Director of Sales (DIO Cocktails)

DIRECTOR OF SALES
New York, NY

DIO  is a divine, new line of high-ABV, ready-to-drink cocktails for modern hedonists. We’re seeking a scrappy, in-the-field sales leader—someone who can build strategy one day and hit accounts the next. This role is made for a “player-coach” with 10+ years in spirits or RTD who thrives on driving volume, building relationships, and getting their hands dirty.

About DIO

DIO is a line of high-ABV, ready-to-drink canned cocktails (13.5–15%), inspired by Dionysus, the “OG party” god of pleasure and ecstasy. 

Our celestial cocktails are bar-quality, mixologist-worthy, and made for modern-day hedonists. In 2024, we launched in NYC with a focus on premium ingredients, real juice, and zero preservatives. Each 200ml can of DIO is all-natural and contains less than 8g of sugar. 

We’re now in a critical phase: scaling the business, driving reorder rates, and tightening execution across our retail footprint.
 

The Position

We’re hiring a Director of Sales to lead that charge. We’re seeking a scrappy, in-the-field sales leader—someone who can build strategy one day and hit accounts the next. This role is made for a “player-coach” with 10+ years in spirits or RTD who thrives on driving volume, building relationships, and getting their hands dirty.

This role will focus on time in market, account-level volume, and velocity-driven growth. You’ll oversee distributor partnerships, build and manage a lean but effective sales team, and take personal ownership over case movement in key territories.

This is not a “manage from a laptop” role. You’re out in the field, building relationships, coaching reps, and driving results.

Candidates must be based in NYC or Brooklyn.
 

Compensation + Benefits

Salary: This role is full-time and exempt, with a base salary range of $125,000–$135,000, plus eligibility for Performance Bonus. This range represents the employer’s good faith estimate of the base salary at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on experience, skills, and other job-related factors.

We’re a team of forward-thinking entrepreneurs and we strive to create a gratifying, flexible start-up environment that inspires creativity and innovation. By working at DIO, you will align yourself with some of the brightest minds in the hospitality industry, as we share a beautiful Manhattan penthouse office with our sister event company, Van Wyck & Van Wyck.

Working with DIO also comes with the following perks: 

• Building a powerhouse brand from the ground up
• Yearly Incentive Bonus
• 12 Paid Holidays
• 15 Days of Paid Time Off
• 5 Personal/Sick Days
• Monthly travel allowance
• Access to top tier NY health benefits (health, dental and vision)
• Retirement/401k 
• Eligibility to participate in future employee equity plan 
• Yearly allowance of $1000 for DIO’s luxurious libations
• Access to Chief Emotional Support Canine (CESC), Lola

The salary range for this position is based on the applicant's experience, skills, qualifications, location and participation in the company equity program. The actual salary will be determined during the interview process based on the aforementioned criteria.
 

Responsibilities

Sales Execution & Account Velocity

• Prioritize a minimum 3 days/week in market: opening new accounts, visiting existing accounts, tracking performance, and securing reorders
• Personally float to all markets, focusing on underperforming territories, visiting priority accounts and supporting both our team and distributor reps in the field
• Partner with CEO to set and track sales projections, distributor targets, and key chain outreach
• Deliver 90-day reorder rate benchmarks and analyze where velocity gaps exist
• Maintain direct relationships with top accounts across NY, NJ, CT, and MI

Team Leadership & Territory Coverage

• Manage a small, high-performing sales team with an already proven track record to sell
• Lead weekly sales calls with clear KPIs, recaps, and forward plans
• Coach Key Account Managers on selling strategy, route planning, and relationship management
• Ensure CRM and reporting are updated weekly and tied to real results—not just activity
   

Market Strategy & Distributor Management

• Cultivate and support CEO in the management of all distributor partnerships, including contract negotiation, program development (QDs, PFPs), and promotional planning
• Lead quarterly business reviews and ensure distributor sales teams are aligned with brand goals
• Build and manage distributor relationships—weekly communication, quarterly plans, and promo budgets
• Forecast inventory needs and track depletions across SKUs and POS
  Own chain outreach strategy in partnership with the CEO
• Provide monthly reports outlining market performance, inventory needs, and opportunities

Trade Marketing

• Manage an in-depth tasting and merchandising program for all accounts across all markets
• Coordinate field marketing and POS needs based on what’s actually working in market
• Provide real-time feedback from stores to inform creative, product, and promo decisions
• Represent DIO at tastings, industry events, and distributor presentations
  
   

Who You Are/Qualifications

• BASED IN NYC OR BROOKLYN
• 10+ years of spirits/RTD LEADERSHIP experience with strong on- and off-premise relationships
• Willingness to travel as needed for sales meetings, presentations, and industry events
• Strategic thinker with a scrappy, founder-like mindset—comfortable working lean
• You know how to build a forecast, run a sales team, and carry a bag
• Obsessed with performance, not posturing: your team sells, or you fix it
• Hands-on leader who thrives in market, not just in meetings
• Proven track record of distributor relationship building and management (relevant, existing distributor relationships a major +)
• Experience in hiring, onboarding, and managing a sales team; including implementing and managing a scalable CRM system
   

Applicants are expected to have current work authorization in the United States.

We strongly encourage under-represented minorities to apply. DIO is an equal opportunity employer - we welcome everyone to our team.

It has been and will continue to be a fundamental policy of DIO not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, marital status, partnership status, domestic violence victim status, sexual orientation, age, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, veteran or military status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, caregiver status, unemployment status or any other characteristic prohibited by federal, state and/or local laws. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, demotion, compensation, training, working conditions, transfer, job assignment, benefits, layoff, and termination.