International Wholesale Manager

at  Aje

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY:

As the International Wholesale Manager, you will work cross functionally to maintain a birds eye view across the entire International wholesale function of Aje, managing commercial performance and establishing the brand’s International wholesale sales strategy.
You will be responsible for the strategic targeting of new accounts for each sales season, the management and performance of existing accounts, ultimately ensuring all sales schedules and targets are achieved at all times.
They will drive consistent process innovation and constantly seek out new commercial growth, gleaning feedback from key accounts to identify growth opportunities. You will be an excellent people leader, able to communicate with impact to ensure the alignment of shared goals, targets, expectations, and wider business objectives with the team.
You will have an innately analytical and commercial mindset, will have a strong working knowledge of operations and logistics, and will thrive in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:

• 4+ years’ experience managing key international fashion/retail accounts.
• Demonstrated business and commercial acumen with the ability to successfully analyse product categories and make strategic, data-informed decisions.
• Present as highly organised, detail-oriented, and able to prioritise and manage time.
• Hold strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build positive relationships on global scale as well as cross functionally.
• Hold the demonstrated ability to improve process efficiencies, effectiveness and/or communication.
• Present as a creative thinker who is solutions-oriented and a proactive problem solver when faced with difficult business performance or challenging directives.
• Demonstrate a highly analytical nature, with a detail and result oriented bent. Strong excel skills
• Hold a strong working knowledge of operations and logistics.
• Have a proven understanding of how to manage complex budgets successfully.
• Experience working in a high-performance, high-growth retail environment is preferable.

Sales

• Lead and manage the business-wide International sales strategy, process and appointments for each of the brand’s collections per year, providing impeccable service, organisation, team unison, and brand representation.
• Ensure all sales deadlines, delivery schedules, style performance feedback, and reporting components are within the critical path at all times.
• Lead each account meeting in the market, ensuring relevant stakeholders are up to date and equipped with key information, including to the availability of ordered merchandise, necessary financial documents and trace payments, and relevant communication with the warehouse.
• Seek out and plan additional sales opportunities such as exclusives, capsules, marketing projects and lead the wholesale team to execute on these opportunities, including the strategic targeting of new accounts.
• Create and implement a trunk show calendar to make additional in-season sales and liaise with marketing and PR to ensure key styles are supported to drive sales.

• Place pre-quantified orders seasonally prior to market based on account sales trends to ensure production timelines are met.Deliver accurate sales and order analysis of wholesale accounts and identify risks and opportunities.

Account Management

• Initiate, build and nurture strong relationships with all accounts to ensure sales can grow continuously and sustainably, and lead the wholesale team to build and nurture individual account relationships, aligned to a culture of shared success.
• Act as the senior point of contact for key wholesale accounts and relevant sales agencies.
• Lead and oversee the day-to-day relationships with accounts, ensuring your team are providing consistent, excellent service.
• Facilitate and assist with training to all relevant accounts
• Oversee and ensure the accurate and consistent account set up and data entry, and the creation, maintenance and distribution of commercial assets of each account.
• Work closely with each account to facilitate all issues, find solutions to concerns, and problems, and consult as needed.

Finance & Reporting

• Establish and communicate seasonal sales targets in collaboration with the commercial and finance team.
• Ensure that all payments and invoices, credit notes and return authorisations are made with accuracy and timeliness.
• Create strategic targets by account, product assortment of all doors and each market.
• Manage the preparation of and compliance to your department’s annual expense budget.
• Maintain financial responsibility for all aspects of the role and advise management and suggest actions if necessary.
• Identify risks and opportunities to financial forecasts in partnership with cross-functional teams.
• Ensure wholesale database and budget is always kept up to date and any relevant questions can be answered quickly and accurately.
• Create the seasonal order book and wholesale merchandising reports.
• Create and share weekly sell through reports with key internal stakeholders.

Stock

• Lead the control of stock inventory for wholesale and ensure visibility across wholesale business.
• Drive in-season orders and swaps to reach sales target and support brand sell-through.
• Plan for, and strategically manage wholesale excess.
• Ensure all line sheets, Joor, pricing is 100% correct prior to the sales campaign.
• Oversee the accurate entry of all orders into the system prior to deadlines.
• Collaborate with the logistics team to support with any issues and to ensure they are dealt with in a quick and effective manner.
• Work with the logistics team to reconcile, analyse and investigate discrepancies between system vs actual inventory and identify root cause for discrepancies and administer remedies.
• Collaborate with the logistics team to monitor accounts and frequently communicate with accounts regarding replenishment strategies, inventory penetrations, shipping, and any additional procurement of inventory, identifying missed opportunities to ensure optimum business performance.

People Leadership

• Clearly and concisely communicate with wider business to ensure alignment around shared goals, targets, expectations, and wider business objectives.
• Mentor, direct and lead your team to deliver to your department’s long and short term strategies and measurables.
• Work collaboratively with the senior leadership team to lead business improvement projects within your function.
• Lead by example in the demonstration of company values, and recognise and reward positive cultural behaviours across the company.

• Self-manage competing priorities to ensure you and your team are comfortable to work diligently at pace.Take a proactive approach to all company culture and leadership initiatives, ensuring that you are generous in your sharing of source of knowledge and mentorship.