Director of Marketing

Company Overview

High Wire Distilling Co. is an independently owned distillery located in Charleston, SC that produces small batch spirits with a unique agricultural focus. We work with local farm partners to source the most flavorful grains available and develop our recipes using a deliberate culinary approach. We take great pride in the award-winning spirits we create, spirits made possible when creativity, hard work, and passion for place and craft combine. High Wire is seeking a marketing professional to develop and execute strategic marketing plans that build brand equity, drive consumer engagement, and accelerate sales growth.

Position Summary

The Director of Marketing will be the first dedicated marketing hire at our founder-led craft distillery. This role is responsible for building the marketing function from the ground up—establishing strategy, systems, and execution that enhance sales efforts and build a community of consumer brand advocates.

Working closely with the founders, this role will translate a strong product vision and point of view into focused, effective marketing across wholesale, tasting room, and DTC channels. The ideal candidate is a hands-on builder who combines sound brand judgment with practical execution and strong prioritization.

Key Responsibilities

Build the Marketing Foundation

• Update and maintain the High Wire Distilling brand book to ensure consistency of brand positioning, aesthetics, and messaging across all marketing channels
• Work closely with the founders to develop and maintain a cohesive marketing plan to drive sales growth and build brand equity across the High Wire product portfolio.
• Define goals, success metrics, and operating cadence for marketing

Hands-On Execution

• Develop essential content creation (copy, email, social media assets, photography/video)
• Own digital channels end-to-end including website, social media, and eNewsletter
• Plan and promote product launches, tastings, events, and collaborations
• Review and approve all outward-facing marketing communications

Growth & Revenue Support

• Drive tasting room traffic and local awareness
• Support wholesale growth with simple, effective sales and distributor tools
• Collaborate with sales and ownership to align marketing priorities with revenue goals
• Focus on initiatives with clear, measurable impact

Trade, PR & Partnerships

• Manage PR strategy and earned media (directly or through a lean agency)
• Develop distributor and retailer-facing materials and brand education tools
• Manage requests for Presentations, Sell Sheets and Product Information.
• Build partnerships and collaborations aligned with the brand

Budget, Operations & Compliance

• Manage a lean marketing budget with disciplined ROI tracking
• Hire and oversee freelancers and vendors as needed
• Ensure all marketing activities comply with TTB, state, and platform regulations
• Build flexible systems that can scale over time

Qualifications

• 5+ years of marketing experience, ideally in spirits, beverage alcohol, or premium CPG
• Experience as an early-stage or first marketing hire strongly preferred
• Strong understanding of the three-tier system and alcohol marketing compliance
• Excellent copywriting skills and brand judgment
• Comfortable operating independently and making decisions with limited resources
• Proven ability to prioritize and execute in lean environments

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary plus performance-based bonus
• Health benefits and paid time off
• Product allowance and industry perks

High Wire is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the Company to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified individuals regardless of their race, color, sex, religion, pregnancy, childbirth, medical needs arising from pregnancy or childbirth, medical conditions arising from pregnancy or childbirth, including, but not limited to, lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by law, except where a bona fide occupational qualification applies. This policy of equal opportunity encompasses all aspects of the employment relationship, including recruiting, placement, hiring, promotion, transfer, training, discipline, termination of employment, and all other employment decisions.