Role: East Central United States (Key Markets: TX, IL, OH, MI)
Location: Remote (Based near a major airport hub)

As the Shafer Vineyards Regional Sales Director (RSD) for the East Central Region , you are the frontline ambassador for Shafer Vineyards in your home region and the luxury fine wine markets across the US. You are tasked with executing a "White-Glove" sales strategy that bridges the gap between our Heritage Boutique soul and our Benchmark Estate commercial goals. Your primary objective is to scale the Shafer portfolio of wines in a sustainable and long-term approach with our distributor partners by scaling quality distribution in the Viable Fine Wine account universe while protecting the scarcity and ultra-luxury positioning of Hillside Select and the entire Shafer portfolio of wines.
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Key Responsibilities:
•  Act as the primary point of contact with each markets distributor across the East Central region, with a heavy emphasis on building relationships with key customers and consumers.
•  Deliver annual depletion and distribution goals for the Shafer portfolio.
•  Monitor and evaluate Distributors performance against the Shafer market goals putting in place corrective action plans when there is a gap against plan.
•  Lead quarterly business reviews (QBRs) to drive alignment on H1/H2 focus programs, ensuring the region hits key growth benchmarks with both distribution and volume.
•  Manage compliance of Strategic National Account programs.
•  Work closely with distributor salespeople and management to execute programs efficiently & effectively at the point of purchase
•  Educate Distributor sales personnel on the Shafer Portfolio in line with the brand standards we have established.
•  Use relevant market data to identify market opportunities, share this with the Distributor Sales Team and establish focus programs to drive growth across the Shafer portfolio.
•  Monitor competitor activities in the market. Communicate information on competitive strategy & tactics to direct supervisor and key Wholesaler personnel.
•  Undertake tastings and presentations to members of the trade and consumers; execute tastings, consumer events, trade shows and wine dinners, etc.
•  Participate in “sales blitzes / crew drives” in the markets and in other territories as needed.
Skill Set and Personality Traits
•  Strong code of ethics and high level of integrity
•  Energetic self-starter manager who has demonstrated an ability to communicate, work with and lead others in a matrix environment
•  Works cooperatively as a member of a team (functionally, cross-functionally, across each of the Shafer Departments etc.) and is committed to the overall team objectives over own interests.
•  Actively learns from own failures and successes and those of others.
•  Is honest in opinions and takes responsibility for his/her actions.
•  Excellent verbal and written communication skills required.
•  Strong persuasive presentation skills, including the ability to speak before large audiences both internally or externally, required.
•  Must possess strong negotiation and mediation skills with the ability to influence and motivate others to meet objectives under sometimes-restrictive timelines.
•  Strong analytical skills required. Ability to develop customer / distributor strategies, programs, and promotions based on competitive data to meet overall company objectives while meeting customer needs essential.
•  Excellent organization skills, multi-tasking, and project management skills required, including the ability to manage multiple competing priorities essential.
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The Ideal Candidate
•  The Experience: 7+ years of luxury wine sales, specifically within the Domestic US "Three-Tier" system.
•  The Network: Deep-rooted relationships with distributors as well as key high profile strategic accounts and luxury independent retailers.
•  The Intellectual/Sales Balance: Able to articulate the nuance of the Napa Valley terroir to an expert audience while managing complex distributor inventory and depletion reports.
•  The Tech-Savvy: Expert proficiency in CRM and distributor portals to turn data into actionable sales leads.
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