Chief Operating Officer

Connecticut Innovations is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Owl's Brew, a CT-based startup specializing in clean alcoholic beverages. The COO will oversee daily operations, lead cross-functional teams, and drive strategic execution. Ideal candidates have over 10 years in the beverage alcohol industry, with experience in scaling brands. The position requires strong leadership and collaboration skills, and candidates from the tri-state area, particularly Connecticut, are preferred.
Are you ready to join Connecticut Innovation’s vibrant community of innovators? Connecticut Innovations (“CI”) is Connecticut’s strategic venture capital arm, and we are passionate about serving our portfolio of 220+ companies across various industries, with strengths in life sciences, technology, and climate tech.

Come join one of our quickly growing portfolio companies, Owl's Brew!

Owl's Brew Overview

Owl’s Brew is a female-founded, CT-based, startup that creates clean boozy beverages. Our line of spiked & sparkling teas are fresh-brewed and made with only good, whole, ingredients. You can find Owl’s Brew at your local Whole Foods, Total Wine and Trader Joe's, among other retail locations. Owl's Brew is quickly expanding into your favorite stadiums, including Yankee Stadium and Hard Rock Stadium Miami!

Chief Operating Officer | Position Overview

We’re hiring a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead our team through its next stage of growth. Reporting to the founders, this person will oversee the team and day-to-day operations across the company, with a special focus on commercial execution, team leadership, and performance management.

This role is ideal for someone who has successfully scaled a beverage alcohol brand, understands how to lead across multiple functions (Sales, Marketing, People, Field, and more), thrives in a fast-paced environment. We are seeking candidates from the tri-state area only, IDEALLY someone based in Connecticut!

Company-Wide Leadership
• Lead, manage, and mentor cross-functional teams (Sales, Marketing, People, Field, etc.).
• Drive accountability, alignment, and team performance across all departments.
• Foster a values-driven, inclusive, and high-performance culture.

Strategic Execution
• Own execution of the company’s strategic priorities across teams.
• Translate high-level vision into clear goals, plans, and timelines.
• Identify gaps, create systems, and lead continuous improvement initiatives across the org.

Sales Execution
• Ensure the Director of Sales is hitting growth goals with a focus on national account execution and distributor performance.
• Align teams and partners around key account programming and sell-through strategies.
• Ensure excellence in execution at the chain level and across the three-tier system.

Marketing & Commercialization
• Ensure Marketing strategy is executed with emphasis on ROI, KPIs, and sales impact.
• Support the commercial execution of founder-led celebrity and influencer partnerships across retail and on-premise channels.

Collaboration with Finance & Ops
• Work closely with the Finance & Ops, ensuring your teams are aligned with budget, forecasting, and supply chain needs.
• Maintain a strong understanding of business health without overlapping functional responsibilities.

Requirements
• 10+ years in beverage alcohol with experience in company scaling (early stage and high growth experience).
• Proven track record leading and growing cross-functional teams.
• Strong experience within the 3-tier system (national sales execution, distributor management, and on/off-premise strategy).
• Fluency in marketing metrics and understanding of brand-to-retail programming.
• Experience commercializing celebrity or influencer partnerships is a plus.
• High EQ, clear communicator, strong operator, and a team-first leader who loves the hustle.

Nice-to-Haves
• RTD, functional beverage, or wellness-aligned CPG experience
• Exposure to retail innovation, field/experiential marketing
• Passion for clean living, good ingredients, and building something that matters

Compensation
• Competitive base salary
• Equity and/or bonus structure commensurate with experience
• Benefits package

Why Work at Owl's Brew?
• Owl's Brew is the first ever tea "crafted for cocktails". It is fresh brewed in micro-batches and meant to pair with a wide range of spirits for cocktails with a fresh, light flavor profile.
• Owl's Brew is an award-winning company, including Forbes 30 Under 30, SIP Award: Gold Medal, BevNet New Beverage Showdown: “Most Innovative and Scaleable”, and New York International Beer Competition Awards: Darjeeling Tea & Hibiscus Flowers - Gold; English Breakfast Tea, Lemon & Lime - Bronze, and even more listed here!
• We always choose real, Owl’s Brew was born out of a love for crafting and brewing organic tea blends. Because of this passion for tea (and its benefits), we developed a deep respect for real ingredients and true flavors - NOT flavors that have been created in a laboratory.
• Work for a Woman Founded startup, and a team who support local and national women's initiatives and charities. Working for a woman founded company can provide better-communicated business strategies and missions, more inspiring belief in the provided product or service, and improved workplace autonomy!

Owl's Brew is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We support conversation and celebration of diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.