Director, Distributor Partnerships, RNDC/Others

Location: New York, NY, US, Remote

Careers that unlock the magic of human connection  

Pernod Ricard is a global premium spirits and wine company. We’re the team behind leading brands such as ABSOLUT® Vodka, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, Malibu®, Kahlúa® Liqueur, Beefeater® Gin, and Avión™ Tequila, as well as many more superior wines and exquisite champagnes!  

Working at Pernod Ricard is all about igniting conviviality in all that we do. Derived from the French word, convivialité…it means human connection, authenticity, friendly, and jovial. Conviviality is energy and spirit with a splash of je ne sais quoi and is a core philosophy around how we live and work at Pernod Ricard. Here, we are team players, dream makers, trailblazers, movers and (cocktail) shakers. We have a passion for living life to the fullest, making new friends every day, and realizing our potential as people and as a business! 

The salary range for this role, based in New York is $172,720.00 to $215,900.00. The range will vary if outside of this location.  Base salaries are determined during our interview process, by assessing a candidate’s experience, skills against internal peers and against the scope and responsibilities of the position. 

Position Summary

The Director, Distributor Partnerships plays a critical leadership role in our mission to drive the success of our complete portfolio across our entire customer base. In summary, the Director, Distributor Partnerships is responsible for Distributor relationship management from the Executive level through the Regional / Market level.  Acting as the key problem solver and primary point of contact for high-level Distributor conversations for assigned Regional Division(s) and Distributor(s), this role drives guidance and recommendations to optimize our results and keeps a pulse on the effectiveness of our initiatives. 

This position reports directly to the Vice President, Commercial Planning & Operations (CPO).  It works very closely with the Division Vice Presidents overseeing specific regions and Distributor partners.

Major Responsibilities / Accountabilities

- Support VP, CPO, and Division Vice Presidents with Distributor relationship management and contract management:

• Facilitate and attend Executive to Regional / State Distributor leadership meetings, including annual and quarterly conferences, monthly reviews, and workstream updates
• Oversee contract compliance and negotiation, under oversight of the VP, CPO
• Act as primary business partner to VP, CPO, regarding all assigned Distributor contract and performance metric needs and calculations
• Analyze PR USA / Distributor performance to determine effectiveness of initiatives (in collaboration with Director, National Performance Management) and recommend structural, process, and investment changes to improve results
• Coordinate communication from HQ Distributor Operations, Finance, Chains, and Marketing to clearly deliver expectations to Distributors in a timely and comprehensive manner
• Partner with External Communications team to optimize messaging and distribute best practices / guidelines for communication with Distributor partners to Regional Divisions.

- Provide guidance and input for continuous improvement in Go To Market across dedicated, split book, and full-book selling divisions for the applicable Distributor(s):

• Establish incentive guardrails and ensure consistency in Distributor quotas / incentives across markets
• Reinforce PR USA needs and ways of working in-line with Distributor framework
• Partner with Distributor contacts to improve execution of PR USA priorities
• Coordinate input from various stakeholders including Legal, Finance, and Sales to support contract negotiations, compliance reviews, and manpower / local marketing fund discussions with National / Regional / Local Distributor management
• Always-on review of competitor-Distributor dynamics and trends in Distributor management, operations, and incentives
• Provide insight into Distributor operations and WoW within Regional Division and up to Commercial Marketing / CPO

- Drive consistent, centralized communication between Distributor leadership and PR USA:

• Ensure Distributor timelines are clearly articulated across PR USA
• Coordinate the dissemination of new innovations and marketing programs to Distributor leadership
• Act as key partner for Distributor-facing Transformation initiatives
• Travel to key Distributor meetings and conduct in-market “ride-withs” as needed

Job Requirements

• The ideal candidate will be a highly motivated self-starter with strong leadership, analytical, organizational, and interpersonal skills as well as the ability to collaborate effectively across functions with passion and enthusiasm.
• Strong entrepreneurial ability to work around obstacles, results driven, and a bias for action with a pilot/learn/scale approach.

- Education: 

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent)

- Experience / Background:

• Minimum 8-10 years of previous sales management or operations experience, preferably within the wine and spirit or consumer goods industry. 
• Previous Distributor experience is an asset.

- Travel:

• This position may travel up to 30% of the time.

Required Competencies

- Functional Competencies:

• Thorough understanding of Distributor stakes, decision process, business cycles, and motivations from State to National / Executive levels; Deep understanding of Distributor dynamics and working relationships at all levels
• The ability to foster trust and to influence diverse team members at all levels and across various functions; ability to leverage relationships to accelerate delivery; ability to use these skills to facilitate connection with internal and external stakeholders
• Strong business acumen and understanding of Category sales dynamics and Distributor requirements
• Strong negotiation skills; the ability to manage stakeholder needs and requests through appropriate negotiation cycle and techniques, in order to achieve broader strategic objectives
• Proficient in developing and executing long and short-range business plans integrating sales and marketing efforts
• Exceptional cross-organization consensus-building skills with the ability to gain buy-in and universal alignment
• Management-level communication and reporting skills

- Leadership Competencies:

• Growth Mindset: Strategic mindset - Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies
• Consumer Centricity: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions
• Drive Results: Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances
• Deliver through collaboration:  Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives
• Bold and Agile:  Actively learning through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both successes and failures as learning fodder; courageous; strong decision-making ability that keeps the organization moving forward
• Grow Diverse Teams: Leverages and values diversity of profiles to build empowered teams and develops talents creating a sense of belonging to help them meet both their career goals and the organization’s goals.

When you join Pernod Ricard, you’ll experience a workplace that is rich in heritage, driven by our iconic brands and a long-standing commitment to sustainability, safety, and giving back to the people and communities where we work. We know that happiness at work starts with that feeling of belonging you get from an inclusive culture where being uniquely you is celebrated. Our values are lived, they drive our behaviors, and it’s what brings our culture to life.   

Our work philosophy celebrates the magic of human connection with the flexibility needed to provide one's most meaningful contribution. We offer a flexible work policy, with most of our positions offering a hybrid or remote option. As a global employer, we understand that not everyone’s working hours are the same, and we empower our employees to work the hours that make the most sense for their and their team’s schedules.   

We offer employees great benefits and perks to toast to a life filled with support.  Check out PRUSABenefits.com for details.  

Pernod Ricard USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It employs qualified individuals based solely on ability, training, and experience, and does not and will not, discriminate for or against any employee or applicant for employment or promotion based upon actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service or any other classification protected by law. Offers will be subject to United States local terms. 

Pernod Ricard USA is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Pernod Ricard USA will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process.  To request reasonable accommodation during the application process, contact your talent acquisition manager. 

Job Posting End Date:

Target Hire Date:

Target End Date: