General Sales Manager - Spirits

johnsonbrothers; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson Brothers, a leading family-owned distributor of wine, spirits, and beer, is seeking an experienced executive to lead growth across a major Texas territory. You will own the end-to-end P&L, translate corporate strategy into regional plans, and drive market expansion through strategic pricing, trade investments, and channel optimization.

The role requires 12+ years of commercial leadership, a strong track record in multi-channel sales, and the ability to build high-performing teams while

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or related field; MBA strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end P&L with accountability for revenue growth, profitability, and operational leverage.
• Translate enterprise strategy into regional growth plans with KPIs across sales, marketing, trade, analytics.
• Lead multi-tiered sales org across channels (on-premise, off-premise, national accounts, independents).
• Define and execute dynamic sales strategies to expand market share and drive growth.
• Negotiate with suppliers and manage Joint Business Plans to drive activation and brand acceleration.
• Partner with operations and finance to ensure seamless delivery, logistics, demand planning, inventory, and trade spend.
• Lead S&OP reviews to align forecasts, inventory, and service with revenue goals.
• Build a diverse leadership bench and foster an inclusive, accountable culture.
• Drive continuous improvement and agile learning across regions and silos.

Skills

P&L ownership

Sales leadership

Strategic planning

Supplier engagement

Multi-channel sales

Negotiation

Financial acumen

Team development

Change leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Marketing

MBA (preferred)

Tools

CRM systems

Forecasting tools

S&OP process

Job description

We're Growing - Come Grow With Us!

Are you a strategic, results-driven leader ready to make a bold impact? Johnson Brothers is entering an exciting phase of growth and we're seeking an experienced executive to lead the way! As a leading family-owned distributor of wine, spirits, and beer since 1953, we pride ourselves on delivering world-class service and representing some of the most iconic brands in the industry. This is a unique opportunity to build a high-performing team, shape go-to-market strategy, and drive long-term growth in a key territory. Join us in shaping the future of the beverage industry.

Job Description:

Leadership

• Own the end-to-end P&L, with full accountability for top-line revenue growth, bottom-line profitability, and operational leverage across the branch or regional market.
• Translate enterprise strategy into actionable regional growth plans with measurable KPIs across all commercial teams (sales, marketing, trade, analytics).
• Drive breakthrough growth in both volume and value, leveraging pricing strategy, mix management, and whitespace market development.

Sales Leadership & Market Expansion

• Lead a high-performing, multi-tiered sales organization across all channels (on-premise, off-premise, national accounts, independents).
• Define and execute dynamic sales strategies to expand market share, penetrate underdeveloped segments, and deliver sustainable year-over-year growth.
• Implement data-driven sales planning, forecasting, and territory management aligned with route-to-market optimization.

Strategic Supplier Engagement

• Serve as the executive point of contact for key supplier partners-national, strategic, and emerging-building long-term, mutually profitable relationships.
• Negotiate and operationalize Annual Operating Plans (AOPs) and Joint Business Plans (JBPs) to drive portfolio activation, innovation launches, and brand acceleration.
• Establish and govern supplier KPIs, sales targets, promotional investment returns, and distribution goals to deliver win-win outcomes.

Cross-Functional and Operational Excellence

• Partner with regional operations and finance leaders to ensure seamless execution across delivery, logistics, demand planning, inventory, and trade spending.
• Lead monthly Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) reviews to align forecasts, inventory levels, and service performance with revenue goals.
• Monitor branch-level operating expenses, AR, and working capital targets, collaborating on corrective actions as needed.

People & Culture Leadership

• Build and develop a diverse, high-performing leadership bench. Cultivate an inclusive culture rooted in accountability, innovation, and professional growth.
• Inspire through vision and clarity of purpose-coaching and mentoring leaders at all levels to drive business impact and team engagement.
• Foster a continuous improvement mindset by encouraging experimentation, agile learning, and change leadership.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field (MBA strongly preferred).
• 12+ years of progressive commercial leadership experience, with demonstrated success leading multi-channel sales teams, owning a full P&L, and delivering complex revenue strategies.
• Proven track record of driving growth in both franchise and non-franchise markets, across control and open states.

Preferred Experience

• Deep experience managing national or high-priority supplier portfolios, including strategic alignment, negotiation, and performance management.
• Background in both supplier and distributor environments, with the ability to navigate joint planning and execution complexities.
• Demonstrated success leading business transformation efforts and scaling best practices across regions and functional silos.
• Strong financial acumen, including pricing strategy, trade investment ROI, and cost-to-serve analysis.

Executive Competencies

• Strategic Agility: Synthesizes insights to shape proactive strategies in dynamic market conditions.
• Influential Communication: Inspires confidence and mobilizes internal and external stakeholders around a unified vision.
• Customer & Supplier Centricity: Balances commercial priorities with a sharp understanding of customer and supplier motivations.
• Results-Driven Execution: Sets bold goals and builds disciplined plans to deliver results with urgency and precisi