Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Upland Brewing Company, Bloomington, Indiana, United States, 47401
Role Summary
The Vice President of Sales & Marketing is responsible for driving revenue growth, strengthening brand performance, and expanding market presence across all wholesale channels. This role owns the end-to-end wholesale strategy, including brand positioning, demand generation, distributor performance, chain account execution, and pricing strategy.
The VP serves as a cross-functional leader, aligning sales, marketing, operations, and finance to ensure strategy is translated into disciplined execution and measurable results. This role requires both strategic leadership and hands-on operational oversight, with accountability for execution quality, risk management, and building scalable systems, strong teams, and effective partnerships.
Core Responsibilities Sales Strategy & Revenue Growth
Own overall revenue strategy across wholesale, on-premise, off-premise, chain, and key account channels
Partner with finance to set annual and quarterly sales goals, KPIs, and performance benchmarks tied to Case Equivalents, rate of sale, distribution, and profitability
Lead distributor strategy, including selection, onboarding, performance management, and annual business planning
Develop and manage pricing strategy, including FOB and PTR alignment, margin targets, and promotional guardrails with finance
Oversee chain account strategy, including resets, sell‑in, execution standards, and long‑term relationship management
Establish and enforce go‑to‑market standards for launches, promotions, and distributor execution across all markets
Serve as the final escalation point for complex distributor, chain, and key account issues
Identify growth opportunities by market, brand, channel, and account tier
Marketing & Brand Leadership
Own brand strategy and portfolio architecture, ensuring focus on core brands while managing innovation responsibly
Own portfolio discipline, prioritizing initiatives that drive meaningful growth while preventing unnecessary complexity or SKU proliferation
Lead integrated marketing strategy across digital, retail, experiential, sponsorships, and field marketing
Ensure marketing initiatives directly support sales priorities, distributor needs, and retail execution
Oversee content strategy, creative direction, POS development, and campaign planning
Manage brand partnerships, sponsorships, and licensed programs with a focus on ROI and brand alignment
Serve as brand steward, ensuring consistency across all consumer and trade touchpoints
Team Leadership & Organizational Development
Lead, mentor, and develop sales and marketing teams
Define roles, responsibilities, and accountability across the sales and marketing organization
Build scalable processes, tools, and operating systems to support consistent execution
Establish operating rhythms and performance reviews to drive accountability across teams and distributor partners
Foster strong collaboration across sales, marketing, operations, finance, and hospitality teams
Lead teams through periods of change, growth, and organizational transition while maintaining performance and morale
Set clear expectations and performance standards, addressing gaps quickly and constructively
Own sales forecasting in partnership with finance and operations
Leverage internal and external data to guide decision‑making and resource allocation
Evaluate ROI on marketing spend, promotions, and distributor programs
Partner with finance on budgets, pricing models, and long‑term growth planning
Ensure alignment between inventory planning, production schedules, and sales priorities
Own execution accuracy by ensuring forecasts, pricing, and plans are aligned and market‑ready
Strategic Planning & Leadership
Serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, contributing to company‑wide strategy
Develop long‑term growth plans and partnership and market expansion strategies
Identify risks, opportunities, and structural challenges before they impact performance
Represent the company externally with distributors, partners, media, and key stakeholders
Translate vision into clear, executable plans and documented processes that reduce reliance on institutional knowledge
Required Experience & Skills
10+ years of leadership experience in sales, marketing, or wholesale strategy
Proven success managing distributors, key accounts, and multi‑channel sales organizations
Strong understanding of pricing strategy, margins, forecasting, and financial drivers
Demonstrated experience building and leading high‑performing teams
Data‑driven mindset with the ability to balance analytics and judgment
Strong communicator with the ability to align owners, teams, and external partners
Comfortable operating at both strategic and hands‑on levels
What Success Looks Like
A clear, focused brand portfolio that performs consistently across markets
Strong distributor relationships built on accountability and shared growth
Sales and marketing teams aligned around common goals and priorities
Predictable forecasting and disciplined execution with minimal escalation
Measurable revenue growth with improved efficiency and profitability
A wholesale organization that can scale without unnecessary complexity
#J-18808-Ljbffr
The VP serves as a cross-functional leader, aligning sales, marketing, operations, and finance to ensure strategy is translated into disciplined execution and measurable results. This role requires both strategic leadership and hands-on operational oversight, with accountability for execution quality, risk management, and building scalable systems, strong teams, and effective partnerships.
Core Responsibilities Sales Strategy & Revenue Growth
Own overall revenue strategy across wholesale, on-premise, off-premise, chain, and key account channels
Partner with finance to set annual and quarterly sales goals, KPIs, and performance benchmarks tied to Case Equivalents, rate of sale, distribution, and profitability
Lead distributor strategy, including selection, onboarding, performance management, and annual business planning
Develop and manage pricing strategy, including FOB and PTR alignment, margin targets, and promotional guardrails with finance
Oversee chain account strategy, including resets, sell‑in, execution standards, and long‑term relationship management
Establish and enforce go‑to‑market standards for launches, promotions, and distributor execution across all markets
Serve as the final escalation point for complex distributor, chain, and key account issues
Identify growth opportunities by market, brand, channel, and account tier
Marketing & Brand Leadership
Own brand strategy and portfolio architecture, ensuring focus on core brands while managing innovation responsibly
Own portfolio discipline, prioritizing initiatives that drive meaningful growth while preventing unnecessary complexity or SKU proliferation
Lead integrated marketing strategy across digital, retail, experiential, sponsorships, and field marketing
Ensure marketing initiatives directly support sales priorities, distributor needs, and retail execution
Oversee content strategy, creative direction, POS development, and campaign planning
Manage brand partnerships, sponsorships, and licensed programs with a focus on ROI and brand alignment
Serve as brand steward, ensuring consistency across all consumer and trade touchpoints
Team Leadership & Organizational Development
Lead, mentor, and develop sales and marketing teams
Define roles, responsibilities, and accountability across the sales and marketing organization
Build scalable processes, tools, and operating systems to support consistent execution
Establish operating rhythms and performance reviews to drive accountability across teams and distributor partners
Foster strong collaboration across sales, marketing, operations, finance, and hospitality teams
Lead teams through periods of change, growth, and organizational transition while maintaining performance and morale
Set clear expectations and performance standards, addressing gaps quickly and constructively
Own sales forecasting in partnership with finance and operations
Leverage internal and external data to guide decision‑making and resource allocation
Evaluate ROI on marketing spend, promotions, and distributor programs
Partner with finance on budgets, pricing models, and long‑term growth planning
Ensure alignment between inventory planning, production schedules, and sales priorities
Own execution accuracy by ensuring forecasts, pricing, and plans are aligned and market‑ready
Strategic Planning & Leadership
Serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, contributing to company‑wide strategy
Develop long‑term growth plans and partnership and market expansion strategies
Identify risks, opportunities, and structural challenges before they impact performance
Represent the company externally with distributors, partners, media, and key stakeholders
Translate vision into clear, executable plans and documented processes that reduce reliance on institutional knowledge
Required Experience & Skills
10+ years of leadership experience in sales, marketing, or wholesale strategy
Proven success managing distributors, key accounts, and multi‑channel sales organizations
Strong understanding of pricing strategy, margins, forecasting, and financial drivers
Demonstrated experience building and leading high‑performing teams
Data‑driven mindset with the ability to balance analytics and judgment
Strong communicator with the ability to align owners, teams, and external partners
Comfortable operating at both strategic and hands‑on levels
What Success Looks Like
A clear, focused brand portfolio that performs consistently across markets
Strong distributor relationships built on accountability and shared growth
Sales and marketing teams aligned around common goals and priorities
Predictable forecasting and disciplined execution with minimal escalation
Measurable revenue growth with improved efficiency and profitability
A wholesale organization that can scale without unnecessary complexity
#J-18808-Ljbffr