Job: Head of US Sales (Shisha, Tobacco, Cannabis)

Our Client

Our client for this Head of Sales position is a fast growing and the leading global brand for shisha/hookah consumables, now opening new lines of products in tobacco and cannabis across the US.

Objective

The Sales Director is charged with increasing the sales of existing and new products throughout their go-to-market channels (off-line only). Key responsibilities will be a combination of direct engagement of / management of key distributors, and managing Sales team to outperformance against key objectives. This position also includes direct account responsibility for key on and off-premise accounts, securing new distribution in existing and new top accounts, and working closely with the distributor network to maintain/develop all accounts.

Responsibilities

• 70% focus on direct management of key distributors and owning cross-distributor strategy (Eg, tiering of distributors)
  • Direct engagement with owners / key personnel within our top distributors
  • Accountable for approving pricing of all SKUs / lines of product
  • Develop and manage trade incentive / free good budget
• 30% Field-execution
  • Oversees Region Managers, setting and managing execution in-market and ensuring continued high performance against objectives
  • Partners with and develops plans to mitigate risk and drive further opportunities to extend top and bottom line
  • Owns talent recruitment / talent development of field sales team
• Develop a comprehensive sales plan for our products that includes pricing analysis, revenue targets, target retailers, and sales team activities.
• Defines and delivers go-to-market process, working in close collaboration with trade marketing team and online sales team to drive optimal process for the company across omnichannel
• Designs and presents new programs to distributors to continue to drive in-store execution
• Fully accountable for the annual planning process, including pricing, programming, and forecasting sales based on sales related data.
• Drives monthly forecasting process, working in conjunction with Supply Director and global SOP team to drive high accuracy and improve position of NWC.
• Engages in consumer-facing events, acting as an ambassador, advocating for our brands, including hosting events, leveraging social media and other tools to promote for the company’s products and brands
• Work with distributors to gather the necessary information to assist senior management on internal planning, forecasting, and inventory management.

Requirements

• Arabic speaker would be a strong plus for the large existing Shisha business of the company
• Knowledge of the tobacco space/vape space – excise taxes, state tobacco taxes, and “black market” risks associated with the category.
• Knowledgeable about hookah/shisha tobacco would be a strong plus!
• Thick skinned and very strong negotiator (needed for the management of the existing shisha distributors)
• Trade Market/In-store Activation – not sure if this is the same person but ideally this experience would be a huge plus.
• Willing to travel all the over the USA as distributors are spread out and will need to be visited quarterly
• High EQ and listening component
• Appreciated previous experience: Bacardi, Diageo, Moet Hennessy, Pernod Ricard, RJ Reynolds, Imperial Tobacco, Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Medmen, Cura CS, Kush Bottles, Mammoth Distribution,
• Appreciated previous titles: VP Sales, Sales Director, Director of Sales