, professional or master’s degree) supplemented by at least 3 to 5 years' experience in a company.
• Engineering school, business school, university master's degree, with real commercial talent completed. Possibly with an international trade
• Ideally with experience and/or training as an amateur and/or professional brewer.

And of course, a strong appetite and potential to evolve towards the management of ales teams. A successful experience in this position will be a springboard to take over the export activity of Castle Malting.

THE OFFER
Gross annual remuneration (fixed + variable) proposed 60 to 90 K€ (depending on experience) + company car + coverage of professional expenses paid net + profit bonus + group and hospitalization insurances.

LOCATION
Administrative offices near Mons (Belgium). Area job legitimizing a location in the Benelux. Need to keep in touch on a regular basis with the teams based in Mons.

CONTACT
Please share your resume with us. After a pre-selection process on your resume, you will receive an invite for an introduction meeting by phone. If positive, you will be invited for (face-to-face) interviews at Castle Malting.

Wouter Ordelman
M +31 6 502 11 802
wouter@semare.com