Senior Commercial Manager – Direct to Consumer

Suntory Global Spirits is a world leader in premium spirits. With a clear vision and strategy, a world-class portfolio of brands, and an inclusive, engaging culture, the business is growing its global footprint with an ambition to achieve $10B in sales by 2030.

We are a company rooted in two centuries of family heritage with a rich interplay of diverse cultures. Combining the new with the familiar, we encourage our people to inspire brilliance. To push boundaries. To pursue excellence and quality at every step.

Unleash Your Spirit and join a global team dedicated to crafting new experiences, from seed to sip.

Senior Commercial Manager – Direct to Consumer

This role is open in London, United Kingdom

What makes this a great opportunity

To deliver the most admired premium spirits Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) shopping experience online, we are seeking an experienced and dynamic leader to lead our DTC Sales and Operations. This pivotal role will oversee and drive the performance of our nascent & highly strategic DTC division, leading a team of 4-5 direct reports. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the P&L for three existing brands, with a mandate to optimize and scale operations in close collaboration with a cross-functional team. There is significant potential for geographical expansion and to influence internally to integrate additional brands into our DTC operating platform. Key responsibilities include developing and executing digital sales strategies together with our distribution partner, enhancing customer experience, optimizing supply chain operations, and securing overall long-term business growth in close collaboration with brand houses and local markets. This is a unique opportunity to shape and expand a new sales channel within our organisation

Role Responsibilities

• Serve as the leader & business owner for the DTC channel globally (exclusive North America), possessing a deep understanding of internal and external variables that impact our DTC performance
• Develop and execute comprehensive DTC engagement with key senior stakeholders & senior leadership of cross-functional teams such as Global Brand Houses, Global Digital Commerce, IT and markets
• Create and execute short- & long-term strategy plans for the DTC channel, ensuring alignment with broader organizational objectives (including long-term allocation assignment) and driving NSV & OI growth across multiple brand houses
• Lead a cross-functional team that manages and optimises end-to-end DTC operations, incl. commercial, marketing, fulfilment, delivery, customer service and reporting
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to create innovative and connected shopper journey solutions and campaigns, leveraging emerging technologies and data-driven insights to enhance the overall customer experience and drive conversion rates
• Own & drive the achievement of ambitious DTC KPIs & P&L goals and set challenging targets
• Develop & establish the DTC channel to a new standard channel within the organization that includes the introduction of 1PD value as a new channel selection measurement (vs. profitability)
• Foster strong external collaboration and partnerships with our DTC service providers to mutually grow & expand the DTC business while ensuring seamless execution
• Maintain close connections with all Digital/eCommerce teams globally, actively sharing best practices, insights, and lessons learned to drive cross-regional collaboration, identify synergies, and maximize operational efficiency
• Stay abreast of industry trends, competitive landscape, and emerging best practices, and translating this knowledge into actionable recommendations that drive continuous improvement and innovation

Qualifications and experience

• Commercial experience essential
• Digital experience essential
• Experience leading a team is required
• Experience managing wholesalers and distributers preferred

Key skills and behaviours

• Expert relationship builder
• Well-developed leadership & coaching with proven team leadership and management experience
• Well-developed written & verbal communication, presentation skills

At Suntory Global Spirits, people are our number one priority, and we believe our people grow together in diverse and inclusive environments where their unique insights, experiences and backgrounds are valued and respected. Suntory Global Spirits is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, military veteran status and all other characteristics, attributes or choices protected by law. All recruitment and hiring decisions are based on an applicant’s skills and experience.