Distributor Manager (Wine Jobs: Sales & Marketing)

  Excelsior Wines

  Chicago, Illinois

Job description

This position is responsible for the sales and development of Excelsior Wines portfolio of products in a designated district; managing state distributor relationships and meeting Excelsior’s depletion targets in designated markets. The residency for this position is Greater Chicago Illinois Area

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manages distributors to achieve goals including shipments, depletions and distribution.
• Manage execution and compliance for all channels of trade.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels to achieve annual program goals.
• Actively involved in developing annual business plan for designated market.
• Creates and introduces company brand programs and strategies and has direct responsibility for distributors in a geographic area.
• Take active role in assessing distributor performance.
• Manage and develop wholesalers’ capabilities to adopt and implement Excelsior’s brand strategies and objectives through effective implementation of the Excelsior “Sales Process”.
• Insure that Excelsior’s distributors are managing Excelsior’s National brand strategies to the trade.
• Call on retail, on premise, and chain accounts in conjunction with the distributor sales force or independently.
• Possess ample knowledge of products, wine industry, competitive markets, brands, and customers’ issues and typical needs.
• Cultivate cross department relationships within the company, especially between sales and marketing, to carry out Excelsior’s National brand strategies. Adherence to executive directions is a critical part of your job.
• Exercise appropriate behavior with Excelsior’s Suppliers, always representing supplier brands in the best and most professional manner.
• Exercise the highest level of fiduciary duty to the company in all financial matters, including budgets, promotional spending and every aspect of the Company’s business.
• Soliciting sales and developing new accounts and maintaining established accounts, all with the ultimate sales order approval completed at the Corporate headquarters.
• Conduct wine tastings and wine maker dinners.
• Train waitpersons on Excelsior wine products.
• Be prepared to work evening hours and weekend hours when necessary in order to accomplish whatever immediate goals or administrative tasks are required.
• Order all Excelsior POS for distributor.
• Set display goals and track display activity with distributor & evaluate & report to supervisor
• Set shelf & cold box standards, implement strategies for execution with distributor
• Coordinate distributor in store tastings.
• Job execution will break into following components:
• 60 % time in the Field
• 20 % time on Wholesaler interaction
• 20 % time on Administrative, Preplanning and Follow up.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE and SKILLS

• A four-year college degree and/or equivalent work experience enabling the incumbent to perform job responsibilities as required.
• Good written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to have fluent knowledge of PC, working within MS and any other company software is critical to the success of this position.
• Mathematical skills. Incumbent must have the ability to calculate and interpret financial data which effects everyday Excelsior business
• For certain markets multi-language skills are required or would be a plus, i.e. Italian or Spanish.
• Interpretive skills. Incumbent must possess the ability to define problems, establish facts and collect data to interpret issues, draw valid conclusions from the data and recommend solutions to the business problem. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of statistical information.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The incumbent must be aware that the job involves distribution of alcohol beverages and recognizes that the company in no way encourages excessive or unnecessary drinking of alcoholic beverages while exercising the duties of this job. The incumbent must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds at a time, the approximate weight of a case of wine.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Current valid driver’s license
• Overnight travel as required and must be able to meet minimum requirement travel schedule for assigned territories
• Prepare and present training meetings with wholesalers and retailers
• Good time management skills
• No DWI offenses or illegal drug use
• Residency REQUIRED in the Greater CHICAGO area.
• Must use for business a clean, late model, presentable and fully operational 4 door vehicle that reflects professionalism.
• Employee must comply with all federal, state and local laws and regulations which govern the alcoholic beverage industry and maintain at all times the highest ethical business standards and fiduciary duty on behalf of the company and its customers. JOB # E007-17.