C. Mondavi & Family is a fifth-generation, family-owned wine company deeply rooted in tradition, pride, and purpose. From our iconic Charles Krug winery-Napa Valley’s oldest-to our nationally distributed CK Mondavi and Family brand and our import portfolio of Valdo & French Blue, our legacy is built on passion, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. As one of the few remaining family-owned wine businesses in the industry, we take pride in our people-first culture where every voice matters and every action contributes to something greater. We move with urgency, adapt with purpose, and hold ourselves to the highest standards.

Position Summary
The Lead Market Development Merchandiser is a strategic field-based leader responsible for driving brand execution, distributor alignment, and retail account performance within an assigned territory - Orange County. This role partners closely with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (SGWS) and key retail chain accounts to influence programming, improve product placement, and grow market share. Serving as the primary on-the-ground representative of the C. Mondavi & Family portfolio, the Lead Sales Merchandiser ensures strong in-store execution, develops relationships with key retail decision makers and leverages sales data and market insights to identify growth opportunities. The role operates with a high level of independence, combining merchandising execution with distributor leadership, analytics, and strategic territory planning to drive sales performance.

Key Responsibilities & Time Allocation
Strategic Account Development
•  Independently identify high-opportunity accounts with the greatest potential to impact company performance.
•  Analyze depletion, POD, inventory, and pricing data to determine market priorities.
•  Develop territory-level action plans to improve distribution, display, and sales velocity.
•  Determine optimal accounts and locations for in-store demos and brand activations based on performance metrics.
•  Monitor competitive activity and provide strategic market feedback to sales leadership.
•  Exercise independent judgement in determining territory priorities, account focus, promotional opportunities and distributor execution strategies to improve sales performance.

Retail Execution Oversight & Program Implementation
•  Ensure CMF products are merchandised in accordance with company standards through coordination with distributor partners and retail personnel.
•  Evaluate shelf sets, displays, and cold box placements to ensure alignment with CMF brand priorities.
•  Identify opportunities to improve product visibility, pricing accuracy, and in-store execution.
•  Provide feedback and direction to distributor partners to improve merchandising standards and program execution.
•  Conduct market audits to evaluate program effectiveness and recommend adjustments to sales leadership.

Distributor Leadership & Training
•  Lead SGWS team meetings within the assigned territory.
•  Train distributor sales teams on:
o Perfect Store standards, Pricing expectations, Display priorities, Brand positioning and portfolio strategy
•  Coordinate and lead “work-withs” with SGWS representatives to drive execution and accountability.
•  Set clear objectives for distributor partners and follow up on execution standards.
•  Conduct market work with SGWS representatives 2–4 times per week.

Account Support & Relationship Management
•  Maintain regular contact with store managers, department managers, and key retail personnel.
•  Proactively schedule and lead account meetings with key decision makers.
•  Negotiate placement opportunities, promotional support, and programming.
•  Serve as a strategic resource to retail accounts and distributor partners to support merchandising programs, display strategy, and product education.
•  Conduct wine tastings, consumer demos, and educational seminars when requested.

Sales Support & Market Intelligence
•  Support Regional Sales Managers by improving execution within existing accounts and assisting with new item placements.
•  Monitor sales trends, display effectiveness, and competitive activity using tools such as iDig, NIQ, and planograms.
•  Complete daily and weekly account visit logs in VIP KARMA and submit required reporting accurately and on time.
•  Interpret sales and depletion data to identify performance trends, diagnose market challenges and recommend corrective actions to sales leadership.

Business Planning & Cross-Functional Collaboration
•  Establish quarterly territory goals aligned with company sales strategy.
•  Collaborate with Regional Sales Managers and Sales Leadership on market strategy and territory planning.
•  Provide analytical reporting and recommendations regarding distributor performance.
•  Work closely with Sales Operations, Marketing, and Accounting to resolve ordering, billing, and shipping issues.
•  Support market visits, business reviews, educational initiatives, and special projects.
•  The role requires the consistent exercise of discretion and independent judgment in territory planning, distributor engagement strategies, and retail account development.

Time Allocation
•  In-store merchandising execution (displays, shelf sets, resets): 30–35%
•  Distributor partners influencing/selling : 25–30%
•  Retail account influencing/selling (wine stewards and store directors): 25–30%
•  Planning, reporting, and administrative responsibilities: 10–15%

Qualifications
•  Bachelor’s Degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience
•  Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation
•  2 years prior experience in chain retail, beverage alcohol, or consumer packaged goods merchandising preferred
•  Wine industry experience and basic wine knowledge strongly preferred
•  Proficiency with mobile technology, reporting tools, and basic computer applications
•  Strong written and verbal communication skills