Brand Manager, Commercial (St. Louis MO)

Job Description

Job Description

MGP Ingredients is a leading supplier of premium distilled spirits and food ingredient solutions. Its Distilling Solutions segment provides bourbons, whiskeys, ryes, gins, and vodkas to craft and multinational brands. MGP's own Branded Spirts business is growing following the 2021 acquisition of Luxco, a top spirits producer, bottler, supplier, and importer as well as the 2023 acquisition of Penelope Bourbon, known for its wide range of uniquely blended expressions. Ingredient Solutions delivers nutritional, functional wheat- and pea-based ingredients aligned with consumer trends. The company operates in locations across the Midwestern U.S., and overseas in Northern Ireland and Mexico.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

Support the Director, Trade Marketing and Mid/Value Brands in delivering profitable growth across the mid and value spirits portfolio—including Everclear, Ezra Brooks, St. Brendan’s, Juarez, Arrow, Pearl and several other brands. This role provides full end-to-end brand management with an emphasis on commercial execution: full P&L accountability, physical availability, pricing and revenue growth management, trade programming, and portfolio and packaging innovation. Because these brands compete primarily on commercial fundamentals rather than consumer communications, the Commercial Brand Manager drives value creation through rigorous management of the four Ps—Product, Price, Place, and Promotion—with particular depth in distribution presence, in-store visibility, and price-pack architecture.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING:

Brand Strategy, Planning & P&L Ownership

• Own the annual brand planning process for assigned mid and value brands, including setting brand objectives, strategies, and financial targets aligned to the broader portfolio plan
• Carry full P&L accountability: manage net revenue, gross margin, A&P investment, and profitability targets for each assigned brand
• Develop and execute the full marketing mix across all four Ps—Product, Price, Place, and Promotion—with a commercial lens appropriate to each brand’s channel and customer profile
• Translate long-term portfolio strategy (set by the Director) into annual plans with clear KPIs, milestones, and resource requirements
• Prepare and present brand performance updates, annual business planning materials, and strategic recommendations to the Director and senior leadership
• Partner closely with Finance to align on revenue, margin, and A&P targets throughout the annual planning cycle and during in-year forecasting reviews; collaborate with Sales leadership to ensure brand plans are grounded in channel and customer realities

Physical Availability & In-Store Execution

• Drive physical availability across channels by setting and tracking distribution targets (numeric and weighted) for each assigned brand by market, channel, and account tier
• Develop channel-specific activation strategies for off-premise (chain and independent retail), on-premise, and value/club channels; prioritize SKUs and markets in close partnership with the Sales team and distributor network
• Own in-store presence strategy: define shelf placement priorities, display standards, and visibility goals; develop merchandising materials and POS assets in collaboration with Trade Marketing to reinforce commercial selling messages
• Partner with Trade Marketing to align brand priorities with national and regional chain account programs; ensure brand execution standards are embedded in distributor planning and incentive structures
• Monitor execution against distribution and in-store standards via depletion data, distributor reporting, and regular market visits; identify gaps and work directly with Sales field teams and distributor managers to close them
• Develop and maintain sales tools—sell sheets, trade presentations, distributor kits, and category selling stories—in collaboration with Sales and Trade Marketing to support distributor and chain account execution

Pricing, Revenue Growth Management & Promotional Strategy

• Own pricing architecture for assigned brands across all channels and tiers; recommend and maintain everyday retail price, promotional price, and price-pack architecture aligned to competitive positioning and margin requirements
• Lead revenue growth management (RGM) analysis in partnership with Finance: model the impact of price changes, pack configurations, and promotional mechanics on volume, revenue, and gross margin
• Develop the annual promotional calendar and trade investment strategy in coordination with Trade Marketing and Sales; establish promotion guidelines, define ROI thresholds, and evaluate post-promotion performance
• Monitor channel and account-level pricing compliance; escalate pricing issues and recommend corrective actions in partnership with Sales leadership and Finance
• Collaborate with Finance on pricing submissions, cost-of-goods changes, and margin bridge analysis; ensure all pricing decisions reflect Supply Chain input on production costs and capacity

Innovation & Packaging Development

• Manage the innovation and packaging pipeline for assigned brands: identify opportunities based on competitive gaps, consumer value trends, and input from Sales, distributors, and retailers
• Lead packaging refresh and renovation projects from brief through commercialization—coordinating cross-functionally with Design, Supply Chain, Operations, Legal/Regulatory, and Finance to deliver on time and on budget
• Partner with Supply Chain and Operations early in the NPD process to assess feasibility, lead times, and COGS implications; align with Finance on cost assumptions before committing to development
• Own the SKU rationalization process for assigned brands: evaluate underperforming SKUs in partnership with Sales and Finance, recommend discontinuations or repositioning, and ensure portfolio simplicity supports commercial execution
• Develop business cases for innovation projects—including volume projections, pricing, COGS, and gross margin estimates—and secure Director and Finance approval prior to commitment

Insights, Analytics & Commercial Performance

• Establish and monitor brand health metrics for all assigned brands: distribution, velocity, share, pricing, and margin performance; share regular performance recaps with the Director, Sales, and Finance
• Analyze syndicated data (Circana/IRI/NielsenIQ), distributor depletion reports, and internal financial data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities; collaborate with Finance to reconcile shipment and depletion variances
• Understand retailer and distributor go-to-market strategies and their implications for assigned brands; build relationships with Sales field teams and key distributor contacts to integrate account-level intelligence into brand planning
• Translate data and analytics into clear conclusions, commercial recommendations, and decision-ready presentations for the Director, Sales leadership, and other cross-functional stakeholders

Brand Communications & Consumer Engagement

• Support the development and execution of consumer-facing communications where relevant to assigned brands, including digital/social content, PR, and on- and off-premise programming
• Brief and manage agency partners (creative, digital, PR) on brand communications projects; ensure all consumer-facing work is on-strategy, on-budget, and approved through appropriate internal channels
• While consumer communications are not the primary focus for mid and value brands, ensure that any consumer messaging is aligned to brand positioning, compliant with TTB regulations, and consistent across channels
• Partner with Trade Marketing on consumer touchpoints that connect to in-store or on-premise programming; coordinate with Sales on any brand activation or event execution that requires field team involvement

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• B.A./B.S. Degree required (Marketing, Business, Finance, or related field); MBA preferred
• Minimum 4–6 years of experience in brand management, trade marketing, or commercial/customer marketing in CPG or spirits, with demonstrated ownership of P&L and/or pricing responsibilities.
• Strong commercial acumen with hands-on experience managing brand P&L, pricing architecture, and trade investment.
• Deep understanding of physical availability fundamentals: distribution, shelf execution, channel strategy, and in-store visibility.
• Proficiency with syndicated data platforms (Circana/IRI, NielsenIQ, or similar) and internal depletion/financial reporting.
• Proven ability to manage packaging and product innovation projects through cross-functional teams.
• Strong analytical and financial modeling skills; ability to build business cases and translate data into actionable recommendations.
• Effective cross-functional collaborator with the ability to work across Sales, Finance, Supply Chain, and external agency partners.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills; ability to communicate complex commercial topics clearly to varied audiences.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple brands and workstreams simultaneously.
• Understanding of the U.S. spirits route-to-market and three-tier distribution system.
• Self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

Physical Requirements:

Type of Equipment Operated: Includes frequently used office equipment, computer software programs, manuals, books, or other written resources, Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook, SAP, copier/printer. Office Equipment: Computer, Copier, Fax machine, project management software. If you require a reasonable accommodation in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to Caitlin Zbikowski, Talent Manager @ View email address on ziprecruiter.com.

If the above speaks to you, we’re excited to learn more about you! At MGP, we know that our people are our greatest strength. With different perspectives and unique ways of thinking, our employees are as varied as our products. We believe that inclusivity strengthens the organization and champions a company culture that is evolving to reflect all of us. Culture results from our behaviors, our personal commitment, our curiosity, how we collaborate, and the ways we courageously share our perspectives and expect others to do the same. Each of us can make a difference by fostering thinking and actions that empower us to connect, belong and grow together.

Compensation is competitive and is commensurate with experience. MGP offers exceptional medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, 401(k) Match and PTO.

All successful candidates for this position will be required to submit to a criminal background check and drug test.