Handcrafted Wine & Spirits
Location: St. Louis, MO.
Position Type: Full-Time.
Reports To: Vice President of Sales, Missouri.
About Handcrafted Wine & Spirits:
Handcrafted Wine & Spirits is an established wine and spirits distributor operating in Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Oregon, and is expanding into Missouri. This is an opportunity to join a growing, entrepreneurial distributor at the ground level in a new market while benefiting from the portfolio, infrastructure, and experience of a multi-state organization.
We are seeking a highly motivated, relationship-driven Director of Chain Sales, Missouri to lead chain account development and execution across the state. This role is based in St. Louis and will report directly to the Vice President of Sales, Missouri.
Position Summary:
The Director of Chain Sales will be responsible for building and managing Handcrafted’s chain business across grocery, liquor, club, mass, convenience, and regional multi-unit accounts throughout Missouri. This role will focus on developing key buyer relationships, securing new authorizations, executing supplier priorities, managing pricing and programming, and partnering with the sales team to ensure strong account-level execution.
This is a hands-on leadership role in a startup-market environment. The ideal candidate is entrepreneurial, organized, credible with buyers, comfortable building systems from the ground up, and experienced in translating supplier priorities into profitable chain growth.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and manage relationships with key off-premise chain buyers and decision makers across Missouri.
- Target and grow business with major Missouri chain and multi-unit retailers, including grocery, liquor, club, mass, convenience, and high-volume independent accounts.
- Build annual, quarterly, and monthly chain account plans aligned with Handcrafted’s sales goals and supplier priorities.
- Present new items, secure authorizations, expand distribution, and drive placements, displays, features, ads, and promotional activity.
- Monitor pricing, merchandising, competitive activity, and store-level execution.
- Partner with suppliers to support priority brands, programming windows, innovation launches, pricing strategy, and display objectives.
- Work closely with the VP of Sales, sales consultants, suppliers, and operations team to ensure chain programs are executed accurately and on time.
- Maintain account plans, sales trackers, pricing files, authorization lists, programming calendars, and account recaps.
- Track performance by account, supplier, brand, SKU, cases, revenue, gross profit, distribution, and program ROI.
- Provide timely communication to leadership regarding account wins, execution gaps, competitive activity, and follow-up needs.
Key Account Focus:
The Director of Chain Sales should have or be able to develop meaningful relationships across Missouri’s most important off-premise account types, including:
- Grocery / Regional Grocery: Schnucks, Dierbergs, Hy-Vee, Price Chopper, Straub’s, and other regional grocery operators.
- Club / Mass / National Retail: Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, Target, Total Wine & More, and other national retail accounts active in Missouri.
- Liquor / Specialty Retail: Macadoodles, Brown Derby, Randall’s Wine & Spirits, Gomer’s, Mike’s Wine & Spirits, and other high-volume independent or multi-location retailers.
- Convenience / Multi-Unit Retail: Regional convenience, grocery-adjacent, and multi-location accounts where spirits, RTDs, wine, and value-tier opportunities exist.
Qualifications:
- 5-7+ years of wine and spirits distributor or supplier sales experience, preferably with chain, key account, national account, or off-premise leadership exposure.
- Strong working knowledge of the Missouri wine and spirits market.
- Existing relationships with Missouri chain buyers, liquor retailers, grocery accounts, club/mass accounts, or high-volume independent retailers strongly preferred.
- Proven ability to develop buyer relationships, secure new placements, manage programs, and grow sales profitably.
- Experience with pricing, programming, depletion allowances, displays, features, new item presentations, and account planning.
- Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, organization, and follow-up skills.
- Ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial environment where structure is being built while business is being developed.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and sales reporting tools; Encompass or similar distributor ERP experience is a plus.
- Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and ability to travel throughout Missouri as needed.
- Ability to lift up to 40 lbs. when required for tastings, events, samples, and account support.
Preferred Experience:
- Experience working with premium wine, spirits, craft spirits, emerging brands, family-owned suppliers, and/or national supplier portfolios.
- Experience building chain business within a new distributor, new market, or high-growth sales organization.
- Category management, syndicated data, shelf set, or retail analytics experience.
- Experience presenting business reviews to suppliers, customers, or executive leadership.
Success Measures:
Success in this role will be measured by the ability to:
- Secure new chain authorizations and expand distribution.
- Build strong buyer and supplier relationships.
- Execute supplier priorities with discipline and measurable ROI.
- Grow revenue, case volume, gross profit, and account penetration.
- Improve visibility, availability, velocity, and display execution for our brands.
- Help establish Handcrafted as a professional, execution-focused distributor in Missouri.
Compensation:
Competitive compensation package including base salary, performance-based bonus opportunity, car allowance, and T&E budget. Final compensation will be based on experience, relationships, market knowledge, and demonstrated ability to build and manage chain account business.
Why Join Handcrafted:
This is a rare opportunity to help build Handcrafted’s Missouri business from the ground up while joining a company already operating successfully across four states. The Director of Chain Sales will play a critical role in shaping our Missouri chain strategy, establishing key account relationships, supporting supplier partnerships, and building long-term brand equity in one of the Midwest’s most important beverage alcohol markets.
Handcrafted is looking for a leader who wants ownership, accountability, and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact.
Equal Opportunity Statement:
Handcrafted Wine & Spirits is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of the customers, suppliers, and communities we serve. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.