Suntory Global Spirits is a world leader in premium spirits with $5.5 billion in annual revenues and an ambition to become the World’s Most Admired Premium Spirits Company. We have a strong vision and strategy, an incredible brand portfolio grounded in quality and craftsmanship, an unwavering commitment to sustainability and top talent across the organization. We are focused on driving value across key priorities including American whiskey, Japanese Spirits, Scotch, Tequila and Ready-to-Drink. Headquartered in New York City, Suntory Global Spirits is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings, which is world renowned for delivering quality and excellence across a range of products and categories.
The alcohol beverage industry is an exciting, dynamic, and fast-paced business. Suntory Global Spirits is a top player in the spirits business and focused on becoming a leader within the Ready to Drink (RTD) category in the United States. This individual will have a material impact in helping shape the workings of Suntory Global Spirits’ RTD business.
Mission of the Role
The Senior Manager, RTD Commercial Capabilities will spearhead the development, design, and delivery of the educational curriculum for the Ready-to-Drink (RTD) segment at Suntory Global Spirits. This newly created role will serve as the key driver in enhancing the commercial team’s knowledge of the RTD category, while influencing them to adopt innovative approaches that lead to exceptional commercial performance across Suntory’s RTD portfolio. This role is pivotal in shaping the future of Suntory’s RTD business, requiring a strategic and influential leader who can drive education, innovation, and operational excellence across a geographically dispersed team.
Given the strategic importance of this position within Suntory’s sales organization, which spans multiple regions, the role requires up to 50% travel.
Collaboration with Key Teams: In partnership with the Category Development and Channel Marketing teams, establish clear standards and expectations for the RTD category. Develop tools, resources, and training materials that bring these standards to life and ensure consistent execution across the commercial organization.
Sales Leadership Partnership: Work closely with sales leadership and key commercial stakeholders to ensure successful integration of the RTD educational curriculum across regions. Deliver tailored content to both Suntory teams and distributor teams, ensuring alignment with regional needs and objectives.
Stakeholder Engagement: Build and nurture a community of early adopters and key stakeholders who champion the RTD business transformation. Collaborate with these individuals to ensure buy-in and long-term support for RTD initiatives.
Celebrating Success & Building Culture: Strategically celebrate wins and sales adoption to drive momentum. Foster a culture of recognition and celebration within the RTD business, making the acknowledgment of success a key part of daily operations and team engagement.
Capability Assessment & Optimization: Continuously evaluate the current capabilities of teams, tools, and operational processes across the Suntory organization. Identify capability gaps and areas of excellence, leveraging best practices and insights to drive improvements across the RTD business.
Qualifications Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Marketing, Education or related field. 8-10 years of experience in commercial sales, sales strategy, and/or sales enablement within a corporate environment. CPG experience is strongly preferred. Strong track record of developing and executing successful educational programs that drive measurable performance improvements with corporate sales organizations. Exceptional leadership skills with ability to inspire and influence change across an organization. Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to engage, inspire, and motivate diverse teams. Cross-functional Experience: Skilled at managing multiple senior stakeholders and comfortable navigating a matrix environment. Agility and comfort in strategic "white space" work, defining new opportunities while also having a bias for action to execute new ways of thinking and doing, Financial Acumen and Business Analytics: Expert at analyzing and drawing patterns in competitor strategies, strengths, and areas of development to influence sales and sales education roadmap. Highly self-directed and can proactively identify & address opportunities.
Salary Range - The salary range for this role, based in Chicago, is $120,000 to $140,000, along with an annual bonus, 401K match, profit sharing, and medical and wellness benefits. The salary range is commensurate ,with the candidate’s location, experience, and skillset.