Retail Sales Manager-Footwear

Company Summary

HexArmor® is a leader in developing cutting-edge PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) solutions for hands, eyes, and the body. At HexArmor®, we believe that safety is not a luxury; it's a necessity. From day one, we've worked hand-in-hand with our customers to deliver innovative and effective PPE solutions to keep workers safe, breaking barriers in cut, puncture, needle, and abrasion resistance without sacrificing dexterity.

Job Summary:

Are you ready to "step" into an opportunity where your expertise in industrial footwear can make a tangible difference? We are seeking an aggressive and disciplined sales professional with a consultative approach to problem solving and experience in selling to work specialty accounts that service our core end consumers. This individual will have an opportunity to drive success in our footwear division, working closely with retailers to deliver innovative and impactful solutions – build future facing sales programs, strategic selling, working with accounts that build brands and business forecasting.

Location:

HexArmor Corporate Headquarters in Grand Rapids, MI – 640 Leffingwell Ave. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49505. Willing to travel nationwide to visit with key strategic partners and open up new channels of distribution.

Job Responsibilities:

• Be the lead subject matter expert for safety footwear, supporting HexArmor Regional Sales Managers and identify new areas of opportunity for business.

• Professional Account Management & willingness to search out business partners that align with the HexArmor vision.
• Responsible for achieving seasonal financial plans.
• Ongoing product forecasting and collaboration with demand planning team.
• Collaboration and strong communication across Finance, Marketing and Product team.

• Work with regional as well as national footwear or specialty PPE/work retailers to get our products in the stores, on the shelves or local boot-mobiles. Train sales individuals on sale of HexArmor products.
• Willingness to work with the footwear team to build out the future strategic strategy.
• Assist the client's safety management and, at times, the purchasing/acquisition department in building an economic justification based on injury, wellness, and PPE cost reduction.
• Manage footwear leads, seeding, and trials for your territory. Taking the lead, managing strategic opportunities/accounts alongside RSMs, GACs, and Channel Account Managers.
• Build productive relationships and credibility with local, regional, and national retail management, providing ongoing channel support and working jointly with safety sales specialists on opportunities.
• Collaborate with HexArmor's internal sales representative using a team selling approach when necessary. Effectively communicate with the internal sales counterpart to keep them informed of territory activities.
• Communicate product and market needs to Product Development and Sales Management.
• Work with the supply chain as necessary to share information on existing and new business to ensure adequate inventory levels.
• Provide training to internal and external sales staff of distributors in their region.
• Attend specific regional and national safety industry conferences as needed.
• Utilize Salesforce.com CRM to plan and record daily, weekly, and monthly activities. Forecast pending and future business in the CRM opportunity management system for inventory planning.
• Manage expenses to maintain regional profitability targets, including travel, samples, and distributor support.
• Undertake additional projects and responsibilities as required by sales management.
• Ability to travel 60% or more.

Requirements:

• Demonstrated ability to help customers solve problems.
• Experience in selling the Work Specialty channel of distribution and knowledge of the voucher business.
• Knowledge of the competitive brands.
• History of building strong footwear brands.
• Desire and ability to work in a fast-paced environment and be part of a high-performance team.
• Ability to learn and teach product knowledge, technology, and customer benefits (cost-in-use, user experience, etc.)
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to work efficiently without daily supervision.
• Ability to communicate clearly and collaboratively via phone/email with customers and prospects.
• Process-oriented and ability to manage customer expectations through the HexArmor solution process.
• Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel.
• Ability to learn and use CRM (SalesForce.com).

Education Requirements:

• A bachelor's degree and/or at least 2 years of industrial sales experience preferred.
• Demonstrated success in managing a multi-state territory.
• Experience working for a manufacturer or distributor, calling on end-users and distributors.
• Demonstrated success in industrial accounts is a plus.

Compensation:

• Base plus quarterly commission

Additional Benefits

• Full coverage of medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401k matching
• Travel, lodging, and meal expenses covered
• Paid time off and vacations
• Opportunity to keep people safe by selling a premium product

** Employment offers are contingent upon an E-Verify check and the successful completion of a pre-employment drug screen and background check **