Central Region Sales Manager

Job Description:

About the Company:
Groth Vineyards & Winery is a family-owned, and family-run, company with deep roots in the Oakville AVA, one of the world’s most renowned Cabernet-growing regions. In 1981, Dennis and Judy Groth bought a vineyard on Oakville Cross Road, in the heart of Napa Valley, with hopes it would produce wines as special as their favorites from the region. Their intuition was proven right when the Groth 1985 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon became the first 100-point wine in the U.S. Today, Groth organically farms 165 acres of estate vineyards and still strives to produce the highest-quality wines we can each vintage.

About the Position:
The Central Region Sales Manager is based from a home office in Texas (DFW or Houston preferred) or metro Chicago. Key states in the territory include, but are not limited to: TX, IL, CO, IN, KY,OH, MI, MO, WI, MN, OK, NM, AR, NE, IA, KS. The Region Sales Manager is responsible for both distributor management and key account management in the territory, delivering the company’s revenue, volume, and distribution goals. The Region Sales Manager directs and controls the execution of sales with and through our wholesale partners. The Region Sales Manager is authentic, confident, and influential and is focused on developing and maintaining strong wholesaler relationships, at all levels, to ensure Groth goals are embraced and achieved and to ensure the Groth brand is always top of mind. This position requires extensive sales travel, estimated 70% of the year, and reports to the Chief Sales Officer.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
•  Manage the relationship and annual goal planning process with the distributor management under minimal supervision.
•  Develop distributor pricing and program strategies that deliver the market goals and maximize the Company’s revenue.
•  Manage a number of complex markets and organize time and resources efficiently.
•  Establish a consistent distributor communication cadence with all management levels. Conduct quarterly business reviews, design incentives, and plan promotional activities.
•  Monitor and analyze distributor performance against agreed plan and communicate monthly to Chief Sales Officer and distributor management. Apply course corrections when needed.
•  Lead distributor salespeople and District/Field/Key Account Managers to execute programs efficiently and effectively.
•  Work closely with accounts throughout the region, both On and Off Premise, to secure appropriate and increased distribution, programming, and sales. Develop and maintain key account target lists, develop relationships at top level accounts independently, and in tandem with the wholesaler partners.
•  ‘Force multiply’ in the market by creating Groth brand advocates in key sales territories. Work consistently with distributor salespeople and educate teams on all aspects of the winery including the history of the winery, the wines, and vineyards, and Groth brand standards.
•  Conduct distributor sales meetings in key markets on a regular basis.
•  Monitor distributor inventory levels to maintain supply continuity for sustainable sales growth.
•  Show fiscal responsibility, staying within predetermined budget limits.
•  Undertake various promotional activities, such as tastings, demos, and presentations to the trade and consumers. Conduct wine dinners and attend promotional events featuring our wines.
•  Lead sales blitzes, surveys, winemaker visits and other sales promotional activities within the region. Participate in sales blitzes around the country outside the designated region.
•  Monitor competitive activities in your market and communicate information on competitive strategy and tactics to the Chief Sales Officer and key distributor personnel.
•  Manage compliance of National On and Off Premise account programs.
•  Work with Chief Sales Officer to create and implement local market programs with focus on increased distribution and sales.
•  Manage POS/marketing materials/sales tools needed for accounts and to ensure timely and effective market execution.
•  Maintains all company and employee information with confidentiality at all times.
•  Performs other duties as assigned

Qualifications/Experience:
•  Must be a person of high integrity and commitment and possess a strong work ethic.
•  Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field.
•  Currently reside in Texas (DFW, Houston) or Chicago.
•  5 -10 years’ experience in fine wine sales with minimum 2 years’ experience as a wine supplier managing a multi-state territory.
•  Strong working knowledge of the market: state laws, compliance and regulations, distributor landscape, pricing and marketing features, competitive set, key accounts, key buyers, etc.
•  Strong fine wine knowledge and understanding of the Luxury Wine space.
•  Excellent verbal and written communication skills required. Excellent persuasive presentation skills, including the ability to speak before large groups.
•  Computer proficiency in Microsoft (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) required.

Personal Traits and Qualities:
•  Strong code of ethics and high level of integrity.
•  Strong business acumen and analytical thinker.
•  Able to manage change and complexity.
•  Confident in making tough decisions that may not be popular but are right for the business.
•  Tenacious and resilient, loves to win.
•  Energetic self-starter who takes action to influence key individuals.
•  Works cooperatively as a member of a team and is committed to the overall team objectives.
•  Able to learn from one’s own failures and successes and those of others.
•  Professional temperament, consistently exercises measured and discreet behavior.

Compensation and Benefits:
•  Competitive salary plus mid-year and full year bonus opportunity (up to 20% base salary)
•  Car allowance and T&E budget.
•  Benefits package consisting of health, dental, vision and 401k.
•  Paid PTO and Holidays

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