Account Executive /Business Developer

Overview

The Account Executive is responsible for managing client relationships and all sales and market development activities as they relate to a particular group of customers. This effort includes formulating and implementing a sales and marketing plan to identify customers, product categories, and products that fit the brands vision. Responsible for generating maximum sales and gross margin from selling those products to those designated customers through the execution of the sales and marketing plan and committing to achieving the brand’s goals.

The Account Executive reports to the CEO - US & Europe.

SPECIFIC TASKS And RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develops, implements and delivers an annual marketing plan to attract / identify new customers / accounts to help propel growth and revenue goals that fit with the brand’s customer alliance criteria, and the identification of design and development requirements.
• Responsible for being aware of market trends and movements at the store, the customer, and overall retail levels.
• Have expertise in developing sales strategies for unique products and seasonal financial plans to annually add new accounts with consideration given to their needs and resources; annually drop under-performing accounts.
• Collaborates with Design to develop new product ideas/concepts to fill white space on the development and implementation of a seasonal design strategy for key accounts, based on the accounts design and development requirements, trends in the marketplace and resources.
• To grow the business year over year, to be able to deliver on key financial metrics, sets annual and monthly sales, and profitability targets by customers, and is fiscally responsible for meeting these objectives.
• Is responsible for all expenses related to a particular group of customers and is fiscally responsible for identifying and implementing expense reduction and cost-saving procedures wherever possible.
• Collaborates and partners with Senior Management, Product Managers and China Merchandisers in their efforts to manage all customer-specific development and to maintain a high level of customer service. When necessary, the Account Executive is responsible to collaborate with the Product Managers and China Merchandisers to resolve customer-specific pre-production and production issues, based on compliance and quality control.
• Sets the parameters for all customer-specific pricing, and approves all pricing quoted by the Product Manager and/or China Merchandiser to the customer based on adhering to the sales and marketing plans in place.
• Through his/her actions, set an example for other employees of professionalism, honest and fair business practices, and teamwork.
  
  

Required Skills

• Strong understanding of retail environment, stay abreast of emerging trends; monitor changing landscape of retail and adjust strategies accordingly
• Enthusiastic individual and an excellent communicator, ability to recognize and to establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Product knowledge in knit items
• Self-motivated, strong social, communication, and presentation (verbal and written) skills
• Ability to initiate new business development in non-traditional channels
• Detail–oriented individual who exemplifies professionalism, and an ability to manage multiple tasks at any given moment, strong time-management, multi-tasking, people management, motivation skills and negotiation skills
• Expertise in the technical aspects of many of the product categories and products of the brand’s markets to successfully execute strategies that drive business
• Strategic thinker with strong mathematical, forecasting, and negotiation skills with a valuable track record in strategic planning, sales, account management and business development
• Good understanding of the oversees manufacturing process
• Strong computer skills – use of the Internet as a research tool
• Ability to travel as needed
• Honesty and fairness in all dealings with people, both internal (co-workers) and external (customers and suppliers) to the brand
  
  

Experience Requirement

• Completed Bachelor's Degree in Business Management, Fashion Merchandising, or related field
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in the marketing discipline, preferred
• Experience in Private Label sales
• Some retail background helpful
  
  

Salary $100,000-$150,000 BOE commission