Brand Manager- Wine Merchants

Job Description:

Johnson Brothers is a national family-owned wine, spirits and beer distributor. We’ve been providing exceptional service to our customers since 1953, representing the world's most famous brands in the beverage industry.

​What are we looking for?

We are searching for a high energy and motivated Brand Manager for our Wine Merchants Division. In this position you are the liaison between our key supplier(s) and sales divisions to execute sales and marketing strategies and goals. You will serve as the expert on the portfolio of supplier(s), focus on supplier(s) initiatives within the house and provide a critical link between the sales departments, operations, and management.

Daily Activities:
• Builds the annual plan/calendar, contributes to the pricing plan, promotional calendar and supports development of sales force incentives by closely collaborating with supplier partner(s), GSMs, and aligning supplier and Johnson Brothers Minnesota goals.
• Modifies the plan as necessary by continually evaluating opportunities and working directly with supplier partners.
• Maintains market and sales understanding through knowledge growth and market visits with key accounts, sales consultant, and manager partnerships.
• Maintains and grows gross profit for the company by negotiating price supports, validating internal depletion allowances, and managing budgets for the year via GM & VP Trade Development Reviews with GSMs.
• Forecasts adequate supply for key sales programs and ensures that appropriate inventory levels are maintained by closely collaborating with the purchasing team. Manages new item inventory through capacity planning.
• Defines, manages, and approves supplier and internal spend to accomplish annual plan by creating budget, and tracking spend monthly while maintaining an active budget.
• Ensures achievement of supplier plan by translating plan into divisional sales goals, defining target accounts leveraging Power BI and TD Linx, communicating goals to sales team and tracking performance against goal.
• Participates in planning and preparation of General Sales Meetings by translating brands’ features and benefits into sell sheets, concept sells and other selling materials and attending/presenting brand initiatives and marketing strategies to all supporting sales teams.
• Oversees and drives monthly supplier bill-backs process, together with finance, and manages supplier accounts receivable by ensuring balances are resolved with supplier and JB accounting team.
• Coordinates supplier meetings, ride-with, winery visits, blitzes and target account spend activity and shares data with supplier by communicating with all sales management as well as managing workflow, and calendars.
• Creates and distributes best practices around aligned focus periods, goals, and program results.
• Develops and participates in the delivery of supplier business reviews and monthly supplier communication meetings by preparing content and working with senior management to codify information.
• Maintains a relevant inventory of point-of-sale materials by working with suppliers to determine types and quantities of POS that should be ordered, when necessary, assisting in the design of any custom POS, and working closely with sales management to dispose of aged POS.
• Help guide supplier decision-making by employing strong comprehension of competitive landscape and market dynamics.
• Conducts product education and training to supporting sales teams and partners.
• Effectively plans and executes brand events, activations, and presentations.

What You Will Have:
• 2-3 year experience in sales and or supplier management.
• Expected to own supplier relationships; resolve issues with urgency by working with the sales consultants and ensure a high level of supplier satisfaction.
• Ensure profitability of team by analyzing pertinent business, financial, service and operations information; identify and evaluate trends and options; choose a course of action; define objectives; evaluate outcomes.
• As a Brand Manager, you will work independently as well collaborate with peers on topics to grow share and drive our overall business plans.
• Ability to manage many moving parts, meet deadlines and juggle multiple priorities.
• Must be tech savvy and proficient with Microsoft Office 365 suite. Loglity, DIPA, AS400
• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Dedicated to exceeding qual