GMR Marketing is currently hiring for a Whiskey Category Educator to join our New York team.  Under the direction of the GMR Account Supervisor and the Head of Advocacy, the Whiskey Category Educator will serve as an ambassador for trade education, relationship-building, and both trade and consumer-driven events for all whiskey-based Proximo Spirits brands - premium brands with a deep respect for craft and connoisseurship.

The ideal Whiskey Category Educator is an engaging, charismatic, professional, polished, and articulate candidate with a strong connection to their market, distributor expertise, a robust social media presence, and extensive experience in and knowledge of the bartending and mixology community.

This is a full-time, salaried position that requires full and open availability, as 50% of obligations will take place during normal business hours, while the other 50% will require evening and weekend work. Must be available to travel outside of designated market, within the US, upon request, not to exceed 20%. Mileage reimbursement, a monthly cell phone stipend, and up to 10 accrued days of PTO per calendar year is also available in this role.

Program Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Portfolio Representation: Leader of information and uncovering opportunities that suit Proximo’s whiskey brands with a thorough understanding of the category as a whole
• Category & Brand Expertise: Answer consumer and trade questions while building their base of whiskey category knowledge.
• Account/Gatekeeper Education:  Manage an assigned key account list consisting of 50 influential accounts via education, brand building activities and relationship management.
• Event Activations: Represent the brand at key marketing and promotional events (ex. whiskey tastings, charity events, sales meetings, etc.).
• Distributor Sales Force Trainings: Train members of the sales force for key distributor partners of the Proximo Spirits whiskey portfolio.
• Sampling Staff Education: Educate sampling staff and trade on the featured brands, demonstrating a thorough knowledge of the category, brand, history, production and taste profiles.
• Event Programming: Curate and execute relevant brand programming based on key brand initiatives and milestones to keep educational content dynamic and engaging with the target audience.
• Reporting: Provide consistent feedback on programming metrics, competitive activity, in-market best practice, success highlights and brand opportunities.
• Administrative: Complete administrate requests in a timely manner, including but not limited to; KPI activity reporting, monthly recaps, expense reports, time reporting, bi-weekly team call participation, etc.
• Be a product expert across the Proximo Spirits whiskey portfolio.
• Leverage existing relationships to build upon opportunities for all Proximo Spirits whiskey brands.
• Identify best practices in selling and training sales reps and distributors.
• Work with the brand, sales, and trade marketing to ensure programs have been sold into target accounts and are executing with the highest quality.
• Regularly provide tactical and strategic feedback to the trade marketing team on best practices, success stories, and opportunities to improve our sales effectiveness.
• Collaborate with brand and marketing to establish sampling events (w/necessary materials) within identified accounts.
• Impart brand history, production, and taste profile knowledge to consumers; introduce brand stories to consumers to heighten the emotional connection to the brand.
• Mentor and assist in onboarding new and existing team members to ensure efficient brand and product immersion.
• Always reflect the brand by remaining polished, well-groomed, and professional in appearance.

Program Required Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Motivated self-starter, outgoing and gregarious, engaging, articulate, charismatic, and persuasive
• Previous industry experience in bartending, mixology, field sales, etc.
• Strong understanding of cocktails and industry trends
• Categorical whiskey knowledge that can be versioned out for novices and expert
• Adept at selling and interacting with diverse groups of people
• Strong written, verbal, and public speaking skills
• In-depth understanding of account universe in activation neighborhoods
• Connected to and involved in the community of greater assigned market
• Strong social media presence and following
• Ability to travel to surrounding areas outside of assigned market on a semi-regular basis

GMR Qualifications:

• Must be 21 years of age or older
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship
• Must have reliable transportation to travel to surrounding markets and make in-market visits while transporting program materials (liquor, giveaways, etc.)

Computer Skills:

• Working knowledge of computers with average to above average skills in Windows, PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and Email
• Ability to learn new computer programs quickly and efficiently

Education, Training, & Experience: 

• Degree in a related field preferred (sales and marketing; hospitality management; culinary)
• Spirits brand ambassador, liquor sales, bartending, and fine dining background preferred
• Previous experience in program management, marketing, field sales, or other related fields required

Language Requirements:

• Written and verbal fluency of the English language and grammar
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to perform physically demanding duties, including assembling, disassembling objects, and the use of hand and power tools. The employee is frequently required to use hands to handle, or touch objects or controls and to see, talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach above shoulders, stoop and bend at the waist. Specific abilities that may be required include the ability to lift and carry 50- 100 pounds, unassisted. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.