Sr. Commercial Marketing Director

There’s Always a Seat at Our Bar 

The Lagunitas Brewing Company began on a kitchen stove in Northern California in 1993 and has always looked to the future – whether supporting local communities by turning beer into money for the cause, or fueling stories, songs, and experiences with our IPA. Wherever you go: Beer Speaks, People Mumble. 

What You’ll Get

• Benefits – Awesome coverage for: Medical, Dental & Vision
• Time off - Approx 33 days off in your first year (combo of vacay, holidays and personal days)
• Retirement – up to 5% contribution on 401K plan
• BEER – and non-alcoholic Lagunitas beverages
• Schwag – 50% off food and merch
• Gym Membership – $50 monthly reimbursement for that beer belly (or at least to prevent it)
• Pet Insurance – keep your fur babies covered with pet insurance options
• Skills to Pay the Bills – professional development, 24/7 operation
• Opportunities – Expand your horizons in CA . . . the world!
• It’s Friday, Ya’ll – Get Paid every other Friday, starting at: $168,714.00-$189,803.25

The Gist

This key leadership role will be a steward of the Lagunitas brand and the conduit between Sales and Marketing, responsible for leading the commercial marketing team made up of channel and category management, playing a pivotal role in shaping the brand presence in the market. The Sr Commercial Marketing Director role requires a candidate with extensive experience in trade marketing and sales and that is confident in delivering clear category & channel strategies for the next 3-5 years across the On and Off Premise.

This leadership role has a strong emphasis on people management, as they will energize and coach a team of 9, including Category Managers, Channel Marketing Managers, an Activation Manager and POS/ Schwag Manager. Leading them in the creation of category growth initiatives and management of trade marketing activities including the development of clear channel prioritization and jobs to be done, compelling shopper marketing briefs utilizing consumer and category insights, impactful execution toolkits and rigorous tracking to achieve sales targets and market share growth.

What You’ll Do 

Strategic Commercial Plan Development and Execution: (40% time allocation)

• Partners closely with CSO and Sales Leadership Team to provide category leadership insights, strategic direction and vision for Lagunitas portfolio in the On & Off Trade, E-Commerce – both long term (3-5 years) and short term (annual plan)
• Lead the Integrated Commercial Planning process and budget recommendation based on market data and relevant shopper insights to meet retailers & distributor timelines
• Oversee the development and implementation of national and regional programs for key distributors that align with annual BTL marketing plan.
• Work cross-functionally (Sales, Legal, Supply Chain, Communications, etc.) to ensure solid implementation of agreed plans
• Partners with Leadership Team Peers (Brand Marketing, Innovation, Insights, Finance & Sales) to develop multi-channel programs that drive brand awareness and sales conversion
• Ensure compliance with company policies, industry regulations, and ethical standards.

Commercial Strategy, Analytic and Financial Oversight and Execution: (20% time allocation)

• Monitor on-going business and competitive analyses and identify trends and recommendations for corrective action where appropriate to CMO and Lagunitas LT to overcome key commercial challenges
• Oversee the ongoing analysis of category, competitive and consumer trends working with CMI Manager
• Strong ability to analyze price and product positioning, priority SKUs vs category, and trade incentive programs
• Partnership / interaction with sales operations, sales force, and on occasion, key distributor personnel in support of sales efforts and execution of marketing programs. 
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting / phasing of budget, reconciliation.
• Recommend budget shifts across portfolio or programming based on brand/market performance or opportunities
• Proven knowledge and understanding in consumer research and analytics

People Management: (30% time allocation)

• Manage, coach, and develop a team of nine to become brand ambassadors within the business and drive sales success
• Cross-functional team management with key internal groups including sales, brand marketing, innovation, communications, finance, and legal as required.
• Fosters a culture that inspires a hungry to win mindset as well as encouraging creativity and embodiment the brand personality
• Develop best practices to improve execution

Brand Ambassador: (10% time allocation)

• Serve as an effective ambassador for Lagunitas embodying the brand values and personality, representing the brand and it s mojo at key internal and external events (i.e. distributor visits, trade events, sales meetings, association meetings, etc.).
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key retail partners and distribution networks.
• Regularly visit key markets to understand sales team reality, support market blitzes, new product launches, surveys, etc. and report brand and competitive findings as well as any market driven recommendations to management team 

What We’re Lookin’ For

• A minimum of 10 years of Commercial Marketing and/or Sales experience at a high-profile brand.
• Ideally CPG and/or alcohol industry understanding within the US
• Proven ability to think strategically, creatively, and executional in developing channel marketing strategies, tactics and initiatives that may vary across different regions
• Proven leader with the drive to develop and thrive in a high-growth, dynamic and entrepreneurial environment.
• Demonstrated capacity to cultivate strong relationships within and outside the organization- Sales/ Distributors & Key Retailers
• Love of dogs is optional, but tolerance of dogs is mandatory

Key Relationships                               

• Reports to Chief Marketing Officer, with dotted line to Chief Sales Officer
• Collaborates with Sales Teams and influences cross functional marketing partners to achieve excellent execution across trade platforms

Physical Requirements

• Typical office environment (by Lagunitas standards)
• Hybrid work policy: Required to be in the Petaluma office at least 3x per week in order to foster collaboration, Tuesday/ Thursday mandated.
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds
• Travel approximately 20% per year

Come as You Are 

At Lagunitas, we welcome people (and dogs) from all walks of life. Anyone, regardless of their race, creed, nation of origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status, veteran status, marital status, or age, has a home here. Love, progress, and acceptance will always have a seat at our bar.