Convenience (Activation) Manager - Germany

Build your career at Sazerac! With almost 400 years of rich history, Sazerac Company has thrived as an independent, American family-owned company with operations in the United States and around the world. Since the 2000s, Sazerac has averaged double digit growth every year! Sazerac Company produces and markets the most award-winning bourbons and whiskeys in the world, including Buffalo Trace, Pappy Van Winkle, Eagle Rare, Blanton’s, and Sazerac Rye. Additionally, Sazerac owns many popular brands across a range of spirits, including Fireball, Southern Comfort, Seagram’s V.O., Myers’s, Goldschläger, Parrot Bay, 99 Brand, and Platinum Vodka.

Germany

The Convenience Manager Germany is responsible for executing the sazerac Germany convenience stores strategy, beginning with building distribution for a dedicated portfolio and ensuring perfect store execution. Driving merchandising guidelines while building relationships and knowledge to adjust the way forward. This is a great chance to be part of the journey from the beginning – a new approach, requiring resilience and hands-on personality. This role reports directly to the Country Manager, Germany.

Job Description:

• Closely working with the Country Manager Germany on executing the sazerac convenience store (otg/späti/kiosk) strategy for Germany – a new approach, requiring resilience and hands-on personality
• Proactively identifying and convincing potential outlets and ensuring in-store execution of our brands
• Independent building, managing and follow-ups of customer relations
• Development and closing of individual cooperation agreements incl. agreed listings and executions and business development
• Manage third party merchandisers to scale the strategy execution into more outlets
• Building an own network of relevant industry contacts
• Close collaboration with the Country Manager Germany and distributors to align own tasks with aligned strategy
• Creating and analyzing reporting (volume, rate of sale and distribution points) and tracking of KPIs, provide proactive suggestions to improve the mutual business
• Organization of sampling and other activation activities
• Organization in proactive participation in relevant trade shows
• Closely working with the Country Manager Germany and (trade) marketing teams to develop relevant POS tools and sales folders

Candidate Requirements:

• Highly motivated individual (self-starter) with hands-on mentality, excellent communication, execution, negotiation, influencing, and follow up skills
• 4+ years sales experience, preferably in spirits or beer, soft drinks industry in Germany
• Minimum 2 years of experience in developing business for spirits / beer / ready to drink / energy drinks categories in convenience (CVS) channel, experienced in generating new listings
• Has established network of contacts in German convenience and wholesale channels
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative partnerships with trade customers, wholesalers and internal cross-functional teams – customer-oriented mindset
• Strategic thinker, fast adapter (flexibility) with strong acumen for excellent field execution (hands-on is needed)
• Creativity in building POS activations
• Resilient, entrepreneurial and result oriented mindset
• Fluent in German and sufficient in English (additional language is a plus)
• Bachelor's degree or relevant education
• Ability to travel up to 50%
• Valid driver's license B
• Capable to work in MS office (excel, PowerPoint)
• Location: Hamburg or Cologne, Germany

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