Job Description

Must be based within a 30-minute commuting distance of the designated market.

The Advocacy Lead will lead initiatives focused on bartender engagement, category education, and on-premise influence-building on behalf of a large spirits portfolio. The Advocacy Lead will serve as a connector between supplier, distributor network, hospitality community, and trade stakeholders while generating actionable market intelligence to shape future commercial and marketing strategies

Reporting to the Channel Intelligence Manager, the Advocacy Lead is passionate about spirits culture, highly connected within the hospitality industry, and experienced in delivering education, building relationships, and translating trade insights into business opportunities.

Core Responsibilities/Activities:

Legal and Compliance Accountability. Maintain all legal and marketing code guidelines

Trade Advocacy & Relationship Building.

• Build authentic relationships with bartenders, beverage directors, bar owners, retailers, distributor partners, and industry influencers.
• Develop and execute advocacy strategies that strengthen a spirits portfolio's reputation and influence within the spirits and hospitality community.
• Represent the portfolio at trade events, industry conferences, tastings, cocktail competitions, and customer activations.

Category and Customer Education

• Conduct staff trainings, trade seminars, customer workshops, and distributor education sessions.
• Design and deliver engaging educational programs focused on spirits categories, production methods, cocktail culture, and brand storytelling.
• Help customers improve category understanding, menu development, cocktail execution, and premiumization opportunities.

Market/Trade Intelligence Gather qualitative and quantitative insights from customers, bartenders, distributors, and industry stakeholders.

Agency Accountabilities. Complete accurate and timely management of agency initiatives including:

• Budget and expense management
• All reporting responsibilities
• Tracking and management of performance data using agency-appointed platforms

Network Partnership. Serve as key liaison for the portfolio, distributor, trade and customers within a designated market

Learning. Develop/deepen knowledge in spirits across several categories and skills in verbal and written presentation

What Success Looks Like:

• Commercial growth for spirits portfolio across a designated market
• Positive perception of the spirits portfolio among the local trade community
• Delivery of program activities
• Positive 360° feedback from manager, market team and client partners
• Share of success stories through strategic communications such that progress is clearly communicated to and understood by both agency and client
• Increasing brand and category knowledge

The physical demands of this role require the following:

• Bending, squatting, crouching and reaching, climbing, kneeling, and stooping including to arrange and display point of sale
• Frequent lifting and moving cases of product and other objects of 50 pounds or more

The above is not a complete listing of all miscellaneous, incidental, or similar duties which may be required from day to day.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in spirits, beverage alcohol, hospitality, brand advocacy, or related industries.
• Strong understanding of spirits categories, cocktail culture, and hospitality operations.
• Existing network within the bartending and beverage community preferred.
• Exceptional presentation, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience delivering educational programming and trade-facing events.
• Commercial acumen and ability to connect advocacy efforts to business outcomes.
• Strong analytical and observational skills with the ability to synthesize market insights into actionable recommendations.
• Ability to tailor communications for a variety of on-premise environments.
• Strong budget management skills.
• Ability to work flexible hours and travel on an ad hoc basis including nights and weekends required.
• Must have access to reliable transportation to travel to and from accounts.
• Desire for mentorship and willingness to contribute to team culture.
• Bilingual (English and Spanish-speaking) a plus.
• Manage administrative tasks with attention to meeting agency compliance guidelines and standards.

Additional Information

The base compensation range for this job classification is between $90,000.00-$105,000.00 annually. The determination of what a specific employee in this job classification is paid depends on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, prior employment history/job-related skills and qualifications, length of service, brand program, and geographic location. This job classification is bonus-eligible, with bonus potential subject to applicable bonus plan terms and conditions.

This position offers incentive opportunities plus full benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k with match, PTO time and more!