Sales Director

What You Need To Know

Shape a remarkable future with us. Build a career working for an industry leader that truly invests in their people - and equips them with leading technology, continuous learning, and the ability to bring their best selves to work. As North America's largest total beverage distributor, Southern Glazer's isn't just one of Forbes' Top Private Companies; it's a family-owned business with deep roots dating back to 1933.

Southern Glazer's is proud of its well-earned positive reputation, continually achieving accolades for our outstanding workplace culture. We take pride in creating a culture where our people are valued, supported, and provided opportunities for growth and belonging.

As a full-time employee, you can choose from a wide-ranging menu of our Top Shelf Benefits, including comprehensive medical and prescription drug coverage, dental and vision plans, tax-saving Flexible Spending Accounts, disability coverage, life insurance plans, and a 401(k) plan. We also offer tuition assistance, a wellness program, parental leave, vacation accrual, paid sick leave, and more.

By joining Southern Glazer's, you would be part of a team that values excellence, innovation, and community. This is more than just a job - it's an opportunity to build the future of beverage distribution and grow with a company that truly cares about its people.

Southern Glazer's offers a competitive compensation package with expected first year total earnings between $103000 - $155000 / year plus bonus. This salary range is an average range for this position. In determining a final offer, the company will evaluate a specific candidate's education, skills and experience and will make an offer appropriately.


Overview

The Sales Director is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive sales strategy to drive volume, market share, and profitability within an assigned territory or channel. This role leads a team of Leaders and Account Managers, providing strategic guidance, coaching, and performance oversight. The Sales Director plays a vital role in aligning frontline execution with company goals ensuring distribution growth, adherence to product freshness standards, and in-store excellence while fostering a culture of accountability, ownership, and team development.

Primary Responsibilities

• Translate company sales initiatives into actionable territory-level plans
• Drive sales performance by developing and executing sales strategies, route-level priorities, and promotional plans to achieve KPIs
• Lead execution of pricing strategies, promotional programming, and new product launches across retail channels
• Monitor performance via daily, weekly, and monthly reports; use data insights to optimize execution and close performance gaps
• Ensure executional accountability for product rotation and adherence to freshness standards across all retail partners
• Lead and coach Team Leaders and Account Managers to ensure high-performing sales execution across all accounts
• Foster a culture of ownership, urgency, and excellence within the sales organization
• Conduct regular ride-alongs, team meetings, and one-on-one coaching sessions to assess execution and provide development feedback
• Own staffing decisions, performance reviews, and career development plans for direct reports
• Hold teams accountable for identifying and addressing aging inventory, stale SKUs, and out-of-code product risks in the market
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key retail customers, supplier partners, and internal stakeholders

Additional Primary Responsibilities

• Actively engage in market visits to identify execution opportunities and ensure brand visibility, shelf standards, and proactive product rotation
• Attend retail events, tastings, dinners, and trade shows to support account relationships and brand activation
• Regularly audit product freshness in-market and lead corrective actions in collaboration with team leaders and supply chain partners
• Partner with supply chain, delivery, and operations teams to ensure alignment between sales plans and operational execution
• Lead budget planning and expense management efforts for the assigned territory
• Oversee billing, pricing, and credit issue resolution in partnership with internal teams
• Support operational routines that reduce product waste and ensure freshness standards are maintained at all customer locations
• Utilize advanced sales tools, data analytics, and retail reporting platforms to identify gaps, guide strategies, and enhance productivity
• Participate in monthly meetings to review KPI alignment and adjust strategies as needed
• Leverage data to monitor aging inventory trends, flag underperforming SKUs, and adjust forecasts to preserve freshness across the portfolio

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive sales leadership experience in the beverage or CPG industry
• Strong background in territory management, account development, and team leadership
• Proven track record of driving distribution, growing market share, and leading field sales teams
• Experience with pricing strategy, promotional execution, and category management
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint); experience with CRM, VIP/Encompass, and EDI platforms preferred
• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and analytical skills
• Inspiring leader who builds trust, accountability, and results-oriented teams
• Passionate about executional excellence and ensuring freshness and quality of all in-market products
• Comfortable navigating a fast-paced, dynamic environment while delivering results
• Clear communicator who can engage stakeholders at all levels-from sales reps to suppliers

Physical Demands

• Physical demands with activity or condition for a considerable amount of time may include sitting and typing/keyboarding using a computer (e.g., keyboard, mouse, and monitor) or mobile device
• Physical demands with activity or condition may include walking, bending, reaching, standing, squatting, and stooping
• Physical demands with activity or condition for a considerable amount of time include driving throughout the day with segments up to 2 hours
• May require lifting/lowering, pushing, carrying, or pulling up to 48lbs

EEO Statement

Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, an Affirmative Action/EEO employer, prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. SGWS complies with all federal, state and local laws concerning consideration of a qualified applicant's arrest and/or criminal conviction records. Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits provides competitive compensation based on estimated performance level consistent with the past relevant experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education of employees. Unless otherwise expressly stated, any pay ranges posted here are estimates from outside of Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits and do not reflect Southern Glazer's pay bands or ranges.

If you have any questions or concerns about whether this posting complies/adheres with local pay transparency requirements, please contact the SGWS talent acquisition team at View email address on click.appcast.io