Description

Sapporo brewed the first beer of Japan in 1876. It’s now the number one selling Asian beer brand in the U.S. thanks to its best-selling Sapporo Premium. Sapporo acquired Stone Brewing in 2022 to brew all of Sapporo’s beer for the U.S. market. Stone Brewing, established in 1996, pioneered the West Coast Style IPA helping to fuel the modern craft beer revolution. Now one company, Sapporo-Stone Brewing is among the 15 largest breweries in the U.S. and operates production facilities in Escondido, CA and Richmond, VA plus seven Stone Brewing taproom and bistro locations. We’ve enjoyed a rich history following our passion and are in search of people who take great pride in building our legacy for the future.

Summary

The Area Sales Manager leads our efforts with our distributor partners capitalizing on the overall sales potential of our brand portfolio typically across multiple distributors. This role reports to the Regional Sales Manager and may lead Area Sales Representatives of their designated territory. The Area Sales Manager is responsible for the achievement of key business objectives including sales, distribution, brand priorities, budget management, and market share growth as created through our annual business planning process for designated territory. This Area Sales Manager role is primarily focused on the Stone brand and the distributors in the home market of Southern California that support and distribute the Stone brand.

Responsibilities

Work cross-functionally with Marketing, Operations, and Hospitality to determine and execute strategies to grow the Stone brand in its home market
Provide regular feedback and input to the Stone innovation team in collaboration with our distributor partners to inform and collaborate on strategic growth initiatives
Partner with Regional Sales Manager and Sales Director to develop volume, distribution, and execution targets for distributors in designated territory
Lead distributor facing communication, strategy, and relationship within area in conjunction with Area Sales Representatives
Manage distributor inventory and shipments to ensure appropriate in-stock rates of all Sapporo-Stone items
Manage co-op budgets with distributors, ensuring that the budgets and spending are always updated
Manage pricing along with the Regional Sales Manager and Sales Director throughout the specific region, including Freight on Board, recommended Price to Retail and Price to Consumer for every distributor within territory
Build relationships with key wholesaler team members including General Manager, sales leadership, each channel manager, and other key personnel
Ensure flawless execution of programs by distributor personnel and internal sales team
Drive execution of all chain programs (i.e. distribution, promotions, programming) and authorizations through distributor execution and sales team support
Build skills and capabilities of any team members by working with them on a weekly basis and providing coaching and development on sales core competencies
Adhere to agreed-upon dollar budgets and all company policies as set by management and the company
Stay current within the competitive landscape both in the retail and beer space, and seek out new opportunities to increase sales and penetration within territory
Provide market insights to the Regional Director and other cross functional team members as needed
Promote ongoing education for regional sales team on both our brand portfolio as well as the broader beer industry
Work with distributors approximately 70-80% of the time, with the remaining 20-30% of the time focused on getting out in the market , approximately 5-10 retail account visits a week

Requirements

· Bachelor's degree in related field

· 5-7 years of related sales experience within the food or beverage industry, preferably in beer sales and working within three-tier system

· Proven track record managing complex sales, sales programs, and portfolios of initiatives through excellent influence and customer service skills

· Effective and persuasive communicator with outstanding presence, presentation and negotiation skills that constantly strives for simplicity and clarity

· Solid execution skills with a passion for getting into the details where appropriate to make effective decisions and drive results

· Cicerone Certified Beer Server certificate or higher desired

· Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and iDig (including KARMA)

· Flexibility to travel as needed, including weekends where necessary to drive sales and connect with customers

· Experience with on-premise key accounts highly desired

· Regular travel required to retail accounts. Must have a clean Motor Vehicle Record and reliable transportation with vehicle insurance in good standing

· The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds

· Must live in Southern California market

Compensation, Benefits & Perks

Annual Salary Range: $75,000 - $82,000
Annual Sales Bonus Plan Target: 30%
Comprehensive Health Insurance, 401K, and Bonuses for Eligible Team Members
Company beer perks program and discounts
Paid Time Off - including Vacation accrual, Sick Leave, and 12 paid Holidays
Benefit programs supporting Financial Wellness, Health & Wellness and Career Development

Sapporo-Stone Brewing is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against applicants or employees because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, citizenship status, various ability status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression of an otherwise qualified individual, or membership in any other class protected by applicable law. Sapporo-Stone Brewing hires and promotes individuals based on their qualifications for the job to be filled.

Sapporo-Stone Brewing seeks to build a culturally diverse staff where differences are valued and respected. Women, minorities, individuals with various abilities, veterans, LGBTQ+ and intersectional individuals are encouraged to apply.