Director, Sales - Retail

About the role

The Director of Sales at Jazwares is responsible for managing and overseeing sales operations, developing and implementing sales strategy, building and maintaining strong relationships with retail merchants, and evaluating costs for selling products.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategic sales plans for assigned major/key retail accounts.
• Own and lead Joint Business Planning (JBP), annual line reviews, and modular/assortment planning with retail merchant and replenishment teams.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with retail merchants, replenishment managers, and buying teams to understand their objectives and needs.
• Partner with Demand Planning, Supply Chain, and Logistics to drive in-stock performance, retailer compliance metrics (e.g., OTIF), and inventory penalty mitigation.
• Own P&L responsibility and manage the account budget, including trade spend and program investment.
• Monitor and report on KPIs and retailer scorecard metrics, ensuring processes are followed and deliver expected outcomes.
• Communicate value propositions through presentations and proposals; build business plans and ROI strategies to scale the business.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Planning, Marketing, Finance, and Product Development.
• Hire, coach, and develop a high-performing, engaged team, assessing capability and growth for current and future roles.
• Understand toy category and competitive trends; report on forces that shift account strategy or budgets.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, economics, or industry relevant field is a plus.
• 8+ years of sales experience in omnichannel or retail environments, with a proven track record of meeting or exceeding quotas.
• 5+ years of leadership experience.
• Experience with direct buyer and vendor manager relationships, ideally including established relationships with major retail merchant, replenishment, and/or transportation teams.
• Demonstrated proficiency with retailer proprietary portals and database systems, as well as syndicated POS/market data (e.g., Nielsen, Circana) to translate insights into sales, assortment, pricing, and replenishment strategies.
• Ability to travel.
• Working knowledge of major retailer JBP cycles, line reviews, and modular/assortment planning.

Qualifications

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to develop productive and professional relationships.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, with advanced understanding of excel & G-Suite.
• Able to work cross functionally, collaboratively, and reciprocally with multiple departments.
• Self-Motivated, and a self-starter.
• Able to multitask, organize, prioritize, and manage time efficiently.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Able to deal effectively with diverse individuals at all organizational levels in a professional manner.
• A mindset that is collaborative, flexible, and growth oriented.
• Effective problem solver and critical thinker; proactive in resolving issues.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Strong presentation skills, with the ability to influence decision makers.
• Proficient with common customer success and customer relationship management software (Gainsight, salesforce, etc).
• Leadership skills including the ability to lead, coach, mentor, train, motivate, inspire, and develop others.
• Effective planning and analytical skills, including ability to define a problem, collect data, determine root cause, and work to resolution with a team.
• Strong understanding of how to position products against competitors.

Skills

• Strategic thinking and planning.
• Relationship building and negotiation.
• Market analysis and trend identification.
• Financial management and budgeting.
• Collaborative teamwork and leadership.
• Customer service and communication.
• Technical proficiency with retailer systems and market data.

Benefits

• Basic medical insurance that is 100% company-paid for employees and their children.
• Employee basic life and AD&D insurance.
• A 401(K) retirement program with Jazwares matching up to 4% of pretax or post-tax deferrals.
• Short and long-term disability.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Flexible work schedule with options for remote work.
• Time Off for vacation and sick leave.
• Opportunities for community service through Jazwares Cares.

Pay

The base salary may vary based on experience, role tenure, performance, industry, and location. Eligibility for the annual performance incentive may apply.

Schedule

Monday through Thursday on-site, with an optional Friday WFH, up to 20 workdays fully remote each year.