National Sales Regional Manager-West

Are you ready to drive national wine sales for the top producer of Willamette Valley AVA wines? Does leading wine sales worldwide, backed by 26,000 wine enthusiast owners and 13,000 wine club members, sound empowering? Willamette Valley Vineyards is looking for a Regional Sales Manager to join our National Sales Team, representing the West region (California,Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Hawaii). This is your opportunity to travel and share the story of our estate vineyards and stewardship in key markets directly with critical wholesalers and buyers. This is an Oregon-based opportunity for all candidates.

Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate in the Salem Hills Tasting Room was recently voted the Best Tasting Room in the country by USA Today 10Best Readers Choice Awards!

Forty-one years young, Willamette Valley Vineyards distributes its wine in 49 states, several countries, generating $18.6 million in sales last year. We own and lease 12 Oregon vineyards of 1,018 acres, producing 234,886 cases in 2023, and operating 10 retail locations all with the help of 346 employees.

Please consider joining us - we are just getting started!

What we Offer:

• Competitive pay and benefits, including health, dental and vision benefits, plus 401(k).
• Working onsite at a beautiful facility in the Salem Hills

Product Distribution/Sales

• Leads wholesale sales efforts in assigned states to increase sales, points of distribution, and brand awareness in all wholesale channels.
• Develops work plans with specific product/account goals and market activities.
• Manages distributor relations and communications, implements sales staff incentives, programming calendar, plans market visits and provides general customer service.
• Monitors and maintains distributor inventories to support programs and avoid out-of-stocks. Assists with establishing allocations, monitoring balances and communicates with distributors to manage results.
• Working with National Chain Accounts Manager, pursues new and expanded chain placements.
• Prepares new item forms, ensures samples are presented to buyers and executes regular calls/meetings with key buyers (on and off premise), with distributor rep when available.
• Pursues authorizations, placements, programming, floor stacks, cold box, displays, ads, etc.
• Collaborates to pursue chain opportunities that span other territories.
• Understands or seeks to understand drivers of losses and gains within chain accounts.
• Coordinates or delegates coordination of staff trainings, incentives, tastings, dinners etc. to support and leverage placements. Hosts events as needed.
• Ensures price survey information is collected and recorded regularly.
• Studies for price positioning opportunities and provides recommendations to NS Manager.
• Meets or hosts calls with distributors bi-annually to discuss goals, programming and project depletions for the following year.
• Contacts distributors on a regular basis (monthly) to review progress to goal and discuss actions needed.
• Ensures distributors receive pricing and programming information from the winery annually, in October.
• Collects scan data regularly from distributors and helps to analyze for brand performance indicators and opportunities.
• Supports the launch of new brands/products by assisting with market research, developing targets, goals, programming, and then executes within territory.

Other

• Drafts annual budget for territory
• Ensures data and notes are saved in appropriate databases (GreatVines, WineDirect, Server).
• Works with Marketing department to ensure events in the market are appropriately publicized.
• Supports Company’s effort to create a more sustainable, cross-cultural and “green” environment.

Requirements

• Ability to lead through inspiration.
• Demonstrates emotional intelligence and uses active listening skills to communicate.
• 5 years experience with applicable knowledge of the West region.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, communication and time management skills.
• Ability to multi-task and work independently or as part of a team.
• Comfortable speaking in front of large groups and making presentations.
• Computer literate, familiar with Excel, Word & Power Point, and must learn Willamette’s systems such as POS, CRM system, WineDirect, Tock, and vendor portals such as MicroStrategy, iDig, etc.
• Independently motivated to generate sales for Willamette Valley Vineyards.
• Able to lift 50 lbs.

Other Skills/Abilities

• Thorough understanding and genuine interest in luxury wine business and terminology.
• Ability to educate customers about wine with passion not pretension.

Founded in 1983 by Oregon native Jim Bernau with the dream of creating world-class Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley Vineyards has grown from a bold idea into one of the region's leading wineries, earning the title “One of America's Great Pinot Noir Producers” from Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and voted \Best Tasting Room\ from USA Today Readers' Choice Awards- 2024.

Pay:

• Commission pay

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid time off
• Employee discount

Job Type: fulltime

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

Education: High school degree

Work location: On-site