State Manager Chains - Texas

Brown-Forman Corporation•Houston, TX

About The Position

The State Manager, Chains leads strategy, planning, and execution for Brown-Forman’s Texas chain business. The position oversees commercial planning, including volume planning, pricing, category management, programming, gift allocations, incentives, and commercial spend budgets. It works with distributors to engage national and regional off-premise chains and ensure plans are executed in the market. The role leads and develops the Texas chain team, manages distributor accountability and relationships, and collaborates with internal stakeholders to align priorities and maximize business opportunities. It monitors business and program performance, manages commercial investments with Finance, leads distributor planning and business reviews, and develops customer strategies that support sustainable growth and profitability. The position also builds strategic relationships with regional chain accounts and uses customer, syndicated, and marketplace insights to improve plans and performance.

Requirements

At least 5 years of sales experience in the beverage alcohol industry, with a record of achieving commercial objectives.
Strong understanding of trade channels, chain customers, and the three-tier distribution system.
Ability to build productive relationships with customers, distributors, and internal partners.
Leadership skills in coaching, developing, and motivating high-performing teams.
Commercial insight to turn business insights, customer needs, and market dynamics into actionable strategies.
Collaborative leadership skills to build alignment and influence across functions and partners.
Strong organizational, prioritization, and deadline-management skills.
Strong analytical and business-planning skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
Willingness to travel up to 30% and work evenings and weekends as needed.
Ability to lift up to 30 pounds.
Valid state driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading chain or key account business in large, complex beverage alcohol markets.
Success working with national and regional chain customers.
Proven ability to lead and influence distributor organizations at various levels.
Strong understanding of pricing, promotional strategy, category management, and commercial investment within chain accounts.
Experience using syndicated data, customer data, and marketplace insights to develop customer strategies and drive commercial decisions.
Success leading and developing direct reports or broader commercial teams.

Responsibilities

Lead the Texas chain business strategy and implement Brown-Forman’s chain business plan, ensuring distributor accountability for results.
Develop and motivate the Texas chain team to achieve business outcomes and strengthen organizational capability.
Collaborate with the Region Chain Manager, Account Managers, Finance, Brand Teams, and Field Marketing to align priorities and business opportunities.
Evaluate business and program performance and adjust plans as needed to meet objectives.
Partner with Finance to manage commercial investments and align spending with plans.
Ensure effective implementation of key initiatives according to priority calendars and customer chain plans.
Lead tertile planning and business reviews with distributors to align priorities and resources.
Build relationships with distributor chain leadership and account teams; establish expectations, execution standards, and accountability, and measure performance.
Develop distributor incentives that support commercial priorities and maintain market presence to understand customer dynamics and maximize investment ROI.
Conduct business reviews with distributor leadership and align with senior distributor leaders through strategic planning and engagement.
Lead sales strategy and execution with regional chain accounts in Texas, building influential customer relationships as a strategic partner.
Develop and execute customer-specific strategies to drive sustainable growth and profitability for Brown-Forman and its customers.
Manage customer commercial investments effectively.
Conduct regular business reviews with customers and distributor teams, using insights to identify opportunities and shape future plans.
Use insights to strengthen customer plans and improve Brown-Forman’s position in key accounts.