General Manager

Johnson Brothers Liquor Company; Johnston (IA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dynamic General Manager to lead their branch operations. This role is pivotal in driving strategic planning, enhancing market share, and fostering a high-performance culture. The ideal candidate will inspire a diverse team, manage supplier relationships, and ensure operational excellence. With a commitment to innovation and integrity, this opportunity offers a chance to make a significant impact in a well-respected company. Join a team that values collaboration and strives for excellence in every endeavor, all while being part of a company recognized for its trustworthiness and community engagement.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in sales and marketing with a focus on leadership.
• Proven ability to manage budgets and deliver results across multiple teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the branch to achieve strategic goals and drive profitability.
• Develop and maintain relationships with suppliers and community leaders.

Skills

Sales Leadership

Team Development

Strategic Planning

Market Analysis

Communication Skills

Problem Solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business or related field

Job description

Johnson Brothers is a family-owned wine, spirits, and beer distributor headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. With over 3,500 employees, the company has been providing world-class service to customers throughout the United States since 1953 and now operates in over 20 states. Johnson Brothers is focused on creating and innovating, which is one of our values, along with high integrity, obvious passion, and extreme focus on excellence, collaborative teamwork, and everyday work ethic.

The General Manager is the face of Johnson Brothers in the market and the overall leader in the branch. A role model for high performance, they are dedicated to building a high-performance culture and team.

The General Manager is responsible for short and long-term strategic planning, accelerating profitable revenue growth, and increasing market share annually in line with the Company’s values, strategy, and goals. The General Manager collaborates cross-functionally, across all functions, ensuring a one-team approach. The General Manager must share successful, repeatable, scalable best practices with other leaders to build a formidable team environment.

The General Manager is jointly accountable with the designated Operations Manager/Director for delivering the Branch Operating Profit Plan.

Job Description:

Overall

• Drives results, develops people, and delivers the annual operating plan before corporate charge. (OPBC)

Culture/Structure/People

• Inspire, lead, and develop a diverse commercial team that meets diversity requirements set by the executive team and I&D council
• Gender, Culture, Thought, Experience, Skill set
• Drive a continuous training culture of attracting, retaining, developing, and promoting from within.
• Build a highly engaged and high-performing team.
• Continuously reviews structure, optimize route to market and remain relevant with customers and suppliers.
• Ensure that leaders conduct people processes according to company policies and procedures.

Commercial Strategy

• Direct the analysis of market share, consumer trends, and competitive practices by the market
• Identify strategic gaps and/or competitive gaps (pricing, portfolio, new business opportunities)
• Communicate local strategies and tactics to the executive leadership team and ensure execution across all channels, categories, and suppliers.
• Identifies gaps in strategic capabilities and proposes solutions to fix.
• Utilize central assets, e.g., business analytics team using fact-based data to influence/recommend direction and enhance the company’s position within the market.

Trade Development and Supplier Performance

• Proactively maximizes profitability through price, deal mix, deal levels, and supplier performance management.
• Identifies, attracts, and retains new suppliers who are Strategic, Material, and Profitable
• Builds and presents compelling selling stories to new and existing suppliers, ensuring Johnson Brothers is assigned new brands and products that are accretive to gross profit.
• Plan, execute, manage, and track Supplier KPI’s and Annual Operating Plans
• Develop collaborative Supplier Relationships designed to maximize Supplier and Johnson Brothers Profitability

Business Planning and Plan Execution

• Prepare, present, and deliver the annual and medium-term commercial budgets, delivering at minimum company targets.
• Develop and implement tactics to meet sales plans that support the needs and mission of the organization; cascade productivity expectations to the management team and hold them responsible for meeting supplier sales goals and upholding corporate sales strategies
• Ensure sales and merchandising leadership is working with priority objectives adhering to company policies to achieve maximum market penetration of our company brands.
• Ensure communication and execution of the Supplier short and long-term goals and objectives are met in conjunction with achieving the annual budget. Ensure reporting against goals is consistent and timely.
• Finance - AR and bill backs, inventory

Continuous Improvement and Local Presence.

• Drive excellence through the continued implementation of best sales strategies/practices, processes, and operations to maximize the efficiency of the sales organization
• Demonstrate the ability to lead problem-solving, test and fail fast, learn, and improve.
• Welcome and demonstrate an optimistic attitude towards new thoughts and ideas from all
• Build and maintain relationships with community leaders, government officials, and senior staff/board members
• Participate in and nurture broad networks of alliances with others to exchange knowledge and information about learning and change in support of change initiatives
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned or required including growing profitable sales revenues by analyzing market surveys and sales statistics; estimating volume and profit potential; preparing sales forecasts; researching, testing, and introducing new products; establishing sales policy, objectives, pricing, and discounts; establishing territories; assigning quotas; developing and establishing promotional strategies; directing staff.

Branch Operations

• Collaborate with COO, VP Operations, and Regional and Branch Operations management and:
• Manage Branch operations within the approved annual OPEX Budget.
• Deliver what our customers want, when they want it, where they want it.
• Review routing and delivery cadence, optimize routes, and maximize JB profitability and competitive advantage
• Review financial statements and data; utilize reporting to improve profitability and customer service levels
• Collaborate on not lead the Recruitment, development, and training of Operations leaders in the Branch.
• Lead monthly branch S&OP meetings, ensuring forecast accuracy, inventory, and service level goals are met.

Leadership Qualities

• Cultivate a high-performance culture of high integrity, trust, and respect.
• Having a high energy level and a strong work ethic is infectious.
• Lead from the front and inspire others to operate at their best.
• Demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning, growth, and improvement and foster this among their team
• Drive deep accountability for performance.
• Bring a genuine passion for people.
• Bring an innovative and curious mindset and approach.
• Be a role model for inclusive leadership.
• Communicate with clarity, conviction, and confidence while always remaining humble and open to new ideas.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field plus ten years of experience Or An equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience:

• Ten years of sales and marketing industry-related experience, delivering results, leading, and managing multiple teams over multiple geographies.
• Experience with P&L responsibility, creating, owning, and managing budgets, and the ability to create and maintain various management reports
• Ability to travel as needed
• Excellent presentation and written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience:

• Managed National Accounts: Proven experience managing large-scale national accounts, ensuring consistent growth and meeting performance targets.
• Supplier Performance Management: Expertise in evaluating and improving supplier performance to meet quality, cost, and delivery standards.
• On-Premise & Retail Sales Leadership: Strong leadership in driving sales strategies across both on-premise and retail environments, leading teams to achieve sales goals.
• Revenue Management & Trade Development: Adept at managing revenue streams and developing trade strategies to maximize profitability and market share.
• Both Franchise/Non-Franchise Markets: Experience working in both franchise and non-franchise market environments, adapting strategies to fit varying business models.
• Both Chain & Independent Driven Markets: Proven success in both chain-driven markets and independently run operations, balancing diverse market needs.
• Control/Open Markets: Familiarity with working in both controlled and open markets, adjusting strategies to meet different regulatory and competitive conditions.
• Cross-functional, Specifically Finance or Operations: A cross-functional background with significant experience in finance or operations to contribute to strategic decision-making.
• Diversity of Geography and Cultures: Experience working across various geographies and cultures, demonstrating the ability to adapt to different market dynamics.
• Supplier & Distributor: Expertise in navigating relationships and operations within both supplier and distributor networks to ensure seamless collaboration and performance.

Professional Abilities

• Develop Relationships: Skilled at building and maintaining strong, long-term relationships with key stakeholders, clients, and suppliers.
• Ruthless Prioritization: Expert in identifying and focusing on the most impactful tasks and initiatives, ensuring efficient use of resources.
• Identify Gaps: Capable of assessing processes and systems to identify inefficiencies or missing elements, and driving improvements.
• Work Cross-Functionally: Adept at collaborating across departments, ensuring alignment and achieving business goals through diverse teams.
• Problem-Solve: Possesses strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to navigate complex challenges effectively.

Johnson Brothers is an equal opportunity employer, committed to fair treatment and hiring based on qualifications. We prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, military status, or any other protected status under applicable laws.

Worker Sub-Type:

Regular

Time Type:

Full time

About Us

Johnson Brothers is a single-family owned wine, beer, and spirits distributor, led by Michael and Todd Johnson. Founded in 1953 by their father, Lynn Johnson, the company has grown into one of the largest wholesale distribution companies in the United States, operating across 17 states. Johnson Brothers partners with top-tier suppliers to deliver a world-class portfolio and exceptional customer service. The company remains rooted in its founding values of integrity, innovation, and excellence. For the third year in a row, Newsweek has named Johnson Brothers one of America’s Most Trustworthy Companies for 2025. Learn more at johnsonbrothers.com | LinkedIn | Instagram.