Director Sales, Control Region

Director Sales, Control Region

Sales – Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, or Michigan (remote)

Job Description – Director Sales, Control Region

Territory: US Control States – PA, VA, NC, OH, MI (priority); NH, IA, AL, MS, WV, VT, ME, OR, MT, ID, UT, WY (secondary)

SIP is a boutique spirit innovation and brand development company focused on the spirits sector. We are passionate about what we do and pride ourselves on our enthusiasm, determination, creativity and professionalism that are the cornerstone of our corporate culture and the brands we bring to market. SIP is comprised of a team of highly seasoned beverage professionals with expertise spanning from branding to package design, procurement to production, sales and marketing, finance to compliance. We have a dedicated national sales team and brand ambassadors that connect our brands and consumers. We partner with the world’s preeminent distributor of beverage alcohol, Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits, including as our broker partner in Control States.

The primary focus of this role is growing and managing sales for the SIP portfolio, with Heaven’s Door Whiskey driving most of the business. The portfolio also includes Rare Hare Whiskey and the upcoming launch of Three Hares Tequila in July of 2025. The Director Sales, Control will lead all sales efforts across the Control Region, oversee regional budgets, ensure broker and retail programming is in place, manage pricing, track execution, as well as maintain state board and key customer relationships. This role will partner closely with regional and local SGWS leadership and sales teams, as well as SIP’s corporate and ambassador teams.  As a small company, we all wear many hats and must demonstrate an entrepreneurial approach to delivering business goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure distribution and sales programming is in place and executed across all priority markets and select secondary markets to deliver against annual sales plans and budgets
• Manage profit and loss responsibility across the full region, including market specific P&Ls, overall fiscal implications, and resource management/recommendations
• Utilize leadership relationships at SGWS, state boards, and key accounts to drive brand growth and generate new opportunities.
• Build program calendars and pricing structures for markets to maximize both volume and revenue.
• Forecast yearly and quarterly goals, rolling up market and SKU level forecasts for region reporting and compile all monthly region reports (quantitative and qualitative)
• Maintain adequate inventory levels at bailment and in market with minimum of 45 days
• Monitor and drive commercial standards across the region, ensuring shelf prices, SKU assortment, store placement, and POS utilization match strategy and maximize sales opportunities 

• Communicate effectively across distributor/broker organization, including sales objectives, pricing, programming, educations and kick-offs/blitzes.
• Negotiation, placement, and management of brands and programs to drive sales and velocity in targeted customers.
• Analyze sales & marketing environments, distribution gaps, various competitors and develop plans, working closely with marketing team for future programming and needed POS, investment and resource support
• Manage channel mix accordingly, ensuring on-premise sales to make up 20% of overall volume
• Conduct detailed quarterly reviews that result in alignment between broker / brand(s) on what actions need to be taken to hit or exceed goals.

Personal Skills and Qualities

• Results oriented: Strong work ethic and drive for success
• Knows the key people at our distributor network to achieve desired results
• Relationships with key retailers in the state
• 5-10 years of Control States broker and/or spirits supplier experience, including on premise
  • Based in one of 5 priority markets
  • Strong relationships with SGWS and control boards preferred
  • Experience with control states required
  • Experience selling bourbon preferred
• Budget management and resource utilization
• Teamwork: Ability to work and communicate productively with colleagues and customers – help bridge the gap between sales and marketing
• Excellent oral and written communication and persuasion skills
• Able to work with Word, Power point, Excel, VIP, KARMA, distributor reporting systems, etc
• A sense of positive urgency in executing everyday responsibilities
• Willingness to “roll sleeves up” and work the streets!
• Position requires regular travel across the region to support team, distributors, customers, and business priorities, at least 50%