VP, Brand Management

VP, Brand Management New York, NY | Department: Brand Management | Reports To: COO &President VINTUS is a leading importer and marketer of fine wines, representing some of the world's most celebrated producers. We are passionate advocates for the estates and brands in our portfolio, and we partner closely with our supplier network, distributor partners, trade accounts, and collectors to build brands that endure. At VINTUS, brand management is the engine of everything we do. OVERVIEW The Vice President, Brand Management serves as the primary steward of a portfolio of fine wine brands within the national VINTUS family. This senior leader owns the full lifecycle of brand development and supplier partnership — from strategic positioning, route to market, pricing, team KPIs, and oversight with the Sales Team of market planning and execution. This position entails overseeing a specific set of portfolio responsibilities as well as a team of 5 Brand Managers, creating and setting standards for supplier engagement, brand execution, and commercial rigor across the Team. The VP, Brand Management is a proactive, commercially minded leader who thrives on building long-term supplier relationships, identifying market opportunities, and championing their brands with conviction across all channels. This position sits on the Executive Team, driving collaboration with senior leadership on brand planning and execution, company structure, and company direction. A key part of this role also involves driving continuous improvement, making processes more efficient and impactful, and identifying company business and brand opportunities. Team Leadership & Development Directly manage a team of Brand Managers, providing day-to-day direction, coaching, and performance feedback. Set clear priorities and workload expectations across the team, ensuring consistent execution standards and accountability. Mentor Brand Managers in supplier relationship management, market analysis, brand strategy, and commercial thinking. Foster a collaborative, high-performance team culture aligned with VINTUS' values and commercial objectives. Serve as an escalation point for complex supplier issues, negotiations, or cross-functional challenges arising within the team. Supplier Relationship Management Serve as the primary contact for a dedicated portfolio of suppliers, managing planned and ad hoc communications with professionalism and urgency. Build and maintain a proactive supplier engagement calendar, ensuring regular touchpoints, business reviews, and strategic planning sessions. Lead pricing negotiations and discussions and A&P budget creation and tracking, coordinate supplier visits. Attend and host Gatekeeper group trips and wine fairs; manage all associated logistics, reporting, and financial reconciliation. Proactively surface market issues, competitive dynamics, and growth opportunities to supplier partners with recommended actions. Brand Strategy & Market Intelligence Work with the Team to develop and maintain clear brand positioning and messaging frameworks for each brand in the portfolio. Create Key Performance Indicators to drive sales strategies and ultimately results. Conduct ongoing competitive and market analysis leveraging syndicated data sources including Circana, Somm.ai, Gomberg, and others. Generate and present monthly standing inventory and shipment forecast reports for suppliers, translating data into actionable commercial insights. Brand Content & Communications Work with the Marketing and Content Teams on refining and improving brand content and suite of tools. Manage advertising and media planning and buying, including digital ad spend management and POS development and deployment. Events & Trade Engagement With the Marketing Team, plan and execute key brand events, including high-profile launches. Represent VINTUS and its supplier partners at trade shows, portfolio tastings, and industry events. Entertain and build relationships with suppliers, distributors, and key trade accounts. Travel regularly for market work and to support distributor and account-level brand building. Deliver brand presentations at VINTUS GSM meetings and other national/regional sales forums. QUALIFICATIONS 8+ years of progressive experience in wine brand management, import, or supplier-facing sales and marketing roles. 4+ years of experience managing or mentoring direct reports, with a track record of developing talent. Deep knowledge of the fine and luxury wine category; familiarity with key producing regions and the competitive import landscape. Demonstrated experience managing supplier relationships at a senior level, including contract and pricing negotiations. Understanding of AI tools and opportunities to improve processes and create impactful tools, communications and systems. Proficiency with market data tools including Circana, Somm.ai, Gomberg, and comparable platforms. Strong commercial acumen with the ability to translate data into compelling narratives and action plans. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; confident presenter to both internal and external audiences. Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple brands, projects, and stakeholders simultaneously. WSET Diploma, Certified Sommelier, or equivalent wine credential preferred. This position is identified as being performed in/or reporting to company operations in the United States.Salary commensurate with experience in the range of $180,000- $225,000 a year. WHAT WE OFFER A rare opportunity to represent some of the finest wine estates in the world. A collaborative, entrepreneurial culture that values expertise, initiative, relationships. Ongoing education and exposure to world-class producers and marketsJob category: Sales and Marketing