What are the responsibilities and job description for the Head of Sales - CDN & DRI Duck position at Design Resources?
Head of Sales
About the Role
This sales leader drives revenue growth and commercial execution for Caps Direct and DRI DUCK. This role sets and leads the sales strategy across distributors, wholesalers, buying groups, and national accounts, building senior-level relationships that deepen customer loyalty and expand business.
They oversee the sales organization, elevate account performance, pursue new business opportunities, and shape long-term channel strategies. The role partners closely with Product, Merchandising, Marketing, Sales Enablement, Sourcing, and Operations to deliver customer needs with speed and quality.
The ideal candidate is a strategic sales leader with strong customer influence and a proven ability to sustain profitable growth in a multi-brand environment.
Sales Leadership & Revenue Ownership
- Own revenue, margin, and growth performance for Caps Direct and DRI DUCK across all sales channels.
- Develop and execute annual sales strategies with clear goals for revenue, margin, customer growth, and channel penetration.
- Lead forecasting and opportunity management processes to support accurate demand planning and resource alignment.
- Drive team accountability through KPIs, coaching, performance reviews, and structured follow-up.
- Serve as the senior relationship owner for top distributors, wholesalers, buying groups, and national accounts.
- Lead strategic customer planning, executive-level communication, and periodic business reviews.
Channel & Account Strategy
- Evaluate customer performance and growth opportunities across brands, product categories, and channel segments.
- Increase account penetration by identifying opportunities in distribution breadth, program expansion, portfolio alignment, and customer-specific initiatives.
- Evaluate channel dynamics and industry trends to inform long-term commercial strategy.
Business Development
- Identify and pursue new customers, new markets, and new revenue opportunities.
- Develop structured business development processes that drive consistent pipeline creation and conversion.
- Explore emerging channels or strategic partnerships that could unlock incremental growth for both brands.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Product & Merchandising on assortment strategy, seasonal direction, and customer-specific opportunities.
- Work closely with Marketing and Sales Enablement to define sales tool needs, messaging priorities, and customer-facing materials that support the selling process.
- Collaborate with Sourcing, Planning, and Operations to ensure customer programs are executed with high reliability and service.
Market & Competitive Insight
- Maintain a strong understanding of the promotional products industry, competitive landscape, and customer expectations.
- Use insights to shape channel strategy, inform product direction, and anticipate future opportunities or risks.
- Act as the internal voice of customer to guide cross-functional strategy and prioritization.
- Develop and manage annual travel and tradeshow plans, ensuring alignment with brand and customer priorities.
- Continuously evaluate ROI of travel, events, and customer engagements to ensure optimal investment of resources.
Team Leadership
- Recruit, coach, and develop a high-performing team of account managers and channel specialists.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Establish clear roles, performance expectations, and development pathways.
Skills & Competencies
- Leadership & Team Development: Strong ability to build high-performing teams, coach talent, and hold individuals accountable.
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to translate market insights and business goals into actionable strategies.
- Customer Influence: Skilled at building and maintaining senior-level customer relationships that drive revenue.
- Sales Operations Discipline: Strong forecasting capability, pipeline rigor, and analytic decision-making.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Skilled at working across Product, Merchandising, Sourcing, Operations, Marketing, and Sales Enablement.
- Communication & Executive Presence: Clear, concise, credible communicator capable of influencing at all levels.
- Commercial Acumen: Understands how to drive profitable growth through pricing, margin discipline, and cost-to-serve awareness.
- Tech Literacy: Strong user of CRM, analytics tools, and modern sales technologies.
Education & Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
- 7–10 years of progressive sales experience with at least several years leading teams in a related industry (promotional products, apparel, retail, or similar).
- Proven track record of delivering revenue growth and managing complex customer relationships.
- Experience with distributor and multi-channel sales models strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated success in negotiation, strategic planning, and customer program execution.
- CRM and data-driven sales management experience required.
Travel Requirements
- Travel up to 25% for customer visits, tradeshows, and market events.
We believe a complete benefit package is important and provides our employees with a level of comfort and security for themselves and their families. We offer a full range of benefits to our full-time associates: Health, Dental, Vision, Life, STD / LTD, Long Term Care, 401K with Employer Match, PTO (including Paid Holidays), and Employee Discounts.
Equal Opportunity Employer We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.