Key Account Manager, MD/DC/MC

Where Conviviality is at work.  

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, The Glenlivet® Gin, and Skrewball™ whiskey, 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.   

Guided by our 4 core values: (1) grounded in the real; (2) fiercely authentic; (3) passion for challenge; and (4) connected beyond borders; 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 Washington D.C., is $106,720.00 to $133.400.00. 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:

At Pernod Ricard USA, we have accelerated and transformed our organization around experiences of conviviality, placing the consumer at the heart of our business model.  The Key Account Manager plays a critical role in our mission to leverage the power of our portfolio to beat the market, ensuring that our customers have the right spirit to match every occasion.

The Key Account Manager will drive our business results in the top on-premise accounts within their designated market and areas of responsibility.  Serving as the lead point of contact to large on-premise key accounts as well as regional multi-unit buying groups, this role leads customer-facing consultative selling, trade engagement, and consumer activation for our award-winning and premium portfolio. The successful candidate collaborates closely with local market leadership and acts as the connector between our portfolio of brands, the trade, and our consumers to drive awareness, velocity, & share growth. This position is an innovator, continuously identifying and acting on novel opportunities in market for portfolio growth and increased brand visibility. 

The role also supports and influences national brand and channel planning by communicating local market intelligence and geography-specific growth opportunities to the Brand and Trade Marketing teams.  A key conduit and trusted partner to cross-functional stakeholders across PRUSA sales and at the Distributor, this role is also a critical thought partner to the Director of Field Marketing as well as Divisional Leadership.  
 

Major Responsibilities / Accountabilities:

Portfolio Penetration & Velocity

• Call on assigned accounts with regularly frequency and act as their main PRUSA point of contact

• Lead customer meetings as a consultative partner through understanding their business processes, plans, needs and how the full PR portfolio can play in their outlet

• Execute monthly and quarterly programs per guidance from market’s Sales Leadership; activate brand-specific programs based on key priority periods with trade & consumers

•  Develops, communicates, and executes joint business account and outlet level plans

Relationship Management & Market Engagement

• Act as market liaison between PR USA brands and trade / consumers

• Strengthen and build relationships with key customers in a defined number of accounts in the market and collaborate with division sales, marketing teams and distributors to establish tailored marketing plans for accounts

• Work in collaboration with PR USA trade education partners (Brand Ambassadors, Trade Advocacy, Mixology & Education) to drive trade education in support of broader PR brand building among the trade. Organize and oversee all inward visits from advocacy resources.

• Maintain broad awareness of industry, on-premise channel, and category trends

• Collaborate and communicate with local Distributors to ensure customer follow-through and support

• Identify new sales opportunities for new business development and recommend actions for brand initiatives

• Serve as a product knowledge expert for PRUSA brands across the full portfolio incl. upcoming innovations

Administrative, Financial & Operational Excellence

• Management of assigned portfolio / brand activation budgets and assigned T&E budgets

• Support of PRUSA and Distributor teams for essential distributor meetings and work withs

• Tracking of key customer and distributor meetings and deadlines for quarterly / annual plans

• Overseeing tracking of activation-oriented budgets and spend within limits

• Conduct post analysis to validate ROI on programs executed.

Lead State Level Marketing Planning and Activation for Assigned Markets: 

• Communicate all National programs and priority periods.

• Leading the development of market level execution tactics by ensuring national and local program assets are provided to Sales in order to deliver upon program objectives. 

• Develop localized execution plans & playbook that fit brand guidelines.

• Serving as an initial filter and assessing the need for locally initiated programs where national programs will not meet local market needs.  Leading the development of a Business case for the initiation of any locally initiated programs based upon DICE modeling guidelines.

• Supporting the FMD by capturing and consolidating local market insights/needs/dynamics, to be filtered to brand teams as part of annual planning, discovery, and master program briefing process.

• Collaborate with sales on field execution, priorities, and innovation readiness.

• Manage and oversee the planning and execution of large-scale brand activation events.

• Plan and measure sponsorships and events to drive brand visibility.

• Oversee and manage agency activated programming and execution.

• Foster cross-functional collaboration with Brand POD and Trade Marketing.

Annual A&P Planning and Budget Management for Assigned Markets

• Leading market level budget development involving key stakeholders and ensuring corporate and brand strategies are properly adhered to on a yearly basis

• Leading overall A&P management & tracking working with the Field Coordinator, FMD, and local with local sales teams on optimal A&P deployment plan and day-to-day needs. Line-item detail management & reconciliation.

• Leading the overall A&P budget management per state covered and recommending areas for yearly continuous improvement by reading and reacting to local market needs, all while balancing National Objectives.

Job Requirements:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree preferred.

• Experience / Background: A minimum of 5-10 years of proven success in sales and sales management and/or field or trade marketing, ideally within the beverage alcohol sector.  

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

• Schedule Flexibility: Able to work evenings and weekends as required by account universe.

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 option with flexibility to work remotely 2 days a week. 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 them 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 us at [email protected].

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