Director of Refreshment Strategy - Spirits & On-Premise Sales

Suntory Global Spirits is looking for someone to lead the development, learning collection, and commercial scale-up of its refreshment strategy in the On-Premise channel. You would lead the center of excellence for Refreshment Solutions, identifying customers and testing and scaling signature refreshment serves and operational solutions. The goal is to improve the consumer experience, speed up service, and drive profitable growth for customers and SGS brands. The role works with consumer insights, brand strategy, commercial teams, and key customers to build refreshment programs that can be adopted across priority On-Premise accounts and occasions.

Key responsibilities

Lead Refreshment PDCA (Plan Do Check Act) and commercial coaching

• Work with U.S. and Global Brands, Advocacy, and R&D teams to identify refreshment-focused signature serves and speed-to-service solutions.
• Target key refreshment occasions and consumption moments where SGS brands can win.
• Set a clear roadmap and plan for execution, with quantitative and qualitative measures.
• Build feedback loops between sales, customers, distributors, and brand, including bi-weekly and monthly meetings with the commercial team.
• Work with D&T to improve how sales learnings are captured in Salesforce.
• Turn insights into recommendations and share learnings across the organization.
• Foster a test-and-learn culture and lead through field engagement and coaching rather than headquarters direction alone.

Support execution of refreshment serves and speed-to-service solutions

• Work with Strategy, Insights, and Channel Development on criteria for account targeting and goaling.
• Develop playbooks and activation materials to support customer adoption.
• Oversee best-in-class execution of marketing programs in accounts.
• Partner with Field Marketing and Sales on budget management and effectiveness.
• Ensure serve consistency and strong Trade Education.
• Support Global Brand refreshment pilots and share learnings.
• Stay connected to frontline teams and customers through regular market visits.

Commercial scale-up

• Work with U.S. Brands and Commercial leadership to define and evolve the On-Premise refreshment strategy.
• Establish best practices and scalable frameworks that can be replicated across markets and accounts.
• Work with Channel Development, Channel Marketing, and Commercial Marketing to improve sell sheets and POS.
• Ensure serves are commercially viable, operationally efficient, and scalable.

Experience required

• 5-10 years in the Beverage Alcohol industry, with proven spirits experience and deep knowledge of route-to-market dynamics.
• Willingness to travel 50%.
• Success coaching, developing, and influencing sales and field teams.
• Experience designing and implementing commercial capability-building programs, training curricula, and field toolkits.
• Experience leading pilot programs and turning field learnings into scalable practices.
• Experience identifying unmet consumer needs and turning insights into commercial solutions.
• Experience in a matrixed organization, managing internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience balancing strategic planning with hands-on execution in high-growth or entrepreneurial environments.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Technical skills

• Beverage alcohol and spirits route-to-market knowledge
• On-Premise channel strategy and account targeting
• Pilot programs and test-and-learn frameworks
• Playbook, training curriculum, and field toolkit development
• Consumer insights, POS, and sell sheet optimization
• Budget management and Salesforce

Soft skills

• Coaching and influencing sales and field teams
• Cross-functional collaboration in a matrixed organization
• Turning insights into actionable recommendations
• Balancing strategy with hands-on execution
• Entrepreneurial mindset and comfort with experimentation

Benefits

• Annual bonus
• 401K match
• Profit sharing
• Medical and wellness benefits
• Possible relocation, immigration, or tax compliance support, which is not guaranteed