Director Activation, Control Markets

Job Title: Director Activation Control

About us: With over 200 brands sold in nearly 180 countries, we’re the world’s leading premium drinks company. Bring your passion and use your curiosity as you explore, collaborate, and innovate to build brands consumers love. Together with passionate people from all over the world, you’ll test new ideas, learn and grow, and unlock a brighter, more exciting future. Join us to create a career worth celebrating.

About the role:

The Trade Development Director will lead and advise the Trade Development team in their market level Planning, Broker communications/alignment, and channel-specific program development, across Diageo US Spirits brands, in 17 Control States.   

The successful candidate will leverage strong analytical capabilities and exceptional relationship management skills to build partnerships with key internal and external stakeholders, develop innovative brand building trade development programs, and navigate the complexities of the 17 unique Control markets. This role is essential in orchestrating and maintaining active collaboration that promotes teamwork across a wide network of team members.

Role Responsibilities:

This role must influence and provide direction to Diageo personnel in market and broker Sales & Trade Development teams. There is a strategic, advisory, planning and tactical activation component to the role. The successful candidate will be tasked with the following:

• Deploying and activating channel programming directly with Broker Sales teams, State Customers & Diageo Sales teams to promote the growth of our brands and the Spirits Category for our customers.
• Activating On & Off premise marketing strategies, growth drivers and tactics with a beverage alcohol consumer.  Must possess knowledge of the 3-tier system, the LCB/State Controlled Route to Consumer and how best to improve opportunities for our brands consistent with customer needs. Shown ability to translate and align consumer and channel insights/needs with shopper & customer needs. Candidates will work seamlessly across Internal/External Sales, Customers, Marketing, Innovation, Trade Marketing, Finance and other functions from time to time.  Must have the ability to influence and run multiple business priorities.
• Leading Control State Share evaluation and intervention work on behalf of the control states with our brand and central commercial partners ensuring we have the plans to consistently win market share.

Management Responsibility

The Trade Development Director reports to the SVP, Performance Management of Control States. This role will lead a team of 6 regional managers and effectively influence the broker trade development teams. The Trade Development Director in partnership with sales leadership will consistently review activity/investments to ensure the Control Division remains on track to achieving short- & long-term goals. They will lead A&P planning & input directly to the annual operating plan and ongoing into the monthly / quarterly planning calendars, working with Trade Marketing/Brand and local teams to adjust where vital.

• Strategically shape A&P spend to maximize investment based on insights, analytics, market nuances and commercial strategy.
• Develop customer specific programs based on MBP’s/National Calendar activity.
• Deploy National Programs – break down and simplify national programs into monthly/quarterly priorities and provide distributor/broker with information needed for them activate effectively.
• Share winning mindset that consistently develops collaborative plans with brand teams and other central partners to ensure we have the tactics to win in control markets.

Experience / skills required:

• Team leadership, mentoring & talent development
• Commercial Marketing experience – ideally in a 3 and/or 2 tier market
• Experienced budget & financial control management – working with Anaplan or similar planning systems to cascade and track spend.
• Trade Marketing and/or Brand Management Experience including experience with Key Account/Shopper marketing execution
• Insight and understanding of both On and Off Trade business / growth drivers.
• Must have strong influencing, negotiation skills across a sophisticated and matrixed corporate environment

Flexible Working Sta