Sr. Education Lead Trade Marketing Manager

Sr. Education Lead Trade Marketing Manager is responsible for developing and executing a national trade advocacy strategy that enhances brand awareness, drives sales, and strengthens relationships within the hospitality and spirits industry.

A core priority of this role is ensuring the Proximo Ambassador Program effectively delivers on sales growth (60%) and brand education (40%) in alignment with key commercial objectives.

In leading this high-impact national advocacy program, you must ensure that the Portfolio Ambassador Program delivers measurable sales growth and brand influence. You will work closely with sales, marketing, and leadership to ensure that ambassadors are driving both education and commercial success.

Key Responsibilities

Sales Strategy & Execution (60%)

• Develop and execute sales-focused trade advocacy strategies that drive measurable revenue impact.
• Ensure ambassadors execute commercial initiatives that directly contribute to sales growth, menu placements, and account conversions.
• Collaborate with sales teams to integrate advocacy efforts into regional and national sales strategies.
• Leverage account segmentation data to develop a targeted account list, ensuring optimal account selection for advocacy efforts.
• Ensure ambassador-managed accounts grow at 2x the rate of Tier 1 accounts, tracking their impact on business performance.
• Establish monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual program reviews, ensuring stakeholders (Sales & Marketing) are informed and providing feedback-driven pivots as needed.

Brand Education & Trade Engagement (40%)

• Work closely with the Head of Advocacy to implement Ambassador Training, ensuring Tequila Credibility, Agave for All, and Whiskey United are central to advocacy efforts.
• Develop and oversee an education platform for trade professionals, bartenders, and sales teams, enhancing their knowledge of portfolio brands.
• Act as a brand champion and industry thought leader, representing the company at trade shows, industry events, and key account activations.
• Foster relationships with bartenders, bar owners, distributors, and spirits educators, strengthening the brand’s presence in key markets.
• Design and execute trade-focused events, tastings, and training sessions that deepen engagement and drive long-term advocacy.

Performance Tracking & Continuous Optimization

• Analyze program performance on a structured cadence (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual), ensuring stakeholders remain informed and strategies pivot based on feedback.
• Utilize Brandscopic, GMR dashboards, and custom reporting tools to track ambassador activity, market impact, and sales performance.
• Measure ambassador influence on key gatekeepers through gatekeeper studies and performance tracking tools.
• Regularly refine advocacy programs based on data-driven insights, market trends, and stakeholder input.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Execution

• Partner with sales and marketing teams to ensure advocacy efforts are fully aligned with commercial and brand-building objectives.
• Work with agencies, brand teams, and field ambassadors to execute high-impact trade advocacy programs.
• Ensure program execution is consistent across key DMAs, adjusting strategies to maximize impact in each market.
• Budget & Resource Management
• Oversee program budgets, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and maximum ROI.
• Manage agency partnerships to develop effective advocacy tools and materials.
• Continuously refine advocacy initiatives to balance education and sales impact.

Key Competencies

• Sales & Commercial Execution:
• Ability to develop and implement trade programs that directly impact revenue growth and account penetration.
• Strategic Thinking & Execution:
• Ability to build long-term advocacy strategies while ensuring alignment with immediate sales objectives.
• Industry Knowledge & Expertise:
• Deep understanding of the spirits industry, trade dynamics, and key players in the hospitality sector.
• Relationship Building:
• Strong interpersonal skills to foster relationships with key accounts, sales teams, and industry stakeholders.
• Data-Driven Decision Making:
• Ability to analyze sales performance, market trends, and program effectiveness to optimize strategy.
• Communication & Influence:
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to educate, inspire, and influence key stakeholders (Sales & Marketing teams).

Key Relationships

US Brand Team

Trade Marketing

All Sales

Commercial Strategy

Agency Management

Knowledge and Experience

• 5-7 years of experience in trade advocacy, sales, brand education, or spirits industry marketing.
• Strong sales background, with experience in commercial execution, revenue growth strategies, and the three-tier system.
• Experience developing and executing sales-driven brand education programs for trade audiences.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and collaborate across sales, marketing, and advocacy departments.
• Experience managing agency partnerships and overseeing program execution.
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Sales, or a related field preferred.

The salary range for this role is a base salary of $134,400 - $173,000, along with an annual bonus, 401K match, and medical and wellness benefits. The range will vary if outside of this location. Base salaries are determined during our interview process, by assessing a candidate’s experience and skill set against internal peers and against the scope and responsibilities of the position.

Proximo is an equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants for employment based on race, color, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, citizenship status, age, genetic information, physical or mental disability of an otherwise qualified individual, membership or application for membership in a uniformed service, engaging in legally protected activity, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.