Commercialization Director - Central

Suntory Global Spirits; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 170,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Suntory Global Spirits seeks a Commercial Planning leader for the U.S. region to own the Commercial Operating System, integrating planning, forecasting, analytics, governance, and performance management.

This role drives consistency, accountability, and speed across the business. With 5–10 years in spirits or RTD sectors, you will lead annual/monthly planning, demand forecasting, and share growth initiatives, partnering with Finance, Brand, Channel, and Sales to win market share and strengthen

Qualifications

• 5–10 years’ experience in Spirits, Beer, RTD alcohol categories with deep understanding of route-to-market dynamics.
• Demonstrated track record of developing and executing commercial strategies that drive growth and market share.
• Strong experience working with third‑party distributors and managing senior‑level trade relationships.
• Experience operating in a matrixed organization, effectively managing internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience balancing strategic planning with hands-on execution in high-growth or entrepreneurial environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead regional, market, and customer level commercial planning.
• Oversee the annual and monthly planning process across the Regional organization.
• Align on commercial building blocks, customer investments, and market priorities with Finance and CommEx.
• Own the Region commercial demand forecasting process and improve forecast accuracy.
• Collaborate with D&T and CommEx on forecasting tools and analytics.
• Drive monthly share performance reviews with Commercial Leadership.
• Implement standardized execution planning and governance across the Region.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Orchestration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

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At Suntory Global Spirits, we craft spirits of the highest quality and deliver brilliant experiences to people around the world. Suntory Global Spirits has evolved into the world's third largest leading premium spirits company ... where each employee is treated like family and trusted with legacy. With our greatest assets - our premium spirits and our people - we're driving growth through impactful marketing, innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit. Suntory Global Spirits is a place where you can come Unleash your Spirit by making an impact each and every day.

What makes this a great opportunity?

Suntory Global Spirits is a world leader in premium spirits with $5.5 billion in annual revenues and an ambition to become the World’s Most Admired Premium Spirits Company. We have a strong vision and strategy, an incredible brand portfolio grounded in quality and craftsmanship, an unwavering commitment to sustainability and top talent across the organization. We are focused on driving value across key priorities including American whiskey, Japanese Spirits, Scotch, Tequila and Ready-to-Drink. Headquartered in New York City, Suntory Global Spirits is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings, which is world renowned for delivering quality and excellence across a range of products and categories.

Unlike a traditional Commercial Planning leader, this position owns the Commercial Operating System for a Regional business unit within the U.S. business that will feed into the holistic planning process and performance management led by Commercial Excellence (CommEx) Operations. It integrates planning, forecasting, execution, analytics, governance, and performance management into one standardized approach that enables each Business Unit to operate with greater consistency, accountability, and speed. The success of this role should be reflected not only in stronger business performance, but in a Commercial organization that plans better, forecasts more accurately, measures performance consistently, executes with greater discipline, accelerates share growth, and strengthens commercial decision making.

Role Responsibilities

Commercial Planning at region, market, and customer levels

Lead the annual and monthly commercial planning process across the Regional organization.

• Support Commercial Finance in developing annual depletion targets and monthly phasing and develop differentiated market targets based on:
  • Market consumption trends
  • Population migration
  • Legal Drinking Age (LDA) population growth
  • Market opportunity
• Support U.S. Brand and CommEx to align on:
  • Commercial building blocks
  • Customer investments
  • Market investment priorities
  • Innovation allocations
  • Allocated high-value SKU’s
• Support Finance and CommEx to ensure consistent planning methodology across Region.
• Lead monthly commercial planning reviews for regions.

Forecasting & Demand Planning

Own the Region commercial demand forecasting process to improve forecast accuracy and business predictability.

• Align Commercial with Supply Chain and Finance on one demand forecast by embedding statistical forecasting into commercial demand planning.
• Support Digital & Technology to enhance Anaplan forecasting capabilities.
• Improve forecast accuracy through predictive analytics.
• Support monthly forecast reviews and help identify forecast, or phasing, risks.

Share Performance Management

Support an enterprise share management process that shifts the organization from measuring share to actively growing share.

• Support the Analytics team to build predictive share forecasting models for Nielsen (Open States) & NABCA (Control States).
• Develop annual share plans focused on moving forecasted share decline into sustainable share growth.
• Prioritize the Customers, State, and Brands representing approximately 80% of Retail Sales Value.
• Drive specific commercial strategies focused on key must win share battles.
• Lead monthly Share Performance Reviews with Commercial Leadership.

Commercial Execution

Implement standardized execution planning and performance measurement across the Region in partnership with CommEx Operations.

• Support the Commercial Planning and Strategy teams to establish equitable sprint period and annual execution objectives and quantify the incremental commercial value.
• Collaborate with D&T and CommEx Operations on optimizing enterprise performance management tools including Commercial Scorecards, Leaderboards, KPI Dashboards, Annual SIP Performance Tracker.
• Execution focus areas include Distribution, Displays, Point of Distribution (POD), Cold Box, Menu Placement, Point of Sale Materials

Opportunity Identification

Support cross-functional teams to drive data-led opportunity identification and development of commercial growth plans.

• Partner on annual Commercial Growth Plans identifying opportunities by Customer, State, Market, Category, Segment, Price Tier, Brand, Variant, Package Size.
• Partner cross-functionally with CommEx Operations, Commercial Strategy, Finance, Brand Marketing, Channel & Category Development, and Sales Leadership
• Translate insights into actionable commercial priorities.

Commercial Leadership & Governance

Partner with the Sr. Director, Commercialization to lead the operating cadence that keeps the Commercial organization aligned, informed, and accountable.

• Participate in the weekly Commercial Leadership meeting.
• Contribute to agendas focused on priorities, decisions and execution.
• Coordinate cross-functional communication.
• Manage Monthly Business Reviews.
• Publish Mid-Month and End-of-Month Depletion Updates and Commentary.
• Deliver Commercial performance updates to Commercial Leadership.
• Drive governance around planning, reporting and commercial accountability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 5-10 years’ experience in the Spirits, Beer, RTD alcohol categories, with deep understanding of its route-to-market dynamics.
• Demonstrated track record of developing and executing commercial strategies that drive growth and market share.
• Strong experience working with third-party distributors and managing senior-level trade relationships.
• Experience operating in a matrixed organization, effectively managing internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience balancing strategic planning with hands-on execution in high-growth or entrepreneurial environments.

Demonstratable Leadership Skills

• Engagement – dynamic individual with the ability to build trust quickly and communicate a strategy.
• Influence – ability to guide key stakeholders who potentially have competing agendas, focus on gaining alignment, not agreement
• Negotiation – engaging in a dialogue designed to drive an outcome which satisfies various interests.
• Prioritization – effectively identifies and communicates high value opportunities
• Simplification – minimizes low value activities to maximize effectiveness and impact of their team.
• Collaboration – experience managing projects or initiatives across multiple functions.
• Orchestration – proven track record of coordinating a group of individuals around a shared ambition and holding them accountable for performance.

The salary range for this role is $170,000- $200,000 along with an annual bonus, 401K match, profit sharing, and medical and wellness benefits. The salary range is commensurate with the candidate’s location, experience, and skillset. The range will vary if outside of this location.

While relocation, immigration, and/or tax compliance support are not guaranteed, we may offer assistance to successful candidates depending on factors such as role requirements in accordance with company guidelines.

At Suntory Global Spirits, people are our number one priority, and we believe our people grow together in diverse and inclusive environments where their unique insights, experiences and backgrounds are valued and respected. Suntory Global Spirits is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, military veteran status and all other characteristics, attributes or choices protected by law. All recruitment and hiring decisions are based on an applicant’s skills and experience.