Key Account Manager

About the role

The Key Account Manager is responsible for growing and retaining an assigned portfolio of wholesale customers, driving new business development, exceeding sales targets and servicing wholesale customer relationships to the highest standards. Outside our own stores, this role is the face of T2 — accountable for ensuring every partner brews, merchandises and sells T2 to the standard expected of a Melbourne tea house established in 1996.

The Key Account Manager also owns customer marketing for the portfolio, partnering with Brand, Marketing, VM and Product teams so that ranging, activation and trade investment reflect T2's bold, curious and crafted positioning, deliver a measurable return on investment, and give each partner a product offer suited to their customers and channel.

Key responsibilities

Channel Manager — Develops and implements plans to grow sales within assigned channels.

• Take action to grow sales within assigned channels and demonstrate a thorough understanding of the T2 range, assigned channels and industry-related issues to uncover untapped opportunities.
• Build and maintain an account plan for every top-tier customer covering range, rhythm, revenue and risk — reviewed at least monthly and used as the agenda for joint business planning.
• Develop pipeline and stock forecast inputs to maximise sales opportunities and take ownership of assigned wholesale sub-channels in S&OP meetings.
• Partner with Marketing, VM and Brand to build an annual customer experience calendar and run structured new product launches into key accounts from brief through to reorder.
• Complete weekly and monthly reporting on customer insights and sales analysis and look for ways to simplify wholesale ways of working using automation and AI tools.

Sales Prospector — Finds new sales opportunities by identifying potential customers that are brand aligned.

• Actively network to build a pipeline of new business opportunities and maintain relationships with buyers, distributors and agents.
• Convert inbound enquiries within agreed response times, approving only accounts that meet T2's brand presentation, service and creditworthiness standards.
• Deliver new business pitches, complete tenders for assigned regions and channels, and create, negotiate and close commercial agreements within delegated authority.

Relationship Manager — Interacts with customers during and after the sales process to meet or exceed customer needs while promoting T2's customer service reputation.

• Support customers by anticipating their needs, advising on ranging and sell-through, planning reorders ahead of seasonal peaks, and resolving issues quickly and personally.
• Build effective relationships with decision makers and influencers within key accounts and maintain a deliberate contact cadence and accurate CRM record across the portfolio.
• Drive visual merchandising and brand presence in partner venues — planograms, point of sale, seasonal displays and sampling — correcting presentation in person on account visits.
• Deliver brand, product and brewing education to customer teams so T2 is served and sold to standard, covering leaf quantity, water temperature, brew time and merchandising presentation.

About you

• Experience in key account management, business development or field sales.
• Proven track record of delivering revenue and margin growth across a portfolio of accounts.
• Strong negotiation, presentation and relationship-building skills with decision makers at all levels.
• Commercially astute & analytically confident, comfortable using sales data to set priorities & build a customer case.
• Self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset who can work to targets with limited supervision.
• Experience with NetSuite or a similar ERP, and with CRM or pipeline management tools.
• Willingness to travel for customer visits and trade events and hold a current driver's licence.
• Genuine interest in tea, brewing and premium customer experience — with the curiosity to learn a large and seasonal range in depth.

Life at T2

• Enjoy a 50% discount to spoil yourself, plus endless cups of tea.
• Get recognition and rewards.  T2 celebrates our teams' contributions through our Moment Makers program, featuring exciting prizes.
• Volunteer leave day per year with a purpose aligned organisation.
• Workplace policies with impact: Gender equity policy, Equitable remuneration policy and Flexible working arrangement options
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• T2 Community Crew ensures we celebrate every occasion in the calendar – bringing fun & excitement to life at T2.
• Our head office is located in vibrant Collingwood, conveniently close to a range of great cafés and well‑connected public transport options, including both train and tram services. We also offer a hybrid working arrangement.

About the application process

Don’t feel like you meet every single requirement? Still apply! We’d love to receive your application if most of your experience matches and you think you’ll thrive in this role.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

No agencies please – we have this one brewing in-house.

Sounds like your cup of tea? Apply now!