Sales Director

Role Overview

Northstar is seeking a dynamic, experienced Senior Director of Sales to join our El Segundo office and serve as a key leader within Northstar USA. Reporting directly to Candice Watts, President of Northstar USA, this individual will assume ownership of key account relationships, drive sales and product direction, and lead the day-to-day commercial execution of the division.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned accounts, building deep, trust-based relationships with key customer stakeholders.
• Represent Northstar in all client-facing touchpoints — meetings, presentations, and in-person engagements at customer offices.
• Plan and host showroom visits, shopping trips, and strategic reviews to strengthen partnerships and demonstrate Northstar's value.
• Act as a proactive solutions partner to customers, anticipating needs and aligning Northstar's capabilities to drive account growth.
• Own and manage seasonal sales plans for assigned accounts, with full accountability for achieving revenue and margin targets.
• Collaborate with Candice and Northstar leadership to develop divisional sales strategies and identify growth opportunities.
• Analyze account performance, track KPIs, and deliver regular reporting and forecasting to leadership.
• Identify new business opportunities within existing accounts and support efforts to expand Northstar's customer base.
• Lead seasonal product strategy for assigned accounts — from trend research through final line review and commercial handoff.
• Guide design and development teams in creating collections that align with customer brand DNA, price architecture, and commercial objectives.
• Drive compelling merchandising narratives and product storytelling that differentiate Northstar's offering in the market.
• Translate customer feedback, market trends, and competitive intelligence into actionable product direction.
• Shop global markets and attend trade shows and fashion weeks to ensure Northstar's product output is trend-right and market-relevant.
• Manage the end-to-end product development process for assigned accounts, from initial concept through commercialization.
• Maintain development calendars in partnership with PD and technical teams, ensuring all milestones and sample deadlines are met.
• Troubleshoot development issues proactively, keeping timelines on track and customers informed.
• Communicate effectively with Northstar's overseas teams in Asia, ensuring alignment on materials, construction, costing, and execution.
• Manage a team of designers (3–5 direct reports), setting clear expectations and fostering a high-performance, collaborative culture.
• Coach team members on design, PLM, development best practices, and customer-facing skills.
• Optimize team workflows and workloads across the season to ensure consistent execution and results.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years of experience in the footwear industry, with a background spanning design, product line management, merchandising, and/or account management.
• Proven track record in a client-facing, sales-oriented role — with experience setting and managing to revenue and margin goals.
• Strong design foundation: ability to direct product vision, work with CAD and sketch, and credibly lead design teams.
• Deep understanding of footwear development processes, materials, construction, and the full development calendar.
• Experience working for a footwear supplier or sourcing agency (agency/supplier-side experience strongly preferred).
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-seasonal product lines across multiple accounts simultaneously.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills — comfortable with senior-level customer interaction.
• Willingness to travel internationally to Asia for factory sourcing trips and in-region customer visits.
• Commitment to working in our El Segundo office 4-5 days per week.

Preferred Experience

• Working for a footwear brand or retailer as a merchandiser, buyer, or product director.
• Familiarity with sourcing from China, Vietnam, India, or Southeast Asia, with direct factory or overseas partner relationships.
• Experience managing and mentoring creative teams.
• Proficiency with Adobe Illustrator, PLM systems, Google Workspace, and MS Office Suite.

What We Offer

• Competitive base salary and performance-based bonus
• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 401(k)
• International travel opportunities — Asia sourcing trips, customer visits, and trade shows
• Opportunity to lead and shape a high-growth division within a global footwear agency
• Collaborative, entrepreneurial culture with direct access to senior leadership