Typical Pay/Range:  $70,000 - $90,000 Annually

The Wine Category Manager is responsible for the management and oversight of the wine category at Liquor Stores USA, North, to include Sake, Mead, and NA Wine products. The Wine Category Manager works closely with store teams, marketing, and vendor partners to achieve sales and margin goals. The Wine Category Manager also works with the Training Manager to provide educational opportunities for staff, manages wine-related projects, and conducts internal and public tastings.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for wine gross margin performance, inventory turns, and stock levels across all LSUN banners
• Manages wine product selection, pricing, and merchandising strategy across all banners
• Works closely with product management, loss prevention, and operations team to meet company objectives
• Oversees merchandising standards and display activity
• Manages bulk purchasing and inventory levels at LSUN banners and transfer warehouse
• Works closely with marketing team to promote and execute events
• Maintains a regular cadence of tasting events to generate sales and build customer engagement and loyalty
• Creates and manages large-scale tentpole sales events that drive traffic and position LSUN banners as the market leaders in the competitive space
• Works closely with Training Manager to develop staff through ongoing product education programs
• Leads business to business sales efforts to build licensee sales
• Manages private label program and other exclusive opportunities
• Maintains distributor and supplier relationships
• Ensures company compliance to state and federal alcohol regulations pertaining to purchasing and merchandising
• And all other duties as assigned

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• High School Degree or GED Required
• Hold an intermediate or advanced wine certification such as Certified Specialist of Wine, WSET in Wine Level 3, or Court of Master Sommeliers Level 2
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite, and should be confident using intermediate functions of excel, including formulas and pivot tables
• Positive attitude and excellent communication skills both written and oral
• Comfortable speaking and presenting to large groups
• Able to compose business correspondences and create visual presentations of data
• Able to work well in a team environment
• Must have reliable personal vehicle transportation
• Able to meet reporting and purchasing deadlines
• Self-motivated and able to manage multiple projects and job responsibilities
• Able to work evenings and weekends when required for special events
• Must possess or be willing to obtain TIPS or TAPS certification