Vice President – Sales & Marketing

Vice President – Sales & Marketing
Cave Spring Vineyard & The Vine Agency

Authenticity. Distinction. Character.

More than three decades ago, the Pennachetti family were pioneers in the cultivation of noble European varietals on the Niagara Peninsula with the planting of their first Riesling and Chardonnay vines at Cave Spring Vineyard. In the years since, Cave Spring has established itself as one of Canada’s most preeminent and highly acclaimed wineries, earning a reputation for crafting elegant and exceptional cool-climate wines in the heart of Ontario’s wine country.

In 2003, Cave Spring partnered with The Vine Agency, a leading importer and distributor of premium wines, based out of Toronto. The agency was founded on a passion for extraordinary wine, with a quest to seek smaller, exclusive wineries that showcase the unique style and character of the terroir of their region of origin.

In 2017, Cave Spring acquired The Vine Agency, bringing together one of Ontario’s most distinguished wineries with one of Toronto’s most reputable wine agencies.

Reporting to the President, the Vice President, Sales & Marketing is key in developing the foundation and strategy of the sales and marketing teams to drive both Cave Spring Vineyard and The Vine Agency, into the future. The Vice President, Sales & Marketing is a strategic thinker who charts the course, develops the vision, and implements the plan that will ultimately propel the organization into the future. This position will contribute meaningful insight to the sales and marketing functions and play an integral role in the overall future of both the winery and agency. A strong and proven track record of developing business plans and strategies, collaborating with partners and managing budgets is required in this role to ensure successful results. An in-depth knowledge and experience in the domestic and import wine industries is imperative to lead an experienced team, brand, and portfolio into the future. Possessing an engaging leadership style that fosters strong collaborative internal relationships, is key to being successful and driving the organization through its strategic plan.

Duties & Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

• Play a key role in the strategic planning process for both the winery and agency
• Understand the inner workings of the organization, always mindful of the needs of the employees as well
• Write the strategic plan and present to management, employees, and other stakeholders
• Track progress and effectiveness of strategies and make changes as required
• Review roles and tasks on the sales and marketing teams and align with the needs of the organization

Sales

• Lead winery and agency sales managers through the planning process; monitor and allocate resources effectively
• Work closely with the Senior Vice President to set long-term sales development goals, as the Senior Vice President will keep these goals in mind while coaching and mentoring the sales team
• Establish clear sales metrics and benchmarks for measuring progress and maintaining focus
• Establish and maintain a strong network of relationships within the industry
• Oversee development of reporting measures, such as scorecards and KPIs that support strategy
• Review the CRM platform, collaborate with teams and Senior Vice President to maximize the organization’s technology and resources

Marketing

• Create an organization wide marketing reporting function that can track, measure, and analyze performance
• Collaboratively develop the annual marketing plan and strategies, tactics, and resources necessary to achieve goals
• Monthly performance reporting including variance and margin analysis by sales channel for both winery and agency
• Overseeing the development of strategic promotional plans for all sales channels
• Build upon and deliver “best in class” consumer driven, innovative and agile processes for all sales channels and platforms
• Responsible for developing strategic promotional plans and managing the preparation of marketing campaigns
• Oversee the team’s development and delivery process
• Work closely with operations to manage supply and all product launches
• Work collaboratively on brand awareness, packaging design, public relations, media, and the creative team from brainstorming through to final production
• Collaboratively lead and oversee all social media platforms, including web store
• Keep pace with current and ever-changing industry trends (both domestic and import) and practices across key functions such as social media and digital marketing

Qualification and Skills

• Proven leadership experience as a strategic thinker; operate at both a strategic/conceptual level and at a detailed, operational level
• Ability to lead change, coach, mentor, and motivate employees
• Engaging leadership style that builds and sustains credibility with staff, colleagues, customers, and other stakeholders
• Proficient in financial analysis, establishing sales and marketing plans
• Metrics driven
• Strong interpersonal skills, maturity, and good judgement, capable of communicating with a diverse range of individuals
• Hands-on, action-oriented approach that fits well with the culture
• 10-15 years experience in the domestic and import wine industry
• 5-10 years senior management experience
• Excellent presentation, organization, analytical and communication skills
• Decisive and creative problem solver

Travel between both offices is required.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Work Location: One location