Strategic Account Manager (Retail Decorator and Merch Printer), California (Los Angeles)

What's the Short Version?

The Strategic Account Manager (SAM), Retail Decorator & Merch Printer, supports strategic accounts in the Retail Decoration and Merch Printer markets. An effective SAM grows market share across the US with decorators and printers that primarily service licensed and branded apparel for retailers, national events, music tours, and multi-chain businesses, and increases growth and profitability for both our customer and SanMar. A successful SAM is familiar with this customer base and has strong relationships therein. A SAM possesses strong planning & organizing capabilities, analytical abilities, and creative problem-solving skills.

There will be an initial period of significant growth while we expand into the retail decoration market. As the portfolio expands, there will be an increasing focus on account management and support.

What Will You Be Doing?

• Manage and grow account base of retail-focused decorators and merch printers; build relationships with potential customers in retail decoration market.
• Negotiate, structure, and close complex opportunities with a focus on creating value for both the customer and SanMar.
• Sell SanMar’s value proposition effectively through targeted presentations and conversations with executives at the corporate level and support presentations and other communications regarding strategic plans together with Territory Managers to the office level.
• Build strong customer relationships with key executives and managers at the corporate office.
• Be a resource for Territory Managers on big opportunities at the local office level.
• Understand the strategic goals, trends and other impactful information relevant to the growth of the strategic account and communicate this information effectively and efficiently across members of the sales and operational teams.
• Negotiate, track, and implement effective incentive and other pricing and product programs.
• Act as the customer’s advocate to push for change and improvements to meet customer demands with a focus on improving the customer experience.
• Work to reduce operational friction or inefficiencies between large strategic accounts and SanMar.
• Keep Salesforce up to date with key activities, meetings, communications and related information.
• Develop impactful sales and marketing plans at the corporate level and effectively develop action plans with the strategic account to implement across all offices.
• Work with sales analytics team to collect and analyze data concerning Strategic Account sales, profitability, programs and activities and work collaboratively across sales team to understand changes in business trends.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Comply with all policies and standards.

What Are We Looking For?

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience
• 4-6 years retail decorators, licensed decorators, silk screeners, embroiderers, merch printers, and similar customers, having existing relationships
• Experience with fabric construction, decoration feasibility and techniques.
• Technical ability is required to be relevant, successful, and credible to the focus customer
• Ability to reside in major metropolitan area of managed territory. Within 60 miles of international airport preferred.
• Travel 2+ weeks per month; 60 - 70% customer visits and occasional industry shows and events.
• Ability to analyze emerging business trends and determine viability of opportunities.
• Ability to build meaningful partnerships and communicate effectively with customers, sales team and internal departments to identify and resolve issues in a timely and professional manner.
• Assertive communicator with excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills.
• Must respond well to internal deadline pressures in a fast pace environment.
• Detail oriented; ability to follow-through on projects and handle multiple tasks at once.
• Ability to handle confidential matters with discretion.
• A high degree of professionalism, integrity, objectivity, and service orientation.
• Must be a leader, enthusiastic, energetic, “sales orientated” and outgoing.
• Highly motivated self-starter with an ability to work without direct supervision.
• Positive attitude and high energy level.
• Have a passion for innovation, change and the opportunities created through technology.

What's Our Offer?

Salary Range: You`ll earn between $120,000 - $170,000 annually, depending on experience.

Bonus: You`ll be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus up to 10% of base salary.

Paid Time Off: You`ll accrue paid time off on a bi-weekly basis based on hours worked up to 112 hours per year to start. Employees also receive 8 paid holidays and 1 paid family day off.

Additional Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401k plan and matches $1 for $1 up to 4% of earnings, matched & vested at every pay cycle
• Life insurance
• Short/long-term disability coverage
• Paid maternity/paternity leave
• Pet insurance

What Should You Expect?

Outside Sales: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands to finger, handle or feel, and stand and walk. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Ability to work on computer and mobile phone for multiple hours; with frequent interruptions. The employee may be required to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Work environment is moderately quiet. Required to travel in elevator or stairwells to attend meetings and engage with associates on multiple floors throughout building. Must be able to legally drive a vehicle during all types of driving conditions, including day and night driving.

Travel Requirements: Vehicle that is reliable and can travel 25K miles per year. Must have a valid driver’s license and maintain insurance coverage. Ability to cover expenses including travel, business entertainment, business expenses for 4-6 full weeks at a time. Ability to travel including drive, all types of planes (including prop planes), trains, subways, etc. Ability to relocate if necessary. Ability to work weekends if necessary. May be required to travel in adverse weather conditions.