What are the responsibilities and job description for the Sales Manager-Department Store | Specialty Stores | Institutions position at Ariela & Associates International?
Who We Are
Ariela and Associates International (AAi), proudly female-founded and led for over 30 years, stands as a distinguished industry leader in the intimates business. Specializing in designing, manufacturing, and distributing high-quality lingerie and related products, AAi has consistently exemplified innovation and a steadfast commitment to excellence. Established by visionary founder Ariela Esquenazi, AAi has become a trusted name in the intimate apparel sector, embodying a legacy of quality, style, and customer satisfaction. As we continue to expand our footprint, we are dedicated to cultivating strong partnerships and delivering exceptional products to consumers, maintaining our position at the forefront of the dynamic and competitive intimate apparel market.
This is a hybrid role with three days in the office (Tuesday-Thursday).
What You’ll Do
Business Development
- Aggressively drive growth in department store, specialty, and institutional customers, cultivating and maintaining new distribution relationships to drive new business for AAi.
- Strategically identify and open new accounts and seek opportunities within existing business to expand market share, grow brand presence, and cultivate best-in-class relationships.
- Drive and guide competitive research and trends within accounts and identify white space. Work cross-functionally to enhance catalog and account offerings.
Account Relationships and Strategy
- Develop and maintain customer relationships and assortment strategies for a portfolio of accounts.
- Establish top-line financial targets by channel/account; accountable for hitting the forecast by working cross-functionally with Planning.
- Present seasonal product lines to accounts with proposed assortment to maximize sell-in that communicates brand strategy and initiatives.
- Communicate customer feedback to leadership on performance, competitive products, and competitive accounts to identify relevant opportunities to fill account needs.
- Manage account sales strategy in driving cross-functional merchandising, retail planning, assortment planning, and forecasting to meet/ exceed retail expectations, grow wholesale shipments, and optimize profitability by channel/ account.
- Identify key market share opportunities with current accounts to increase space and share within the account and market.
- Partner with leadership on managing account contracts, negotiations, and terms to achieve optimal profitability and margin metrics.
- Work cross-functionally with the merchandising team to determine the correct assortment by account based on channel/brand strategy.
- Own and analyze account level performance analysis and reporting required directly by accounts and conduct regular business reviews to align on sales strategy. Identify risks and opportunities within the assortment.
Sales Operation Management
- Oversee day-to-day operations including P.O. fulfillment and management, adhering to all customer compliance expectations and clean order processing.
- As the key communicator with the account, lead the sales portion of the customer onboarding process as new accounts are identified and launched.
Leadership and Strategy
- Accountable for top-line sales forecasts and the P&L, while driving margin and net profit growth.
- Exhibit an understanding of retail, omnichannel, and e-commerce channels and performance to identify opportunities and strategic needs.
What You’ll Bring
- 5 years’ in a sales role in the wholesale apparel industry.
- 2 years of experience managing regional department store and specialty accounts, with club business a plus.
- Extremely analytical individual, who lives in the details but can also summarize and present high-level trends and strategies.
- Expert level of proficiency in retail math, OTB management, and forecasting.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, with a heavy emphasis on Excel; experience in NuOrder and Power BI a plus.
- Ability to travel is required.
- Able to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with Sales, Merchandising and Planning.
What We Value
- Acting with Integrity and Transparency
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- Seeking Excellence in Our Product, Ourselves, Our People
- Strong Work Ethic
- Openness to Change
- Being Humble, Collaborative, and Confident
- A Positive Attitude and Enthusiasm for AAI and our goals
- Treating Everyone with Respect
What We Offer
We offer a comprehensive benefits package to full-time employees which includes:
- Excellent medical, dental & vision coverage
- 401(k) with a Company match
- Paid vacation and holidays (and your birthday off too!)
- Health reimbursement account
- Disability Insurance
- Maternity and Parental Leave
- Group Life Insurance
- Employee Discounts
Ariela & Associates is an EEO employer. We provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to an individual’s age, race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy) or sexual orientation, gender expression, military status, marital status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, disability or membership in any other protected class under applicable law.
