Business Development Manager

Who we are

GloezDrinks (GLOEZ FOODS LIMITED) is a fast-growing British brand making 100% natural West African drinks — our premium Zobo (hibiscus) drink and creamy Tigernut drinks (Kunu Aya), including BeetBlend and BananaSmoove. Made fresh in the UK from real fruit, nuts and spice — with no artificial sweeteners and no preservatives — we bring a genuine taste of home to the African and Caribbean diaspora, and to anyone who loves a truly refreshing, wholesome drink. Loved by our customers (rated 5.0 on Google) and growing fast across Manchester and the wider UK.

About the role

We're looking for a commercially minded, relationship-driven Business Development Manager to accelerate our growth across Manchester, the Northwest and beyond. This is a rare early-stage opportunity to shape the commercial future of a young, ambitious brand — building the partnerships, accounts and community relationships that put GloezDrinks in more hands, homes and events across the country.

Based in Manchester, you'll own commercial growth through partnership and stakeholder development: winning new stockists and accounts, nurturing lasting relationships, writing persuasive proposals, coordinating events and activations, and elevating our presence in the community — with travel for partner meetings and events as needed.

What you'll do

Business development & partnerships

• Grow revenue by developing new business, partnerships and accounts across your region.
• Write and present compelling commercial proposals and partnership pitches tailored to each prospect.
• Prospect and win new accounts — African & Caribbean grocery stores, health-food shops, delis, restaurants, cafés, event caterers, corporate offices, universities and community organisations.
• Grow our wholesale and events business, including party-pouch and bulk orders for celebrations.

Relationship & account management

• Manage multiple accounts and relationships simultaneously, keeping satisfaction and reorders high.
• Build trusted, long-term relationships with buyers, store owners, caterers and community partners.
• Run regular account reviews and keep partners engaged, supported and reordering.

Events & community engagement

• Plan and deliver events, markets, festivals and brand activations end-to-end — venue sourcing, supplier coordination, logistics and on-site management.
• Represent GloezDrinks at community, cultural and trade events, building presence and network.
• Use your knowledge of the UK African & West African diaspora community to grow the brand and activate campaigns with our marketing team (Instagram, TikTok, events).

Budgets, reporting & compliance

• Manage budgets and produce clear performance and financial reports for the Director.
• Track KPIs: revenue, new accounts, average order value and retention.
• Maintain accurate CRM records and a healthy sales pipeline, with full GDPR compliance.
• Share weekly updates and strategic insights with the Director.

What we're looking for

• 2+ years' experience in business development, partnership or stakeholder engagement, account management or a related commercial/relationship role — corporate, public-sector and NGO backgrounds all welcome.
• A track record of building partnerships and winning new business, accounts or funding.
• A natural relationship-builder and persuasive communicator, confident writing proposals and commercial communications.
• Experience coordinating events end-to-end (venue, suppliers, logistics, on-site delivery).
• Strong organisation, with experience managing budgets and producing performance or financial reports.
• Confident with CRM tools, MS Office and Google Workspace, and comfortable handling data in line with GDPR.
• Knowledge of, and a genuine connection to, the UK African & West African diaspora community and market.
• Based in or around Manchester, and happy to travel for partner meetings and events.
• Degree-level education desirable (a relevant postgraduate qualification is a plus).

Our values

• Natural & authentic — real ingredients, real heritage, no shortcuts.
• Community-first — we're rooted in the community we serve.
• Quality-obsessed — 100% natural, always.
• Entrepreneurial — agile, ambitious and ready to build.
• Warm & genuine — we treat each other the way we treat our customers.

GLOEZ FOODS LIMITED is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

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