Position Requirements
Education/Experience:
* Four-year college degree required.
* Minimum 10 years’ experience in managing a business at non-food retails within EMEA.
* Retail experience within non-food retail is preferred.
* Working strongly together with EMEA sales teams in different countries and/or peers to work toward the same corporate goal.
Skills/Knowledge/Ability:
* Excellent proactive planning skills.
* Excellent computer Skills (MS Office Suite, Excel).
* Well-developed sales, people, communication, administration, sales policy, long-lead planning skills.
* Excellent forecasting and sales analytics skills.
* Knowledge of EMEA discount retailers.
* Experience with both FOB and EMEA shipping procedures.
* Formal knowledge of retailer and product categories within the industry.
* Entrepreneurial spirit.
* Excellent time management and follow-through skills.
* Good no-nonsense management skills.
* Strong Work Ethic and reputation of Integrity.
* Goal orientated.
Authority:
* Reports to the EVP Sales EMEA & APAC.
Key Result Areas and Activities
1. Account Management & Development:
* Identify and develop relationships with Discount retailers.
* Negotiate pricing on close out items to maximize profit.
* Build relationship with the retailer’s buying team, including all buyers, planners, replenishment team and inventory management team.
* Work with buying team to understand their needs, performance metrics, and timetables, building a seasonal business plan that meets these metrics.
* Respond to and acknowledge all customer requests in timely manner.
* Be the expert on the products, categories, and competition that fall under the area of responsibilities.
* Manage day-to-day service issues between MGA marketing, product development, customer service, import team, customer marketing, and retailer buying teams.
1. Profitable Sales:
* Creating and presenting profitable sales plans for both retailer and MGA.
* Develop contingency plans that can be implemented in a timely manner.
* Delivering the business plan.
* Work with Marketing, Internal Stakeholders, and Supply Chain to develop plans that address each account’s objectives and objections and then be able to sell the plan.
* Implement pricing actions as needed to move close out items.
1. Fiscal Responsibilities:
* Manage opportunities with a check and balance for the return on the investment.
* Identify opportunities to unload unsold inventory.
1. Forecasting:
* Review weekly POS, when available, and action resulting opportunities with the retailer and demand planners.
* Build and forecast plans that are based on facts, like items, actual sales, reasonable turn rates, and other historical data by working closely with MGA demand planning team.
* Be conscious of lead times and forecast deadlines.
* Manage both an import and domestic inventory flow program.
* Ensure forecasts reflect all defined promotional plans and communicate to retailers all MGA promotional activity (TV, print, etc...).
1. Communication:
* Timely, professional response with all colleagues and customers.
* Attend all required meetings, be prepared to participate, and ensure all follow up action is completed in a timely manner using the “who, what, when” template.
* Communicate issues and opportunities quickly to management team.
* Act as the retailers advocate on all business and product decisions while holding MGA interests at the highest level.
* Effectively and efficiently relay customer feedback, sales opportunities, and competitive market information to key stakeholders: Management, Marketing, and PD teams.