VP, Strategic Partnerships Wholesale

We are a fashion-lifestyle brand of big dreams, colorful confidence, and inspired design. Founded on Family, Fashion and Philanthropy, we believe that our employees and customers are the heart and soul of our brand, and that giving back is the truest form of success. Fashion meets innovation in the design of our two state-of-the-art facilities based in the heart of Austin, Texas, and overflows into the design of our growing retail environment across the country.   


Position Overview   

This role will lead Kendra Scott’s strategic growth through major retail partnerships, U.S. specialty, Target, off-price, domestic travel retail, B2B, Resort, international travel retail, international wholesale, licensing, category expansion, and future franchise opportunities. The ideal candidate brings deep experience building and scaling wholesale businesses through major retailers, with a strong understanding of how majors operate, how to build durable relationships with key buyers and category leaders, and how to protect the brand while driving growth.

This leader will be responsible for identifying and cultivating strategic partnerships that drive sustainable growth while protecting and elevating the Kendra Scott brand. Initial focus will be on building international wholesale as the first step toward broader international expansion, using a disciplined, “walk before you run” approach through lower-risk wholesale and shop-in-shop opportunities before evaluating deeper investment, franchise models, licensing partnerships, or standalone retail expansion.


Responsibilities

• Serve as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, helping to set and execute short and long-term plans
• Set the overarching wholesale, strategic partnerships, licensing, and international expansion roadmap, including operating plans and organizational structure needed to support growth
• Drive sales across Specialty, Majors, Target, off-price, domestic travel retail, B2B, Resort, international travel retail, and international wholesale accounts, with an emphasis on building and scaling meaningful major retailer relationships
• Deliver steady and accelerated growth across existing wholesale customers
• Establish and execute a comprehensive wholesale roadmap that aligns with the overall company strategy, including a clear plan to strengthen and grow the majors business
• Achieve and exceed quarterly and annual revenue and profitability goals
• Develop strong relationships and strategic partnerships with top wholesale customers, including models that may extend beyond traditional wholesale such as licensing, franchise, and other brand-right partnership structures
• Build and lead the playbook for international wholesale expansion, beginning with priority markets and partners such as major retailers in Mexico and the United Kingdom
• Evaluate and develop licensing and category expansion strategies, including when and how to bring in specialized expertise to support long-term growth
• Lead, train, manage, mentor and motivate the Wholesale sales team
• Work cross-functionally with our VP Merchandising to optimize the company’s inventory and supply chain management process; deliver industry-leading service while balancing the company’s working capital requirements
• Influence and partner effectively across Product, Merchandising, Marketing, Technology, Logistics, Sourcing, and other functions to deliver the business in a highly cross-functional environment
• Provide strategic leadership, being the voice of the Wholesale customer, with regard to assortment planning, marketing plans and in-store experience
• Attend market, trade shows and publicity events; meet with key buyers and retailers
• Manage relationships to ensure quality of service, sales and profit goals are being met
• Demonstrate intimate understanding of our products, mission, and philosophy; Be able to help anyone understand any aspect of the company
• Continuously brainstorm novel ways to make interacting with the company more surprising, enriching, and wonderful
• Ensure strategies and plans are understood, aligned across the organization and executed with result
• Create structure, process, and clarity in an evolving business environment where systems, resources, and workflows are still developing

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• 15 years’ experience as wholesale director for a high-growth company
• Deep experience working with major retail partners, including an understanding of how majors operate and a track record of building trusted relationships with key buyers and category decision makers
• Proven experience building international wholesale businesses, ideally with exposure to markets such as Mexico and the United Kingdom
• Experience developing or supporting licensing, franchise, or category expansion strategies within a consumer, fashion, accessories, lifestyle, apparel, or brand-led organization
• 10 years’ experience managing a functional team
• A proven ability to define and inspire others to achieve corporate objectives and strategies
• Experience developing domestic and international wholesale strategies that improve brand awareness, expand distribution, and preserve brand equity
• Ability to build and manage an entire wholesale sales department at scale
• Success selling into leading national and regional retailers
• Established business relationships with buyers and/or category managers at retailers and wholesalers
• Background in brand-right growth environments such as Ralph Lauren, PVH, Pandora, VF Corporation, or similar organizations with sophisticated wholesale, licensing, and international partnership models preferred
• Experience with planning and forecasting
• Demonstrated ability to balance multiple competing priorities
• Highly successful at cultivating collaborative internal and external relationships
• Ability to influence quickly, gain partnership across the organization, and build a business from the ground up in an evolving, highly manual environment
• Clear written and verbal skills with exceptional follow-through
• Excellent interpersonal skills - can navigate all personality types and emotions gracefully
• Strong ability to anticipate long term needs and develop plans with achievable timelines
• A solutions-oriented mentality with a data driven approach
• A growth mindset: track record of leveraging past learnings, demonstrates entrepreneurial spirit, always imagining what’s possible
• Proven ability to build cross functional partnerships to ensure corporate alignment
• Strong executive presence with ability to compel and inspire internal and external audiences
• High commitment to employee growth and development: track record of empowering and inspiring teams as well as having significant impact on other’s careers
• A shared appreciation for our 3 core values of Family, Fashion and Philanthropy
• Preferred location is Austin, Texas
• International travel may be required as partnerships expand.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company.