The General Manager/Vice President, Beverage makes an impact by -The General Manager / Vice President, Beverage is responsible for the overall leadership, strategy, growth, innovation, and profitability of the Company's beverage business. This executive will lead all aspects of the beverage portfolio, including top-line sales, distribution, customer development, marketing, innovation, and financial performance, while driving profitable growth across existing brands and executing a long-term strategy to expand distribution, increase market share, and develop a robust pipeline of innovative products. The ideal candidate will bring extensive beverage industry experience, including refrigerated, deep expertise in both Direct Store Delivery (DSD) and Direct-to-Warehouse (DTW) distribution models, and a proven track record of growing beverage brands and delivering results in highly competitive retail environments.
- Develop and execute the long-term strategic vision, annual operating plans, and growth initiatives for the beverage business.
- Own full beverage P&L responsibility, including revenue growth, profitability, pricing strategy, forecasting, budgeting, and market share expansion.
- Lead and provide strategic direction to all beverage sales teams across both Direct Store Delivery (DSD) and Direct-to-Warehouse (DTW) channels.
- Establish and maintain strong executive-level relationships with key customers, distributors, brokers, and strategic partners.
- Drive sales growth and customer development initiatives with major retailers and other key accounts.
- Develop and execute pricing, promotional, merchandising, and customer-specific growth strategies in partnership with Sales Strategy leadership.
- Establish relationships with cold channel distributors and wholesalers to expand distribution and penetrate new channels of business.
- Explore current go to market beverage strategy to recommend potential future optimization.
- Develop and maintain close working relationships across Sales, Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, Customers, Brokers, and Distributors to maximize business performance.
- Monitor market performance, including distribution gains, promotional effectiveness, competitive activity, marketplace trends, and emerging business opportunities.
- Lead beverage innovation efforts from concept through commercialization, driving the development of new products and platforms.
- Identify and capitalize on emerging consumer trends, including natural, organic, functional, probiotic, wellness, energy, iced tea, lemonade, and ready-to-drink beverage categories.
- Partner with R&D, Marketing, Finance, Operations, and Supply Chain teams to develop and launch differentiated products that drive growth and profitability.
- Build and maintain a robust innovation pipeline to support long-term business objectives.
- Develop and deliver persuasive business presentations that influence decision-making and drive desired customer and organizational outcomes.
- Foster collaborative relationships with customers, distributors, brokers, and internal stakeholders to identify opportunities and achieve mutual business goals.
- Facilitate, develop, communicate, and implement comprehensive internal and external business plans that deliver organizational objectives.
- Develop creative solutions to complex business challenges while maintaining alignment with strategic goals.
- Provide significant value to customers and business partners through extensive knowledge of products, categories, consumer trends, and market dynamics.
- Apply and integrate knowledge of the beverage industry, customers, supply chain, and cross-functional operations to optimize business performance.
- Maintain effective communication with executive leadership regarding business performance, market conditions, growth opportunities, and strategic priorities.
- Represent the Company at appropriate customer meetings, industry events, trade shows, distributor conferences, and other business-related activities.
- Travel as required to support customers, distributors, brokers, manufacturing facilities, and business development opportunities.
- Perform all duties in compliance with corporate Food Safety, Quality, GMP, FSMA, SQF, regulatory, and workplace safety requirements.
- Support the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of food safety, quality, and operational excellence programs.
- Perform all other duties as assigned.
You could be a great fit if you have these things -- Bachelor's Degree required; MBA or other advanced degree preferred.
- 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in Beverage Industry; Sales / Account Management / Broker Management / DSD.
- Demonstrated success leading a beverage business with responsibility for sales growth, innovation, distribution, and profitability.
- Extensive experience managing and growing businesses through both Direct Store Delivery (DSD) and Direct-to-Warehouse (DTW) distribution models.
- Strong preference for experience in iced tea, lemonade, juice, ready-to-drink beverages, or related beverage categories.
- Proven track record developing and commercializing innovative beverage products, including natural, organic, probiotic, functional, wellness, and energy beverage segments.
- Significant sales and customer management experience with major Northeast grocery retailers and national accounts, including Walmart.
Physical Demands -The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.
- The employee is required to talk and/or hear in an office setting (noise level is low) and manufacturing setting where noise levels can be high (PPE required).
- The employee is frequently required to stand and walk in an office or manufacturing environment from 4-8+ hours.
- The employee must be able to ascend and descend stairs, and where applicable and when necessary, to perform various job-related tasks.
- Must be able to position self to move, reach with arms/hands, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl as needed to perform various job-related tasks.
- The employee must be able to inspect all job-related equipment (office or floor) to ensure it is in good working condition prior to use. Must be able to use hands/fingers to handle (or feel) to operate various types of office equipment.
- Must be able to operate all job-related equipment (powered, hand or office) as required.
- Vision requirements: close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception and adjust focus.
- Ability to lift 20 pounds and/or push/pull 20 pounds on a regular or occasional basis.
- Must have ability to travel to clients, customers, or other work sites by a variety of transportation methods.
Our associates enjoy these awesome benefits -- Medical, dental, vision & prescription
- Life insurance, short-term & long-term disability
- 401(k) with company match - immediately vested
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Earn vacation and PTO
- Educational assistance reimbursement
- Company bonus plan
- Free ice cream and beverages!
This job description is not all encompassing, however, is intended to be a general description of the essential functions of this position. It is not intended as an employment contract.
Notice to Staffing Agencies, Placement Services, and Professional RecruitersTurkey Hill, LLC has an internal Staffing Department. Recruiters are hereby specifically directed NOT to contact Turkey Hill employees directly in an attempt to present candidates.
Turkey Hill will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. Any unsolicited resumes sent to Turkey Hill, including unsolicited resumes sent to a Turkey Hill mailing address, fax machine or email address, directly to Turkey Hill employees, or to Turkey Hill's resume database will be considered Turkey Hill property. Turkey Hill will NOT pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. Turkey Hill will consider any candidate for whom a Recruiter has submitted an unsolicited resume to have been referred by the Recruiter free of any charges or fees.
Turkey Hill will not pay a fee to any Recruiter that does not have a signed Turkey Hill contract in place specific to the position for which the resume was submitted.Recruiting vendor agreements will only be valid if in writing and signed by Turkey Hill's Human Resources Manager or his or her designee. No other Turkey Hill employee is authorized to bind Turkey Hill to any agreement regarding the placement of candidates by Recruiters.
By submitting a candidate to Turkey Hill, recruiters agree to be bound and comply with this policy.
