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National Events Manager

Sierra Nevada

Chico, CA

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Job Description

Posted On: January 03, 2017

The first Sierra Nevada beers were sold out of the back of Ken Grossman’s truck in Chico, CA, over 35 years ago. Today we activate nearly 1,000 events nationwide each year to introduce new drinkers to the third largest craft brewery in the United States. This is where you come in! We’re looking for a NATIONAL EVENTS MANAGER to expand our events presence and help move the sales needle in key markets. There’s a lot of noise in the industry right now and we need someone like you to help us cut through the clutter, engaging and entertaining our consumers in a way that’s relevant and alluring. This is a unique opportunity to help tell the story of one of the most well-respected craft breweries in America.


PLEASE NOTE: The start date for this position is targeted for April 2017, overlapping responsibilities with the current National Events Manager through July, 2017


ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES


Team Leader – First up, you’ve got some of the best eventers in the business reporting to you. Many with double-digit tenure with the company. So you know that you’ve got a passionate crew ready to make it happen! We want you to challenge the group, pushing them to new areas of performance and accountability. Build a team ready to go toe-to-toe with any competitor, outthinking brands with a bigger footprint while creating a deeper connection at the local level. And most of all create an environment for open dialogue, where team members can learn from each other and grow both individually and collectively.

  • Manage a team of event professionals that includes an Events Development Manager; Event Team Managers covering each of 7 regions; Event Managers; and Hopstars/in-market eventers
  • Create and maintain strong partnerships with the Sales Team, as well as key stakeholders at each of our three venues: Mills River, NC, the Torpedo Room in Berkeley, CA, and Chico, CA
  • Meet quarterly with team members to review goals and objectives and annually for performance appraisals


    Strategic Thinker – You start the annual event planning process with a blank canvas, so how will you propose to maximize our reach and frequency AND tell a compelling brand story? With a clearly-defined brand positioning as a guide, our Event Teams have the tools they need for selecting cities, venues and events that bring the untold Sierra Nevada story to life. You will provide the direction to ensure that events deliver against goals and objectives in markets selected to build our business.

  • Work with the Brand Management team to identify key markets/regions where strategic sales growth is necessary
  • Manage event strategy as you would any of our integrated, storytelling media, reaching our target with the right message, in the right place, at the right time and with the right frequency
  • Crack the code to show causality between event activations and retail sales and you will GUARANTEE yourself a seat at every planning meeting (and at the pub afterwards!)


    Project Manager – When Ken introduced Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 36 years ago, he wanted to be the best American pale ale out there. Not second or third. Prove to us that you are the best project manager for the job. Show us new ways of approaching event theory, negotiation, design and activation. And while you will have a lot to learn at first about Sierra Nevada, we expect you to have a broad background in big brand events that you can call on to teach new strategies and techniques for success.

  • Select appropriate venues and events based on critical evaluation of opportunities and their ability to engage target drinkers in an authentic, brand-right way
  • Propose and manage an annual budget for event activations by region
  • Create a reporting dashboard for event performance sent monthly to sales and executive teams, including industry benchmarks, competitor activity and trend analysis


    Marketing Influencer – Marketing departments sitting inside office buildings don’t define brands – consumers do. But it’s your job to give them cues to explore new drinking occasions, tapping into their emotional connections with brands to help give meaning to ours. You’ll lead cross-departmental efforts to shape brand positioning and voice, and then explode opportunities to share the story with others. Ambassadorship of your team’s efforts will elevate the company’s understanding of events and their value to the bottom line.

  • Leverage opportunities to promote the events using all marketing means possible
  • Become the expert on the target drinker and raise awareness throughout the organization
  • Communicate the Sierra Nevada story visually and experientially consistent with other marketing executions at retail, on-site at the breweries and tasting rooms and produced events


    Required Skills

    The REQUIREMENTS listed below are representative of the experience, knowledge, skills and/or abilities a candidate must have to be minimally qualified for this position.


    Education & Experience

  • Bachelor’s Degree required; Communications, Marketing, Public Relations or related discipline preferred
  • TEN (10) years related experience, FIVE (5) of those in team management positions
  • Prior distributor and/or beer sales experience is preferred
  • Experience negotiating event and venue contracts
  • Successful track record managing multiple projects, people and budgets
  • Proficient in Microsoft Excel with proven analytics ability, reporting event performance, ROI, trends and seasonality and related insights to events team and executive management


    Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

  • A passion for craft beer is an absolute must, including closely following the marketing efforts of our peer group
  • Great communicator in both verbal and written form, must enjoy giving presentations
  • Highly conversant in brand storytelling strategy with a basic understanding of all media available to promote events, including advertising, social media, digital and public relations
  • Self-starter with ability to anticipate needs and initiate activity in support of business goals
  • Must have superior project management and time management skills. Project management certification is preferred
  • Must be comfortable working in a small, family-run business environment
  • Able to stay calm under pressure
  • Lead by example with a “whatever it takes to get the job done” determination


    Additional REQUIREMENTS to consider before applying

  • Must be able to lift 50 pounds without assistance
  • MUST have a valid Driver’s License with an exemplary driving record free of any major violations in the last FIVE years


    Travel


    This role can work remotely however, frequent travel to Chico, CA, and/or Mills River, NC, areas is required Must be willing/able to travel up to 50% for team meetings, sales/distributor conferences and in-market activations


    Selected candidate will be required to pass a post-offer, pre-employment background check AND driver license check. You must be at least 21 years of age to work for Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.


    **Applications will be accepted until Midnight Pacific time on Sunday, February 5, 2017**