Suntory Group

Senior Sales Director (California)

About SUNTORY GROUP

As a global leader in the beverage industry, Suntory Group offers a uniquely diverse portfolio of products, from premium spirits, beer, wine, ready-to-drink alcohol beverages, to brewed teas, bottled water, still and carbonated soft drinks, ready-to-drink coffee and energy drinks, along with health and wellness products. Suntory is home to award-winning Japanese whiskies Yamazaki, Hibiki and Hakushu, as well as iconic American spirits Jim Beam and Maker's Mark. Suntory also fascinates the taste buds with The Premium Malt's beer, and owns the exceptional Japanese wine, Tomi, and the world-famous Château Lagrange. Its brand collection includes Sauza Tequila, non-alcoholic favorites Orangina, Lucozade, Ribena, BOSS coffee, Iyemon green tea, Suntory Tennensui water, TEA+ Oolong Tea, V and BRAND’S, as well as popular health and wellness product Sesamin EX.

Founded as a family-owned business in 1899 in Osaka, Japan, Suntory Group has grown into a global company operating throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania, with an annual revenue (excluding excise taxes) of $20.2 billion in 2022. Its 40,885 employees worldwide draw upon the unique blend of Japanese artisanship and global tastes to explore new product categories and markets.

As a corporation sustained by the gifts of nature and water, Suntory Group will always protect the ecosystems that deliver water. Because its ecosystem is the wellspring, not only of its business and the rich experiences the group creates for people's lives, but also of human life itself. Suntory Group will continue to be a company where everyone is empowered with the freedom and flexibility to innovate. Through all of its corporate pursuits, Suntory seeks to inspire the brilliance of life.

Learn more about Suntory Group, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility and sustainability at www.suntory.com, on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

The Position

We are looking for an individual who will develop, lead and execute sales plans and manage execution of standards by building and overseeing a national sales team for our malt-based RTD brands. The Senior Sales Director will be responsible for delivering on ambitious sales targets by creating and managing relationships with new distributor partners and national chain accounts.

The ideal candidate for the Senior Sales Director position is a highly motivated, strategic thinker with a proven track record of success in the alcohol beverage industry. This individual should possess strong leadership skills, excellent communication abilities, and a deep understanding of market dynamics. A passion for the beverage industry, an entrepreneurial mindset, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment are essential for success in this role.

Compensation

Salary Range: $175,000-$225,000

• Inclusive of an incentive-based bonus 

The salary range for this position is based on the applicant's experience, skills, qualifications, and location. The actual salary will be determined during the interview process based on the aforementioned criteria.

Responsibilities

Sales Planning and Process, Business Strategy 

• Work closely with leadership to design a national sales strategy and develop regional sales performance targets 
• Create an annual Business Plan detailing sales and volume targets; pricing strategy; marketing, promotions, and sales programs; and execution and quality control standards for the on and off-premise businesses
• Monitor YTD progress vs. plan and monitor team’s performance against plan; conduct weekly progress checks of distributor performance 
• Ensure that all activities are conducted within local, state and federal laws

National Expansion and Relationship Development 

• Manage new market and new product launches: pricing, inventory, execution strategy, tracking, and measurement 
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with all levels of distributors, national chain and relevant industry partners
• Lead national and regional distributor outreach and contract negotiations, overseeing all new market strategy and execution 
• Implement a scalable CRM system

People Management and Development 

• Managing, building, and growing a high performing sales team to execute end to end sales including distributor management, account management, and pricing and program implementation. 
• Lead National Sales Planning Process and other training initiatives, including leadership training, product education, systems training, etc.
• Communicate overall brand strategy, standards and prioritization to Sales Team
• Provide in-market leadership to Retail Sales Managers and distributor sales teams; ensure sales processes are fully implemented and practiced by all RSMs
• Develop annual Collaborative Business Plans and periodic Tactical Business Plans, and partner with Retail Sales Managers on regional execution of these plans
• Executing a timely employee performance management process, covering recognition, reward for top achievers, and implementing performance actions when needed. 
• Ensure brand standards and guidelines are followed 

In-Market Execution 

• Execute effective Distributor QBRs, AOPs, GSMs, Programming, and KPI goal setting. 
• Assisting creation and effectively and efficiently managing all assigned budget responsibilities, including sales, marketing, and applicable distributor budgets. 
• Work directly with key on and off-premise chain customers and maintain direct contact with key chain accounts across multiple regions 
• Conduct training and briefings for distributor sales teams to enhance product knowledge and sales tactics
• Attend meetings with target accounts and build relationships with key buyers
• Participate in and represent Suntory at necessary trade events (industry, retail, and consumer) such as wholesaler conferences, trade shows, festivals, and tastings
• Participate in company project teams as necessary 

Financial Administration and Strategic Analysis 

• Deliver quarterly sales plans to CEO; maintain strong monthly reporting for investor communication
• Negotiate and monitor market-specific promotional budgets with distributors and manage through ASMs 
• Identify emerging market trends and provide market intelligence, forecasting and product allocation recommendations as the brand scales
• Communicate competitive market changes and trends to senior management 

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field; an MBA is a +

Work Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive sales experience in the alcohol beverage industry, with at least 5 years of successful sales experience in a director position (start-up experience ++)
• Strong strategic thought leader with up-to-date knowledge of the alcohol beverage industry and market dynamics
• Experience in hiring, onboarding, and managing a sales team; including implementing and managing a scalable CRM system
• Proven track record of distributor relationship building and management (relevant, existing distributor relationships a major +)
• Strong sales forecast-building skill set with experience using MS Excel/Google Sheets, forecasting by customer, channel, and product ranges
• Proficient technology skills and written application in Excel (Google Sheets), Word (Google Docs), PowerPoint (Google Slides), and organizational tools are necessary
• Able to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of pricing, profitability, forecasting, points of distribution, rate of sale and volume driving planning and execution

Personnel

• Willingness to travel as needed for sales meetings, presentations, and industry events
• You thrive in a startup environment and are an ambitious, hungry individual 
• Strong written and verbal communication as well as analytical thinking
• Extremely organized and detail oriented to project manage all aspects of marketing for the business
• Highly analytical, strategic, hands-on and creative
• Self-motivated, energetic and adaptable; open to wearing multiple hats within a flexible start-up environment 

Applicants are expected to have current work authorization in the United States.

At Suntory Group, people are our number one priority, and we believe our people grow together in diverse and inclusive environments where their unique insights, experiences and backgrounds are valued and respected. Suntory Group is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, military veteran status and all other characteristics, attributes or choices protected by law. All recruitment and hiring decisions are based on an applicant’s skills and experience.