THE ROLE — WHAT THIS IS (AND IS NOT)
This is not a relationship-only sales leadership role. Historically, our client succeeded through brand quality and distributor goodwill. In a consolidating, data-driven market, that is no longer sufficient.
This is a builder/operator role for someone who:
- Drives velocity, not just placements
- Holds distributors accountable with facts
- Thinks in KPIs, contribution margin, and trade ROI
- Scales a portfolio while eliminating distraction and complexity
- Builds and upgrades high-performing sales teams with clear standards
- Is comfortable operating under pressure, scrutiny, and clear expectations
You will own national revenue performance, execution quality, and sales discipline across the entire U.S. footprint.
Reporting context: You report to the CEO with visibility to the Executive Chairman and Board. Quarterly reviews are fact-based, rigorous, and outcome-driven.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Revenue & Volume Growth
- Own total U.S. depletions, revenue, and gross profit across all brands.
- Translate annual business plans into quarterly and monthly execution targets by brand, channel, and distributor.
- Drive disciplined pricing, promotional strategy, and mix management.
National Accounts Leadership
- Own top national and regional accounts across on- and off-premise
- Drive authorizations and sustained velocity through programming and execution
- Build a repeatable national account playbook that scales beyond heroics
Example: Authorization in 500 Total Wine doors moving two cases per door per month is a performance problem, not a win. You diagnose why and fix it.
Distributor Management & Accountability
- Set clear expectations tied to depletions, distribution quality, and execution standards
- Lead distributor business reviews with data, not anecdotes
- Recommend corrective action, including line rationalization or distributor changes when required
You will implement quarterly distributor scorecards with defined performance tiers (green/yellow/red) and documented consequence protocols. “We’ve always worked with them” is not a strategy.
Sales Organization Build-Out & Team Leadership
- Build, lead, and continuously upgrade the national and regional sales organization
- Recruit A-players, develop B-players, and exit C-players decisively
- Define roles, territories, incentives, and performance metrics with clarity
- Implement structured coaching cadences and accountability systems
This is a team-building role, not just a team-management role. You will be judged on whether the organization becomes sharper, more productive, and deeper in talent over time.
Portfolio Strategy & Focus
- Prioritize brands, SKUs, and channels that drive real economic value
- Ruthlessly reduce complexity where it hurts execution
- Provide market feedback to guide brand investment and innovation decisions
Cross-Functional Execution
- Partner with Marketing on programs that convert to measurable velocity
- Partner with Supply Chain to ensure service levels support sales credibility
- Partner with Finance on forecasting accuracy, trade spend discipline, and margin management.
Sales is a revenue engine, not a service function.
REPORTING STRUCTURE & AUTHORITY
- Direct report: CEO
- Dotted line: Executive Chairman (involved in strategy, distributor escalations, major account decisions)
- Decision Authority: Full ownership of sales outcomes; authority to recommend brand/SKU cuts, distributor changes, and headcount adjustments without consensus.
- Peer Relationships: Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance (collaborative but not matrixed; you own the revenue number)
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
You will know you are winning if:
- Depletions grow materially faster than distribution
- National accounts become systematic and forecastable
- Distributor underperformance is reduced or corrected
- Forecast accuracy improves meaningfully year-over-year
- Trade spend efficiency improves while margins are protected or expanded
- The sales organization becomes sharper and more productive, not simply larger
IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE
Experience
- 15+ years in beverage alcohol; beer experience strongly preferred
- Senior national sales leadership experience (VP/SVP or equivalent)
- Proven success managing distributors and national accounts simultaneously
Non-beer candidates (spirits/wine) will be considered only if they demonstrate:
- Proven distributor-managed, velocity-driven execution
- Clear trade ROI discipline and distributor accountability
- A strong track record of building and upgrading sales teams
- The bar for non-beer candidates is materially higher. They must be elite operators (9/10 or better) with proven distributor turnaround capability and team-building track record.
Operator Mindset
- KPI-driven and financially literate
- Comfortable with hard conversations
- Bias toward action, focus, and simplification
Leadership & Team-Building Traits
- Proven ability to recruit, develop, and retain top sales talent
- Track record of upgrading organizations, not just inheriting them
- Direct, respected, and decisive
- Earns trust through facts and follow-through
Deal-Breakers
- Relationship-only sellers
- Leaders without distributor accountability experience
- Consensus-dependent decision-makers
- Leaders who have not personally hired, coached, and exited sales talent
Proof Points We Will Probe
- Distributor fired or replaced – why and how
- Before/after distributor performance you personally drove
- Trade program you killed and the political cost
- Forecast you owned that was wrong – and what changed
- Sales talent you upgraded – and talent you exited
Beer Candidates will also be assessed on beer-specific execution: channel velocity drivers, package economics, freshness, and seasonality.
Compensation Philosophy
- Competitive base salary
- Meaningful performance-based bonus
- Equity participation structured to reward multi-year value creation
First 90 Days Expectations
- Complete a full diagnostic of distributor performance and national accounts.
- Establish a clear POV on portfolio priorities and execution gaps.
- Deliver a credible 12-month sales plan tied directly to financial outcomes.
- Assess the current sales team with clear keep/coach/upgrade recommendations.
- Demonstrate visible leadership with the internal team and key distributors.
BrainWorks is a premier executive search firm that delivers superior talent to drive business performance. Our consultants are experts in their practice areas, which include Consumer Products Careers; CRM, Direct/Database Marketing and Customer Sciences/Advanced Analytics; Accounting and Finance; Information Technology; Private Equity & Corporate Finance; Digital Marketing and eCommerce; and Consumer Insights and Market Research.
BrainWorks prides itself on quality, speed and GUARANTEED RESULTS, delivered through our unique QUASAR approach. When you partner with BrainWorks, your company will receive intelligence and industry expertise from consultants who are trustworthy, caring and passionate about your business needs. https://brainworksinc.com
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Industry 1: Consumer Goods
Industry 2: Food & Beverages
Industry 3: Food Production
Job ID: 54402669230
Category: Sales and Marketing
Location: Remote,