DIRECTOR OF SALES - Beverage Alcohol

Job Description

<p><strong>About Maverick Distillery</strong></p><p>Maverick Distillery is Ontario's largest private craft distillery and one of Canada's fastest-growing independent spirits companies. Since 2009, we've built award-winning brands including TAG No.5 Vodka, Barnburner Whisky, Ginslinger Gin, Cargo Rum, and Lunàtico Tequila (launching Q1 2026).</p><p>We operate at the intersection of brand, execution, and scale. This is a hands-on, entrepreneurial environment where results matter, accountability is real, and strong performers grow with the business.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>The Opportunity</strong></p><p>We are hiring a Director of Sales to lead, professionalize, and accelerate our Ontario sales performance across on-premise, off-premise, grocery, C-store, and strategic wholesale channels.</p><p>You will own sales strategy and execution-building the plan, leading people, holding partners accountable, and driving measurable growth. You'll work directly with the President and play a central role in shaping how Maverick sells today and at scale tomorrow.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Key Responsibilities</strong></p><p><strong>Sales Strategy & Leadership</strong></p><ul><li>Develop and execute a clear national sales strategy aligned with brand and financial objectives</li><li>Translate strategy into actionable channel plans, targets, and KPIs</li><li>Lead, coach, and develop internal sales staff and external agency partners</li><li>Establish a disciplined sales operating rhythm (planning, forecasting, reporting)</li></ul><p><strong>Channel & Account Development</strong></p><ul><li>Own relationships and progress with key buyers across LCBO, grocery, C-store, and on-premise channels</li><li>Drive new listings, distribution gains, promotional execution, and velocity improvements</li><li>Ensure consistent execution across regions, channels, and brands</li></ul><p><strong>Performance, Data & Tools</strong></p><ul><li>Implement and adopt modern selling tools, including CRM and AI-enabled sales technologies</li><li>Build visibility into pipeline, forecasts, and ROI by channel and brand</li><li>Use data to improve targeting, prioritization, and sales effectiveness-not just reporting</li></ul><p><strong>Cross-Functional Leadership</strong></p><ul><li>Partner closely with Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations to align demand, inventory, and execution</li><li>Provide commercial input into pricing, innovation, brand launches, and go-to-market plans</li><li>Represent sales at the leadership table with clarity, accountability, and credibility</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>What We're Looking For</strong></p><ul><li>8-12+ years of progressive sales leadership experience in beverage alcohol (spirits strongly preferred)</li><li>Proven experience leading teams and/or sales agencies with measurable results</li><li>Strong understanding of Canadian alcohol channels, buyers, and route-to-market dynamics</li><li>Commercially sharp: comfortable with targets, margins, forecasting, and accountability</li><li>Open-minded and curious about modern, AI-enabled selling tools and data-driven decision making</li><li>Direct, decisive, and execution-oriented-this role rewards doers</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>What Success Looks Like in 12 Months</strong></p><ul><li>A clearly defined, executed national sales strategy with visible KPIs</li><li>Improved buyer access, stronger pipelines, and measurable distribution growth</li><li>Sales partners and teams aligned, accountable, and performing</li><li>Forecasting accuracy and sales visibility materially improved</li><li>Maverick positioned to scale faster and more profitably across key channels</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Why Join Maverick</strong></p><ul><li>Direct access to ownership and real decision-making authority</li><li>Opportunity to shape the future of a fast-growing spirits company</li><li>Competitive compensation aligned with responsibility and performance</li><li>Unlimited earning potential based upon successes</li><li>A culture that values initiative, clarity, and results over politics and process</li></ul><p><br></p>