What are the responsibilities and job description for the Vice President of Sales and Marketing position at The C.W. Zumbiel Company?
Position: Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Reports to: CEO
Company Overview:
Zumbiel Packaging is a fourth-generation family-owned business that has been in the printing business for over 170 years. We are a printing company offering a wide range of products from beverage to consumer, and one of the leading in the industry. This is a company that offers the opportunity for a career and a unique culture with our family-owned atmosphere.
What makes us unique?
- Medical, Dental, Vision, and 401k with company match
- Commitment to employee health & wellness through wellness program
- Growth opportunities with performance reviews and internal hiring
- Company sponsored events to promote culture & engagement
- Driven by our core values: Integrity, Passion for Winning, Empowerment, Creativity, & Community
Position Description:
The Vice President of Sales & Marketing is responsible for leading the company’s commercial strategy, accelerating revenue growth, and strengthening customer relationships across the beverage and food markets. This executive will oversee all sales, marketing, and business-development functions, ensuring alignment with the company’s long-term objectives and operational capabilities.
The ideal candidate brings deep experience in the packaging industry, a strong record of selling into Fortune 100 companies, and the ability to navigate complex supply chains, procurement processes, and multi-plant sourcing strategies. This role requires strategic vision, exceptional leadership, and hands-on commercial management in a fast-moving, customer-centric environment. Technology luddites need not apply.
Primary Responsibilities:
Customer and Market Engagement
- Serve as the senior commercial face of the company to major customers, including Fortune 100 beverage and food companies.
- Strengthen relationships with key accounts, ensuring exceptional customer service and proactive communication.
- Lead contract negotiations, long-term supply agreements, and multi-site vendor-managed relationships.
- Identify new business opportunities, emerging markets, and high-growth categories within the packaging sector.
Strategy and Innovation
- Partner with Operations, R&D, and Engineering to develop innovative packaging solutions, including structural design, graphics, sustainability, and value-engineering initiatives.
- Guide marketing efforts focused on brand positioning, digital presence, customer messaging, and trade-show/industry-event strategy.
- Analyze market trends, competitive intelligence, and customer insights to steer product and service differentiation.
Team Leadership and Development
- Recruit, develop, and retain top commercial talent with strong industry backgrounds.
- Implement performance management, incentive plans, and sales-training initiatives.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and customer obsession.
Financial and Operational Collaboration
- Develop accurate sales forecasts, pricing strategies, and commercial budgets.
- Work closely with the Executive Team to ensure operational readiness for new product launches, volume ramps, and large-scale customer transitions.
- Support capital-investment decisions with customer-driven business cases and ROI models.
Qualifications:
- 10 years of progressive commercial leadership in the packaging industry, preferably paperboard, or related packaging formats.
- Demonstrated success managing and growing key accounts within Fortune 100 companies.
- Strong understanding of paperboard packaging manufacturing processes (litho, digital, and flexo printing, die-cutting, gluing, sustainability trends, etc.).
- Proven ability to lead commercial teams and manage multimillion-dollar customer portfolios.
- Exceptional contract negotiation, communication, and executive-level presentation skills.
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing or related field; MBA preferred.
Personal Attributes:
- Highly strategic, with the ability to balance long-term planning and near-term execution.
- Relationship-driven, persuasive, and adept at navigating large corporate structures.
- Data-driven decision-maker with a strong financial and analytical foundation.
- Strong leadership presence and high integrity.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, customer-centric manufacturing environment.
Must be authorized to work in the United States
Zumbiel Packaging provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.