Convenience Business Development Lead - Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) - Poland

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.

Poland

The Convenience Business Development Lead (CEE) is responsible for executing Sazerac Convenience channel strategy in Central and Eastern European markets, 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 position reports to the Sazerac Regional Manager for Nordics, CEE and Benelux

Responsibilities:

• Closely working with Sazerac Regional Manager on Executing the Sazerac Convenience channel (customers such as Zabka, Circle K, Petrol station chains, etc.) strategy for Poland and other CEE markets – 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 in partnership with distributors.
• Manage third party merchandisers to scale the strategy execution into more outlets
• Building an own network of relevant industry contacts
• Close collaboration with Sazerac Regional Manager and distributors to align own tasks with aligned strategy
• Creating and analyzing reporting (volume, rate of sale and distribution points), tracking KPIs and providing proactive suggestions to improve the mutual business
• Organization of sampling and other consumers activation activities
• Organization and proactive participation in relevant trade shows
• Closely working with Sazerac Regional Manager and (trade) marketing teams to develop relevant POS Tools and Sales Folders

Candidate Requirements:

• Highly motivated sales-oriented individual (self-starter and “drive for results” mindset) 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 Poland and / or CEE markets
• 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
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative partnerships with distributors, 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 approach is needed)
• Creativity in building in store POS and CFA (Call for actions) activations
• Knowledgeable on local marketing and sales legislations
• Resilient, entrepreneurial and result oriented mindset
• Fluent in English and Polish. Additional languages are 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 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Location: Warsaw, Poland

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