Senior National Account Manager

We are North America’s largest book distributor with over 70,000 customer store locations. We move over 325,000,000 books per year and work with over 700 retailers and 500 publishers. If you want to end every day knowing that you helped deliver a book into the hands of readers across America, let’s talk. We are currently recruiting for aSenior National Account Manager based out of our corporate headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. The position is eligible to participate in a hybrid schedule.

Manage a sales team of Account Executives, Representatives and/or Coordinators responsible for specific job functions and responsibilities associated with account activity that include customer relationship, attending and coordinating customer sales meetings, monitoring distributions and replenishment, managing promotions, updating and monitoring financial projections, and maintaining team open task list.

The primary responsibility of this job is the National Account Manager is to coordinate the activities of the sales team to assure that sales targets and the needs of the individual customers are being met. This position must also serve as an advocate for the customer with internal departments including, Sales, Operations, Shoppers Marketing, Procurement, Field Service and Marketing.

The National Account Manager will meet with the customer on a regular basis and will work to understand the “big picture” needs of the customer and will communicate those back to the organization. Together with the Director of Sales or VP of Sales will create a plan to meet the customer needs and to drive sales growth.

What You Will Be Doing

• Set priorities and delegate necessary responsibilities to the sales team who are:
• Responsible for monitoring New Release shipments to insure on-time processing of orders and compliance to sales plan.
• Executing and processing promotions within the company system to insure proper lead time and accurate distributions.
• Monitoring order distributions for compliance to budgeted freight goals.
• Maintaining ongoing promotional calendar with historical distribution and sales information.
• Tracking major releases and promotional compliance and communicating results to Field Service.
• Distributing new store information and monitoring progress through grand opening.
• Reviewing pricing to insure both cost and consumer retail accuracy.
• Responsible for meeting sales and expense budgets by customer
• Monitor key performance metrics and report to the Director of Sales or VP of Sales
• Prepare and present monthly customer sales meeting presentations.
• Maintain customer and internal financial projections and report on weekly customer business review.
• Create and present internal quarterly sales reviews.
• Run sales and inventory reports as needed from internal and customer systems.
• Monitor sales progress for promotions from Field Service store level solicitations.
• Be able to travel frequently to customer meetings.
• Visit and evaluate stores as needed.
• Interact with competitor suppliers in planning POG’s and promotions.
• Other duties may be assigned, directed, or requested.

What You Will Need

• Ability to manage a team of Account Executives, Representatives and/or Coordinators.
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and organize projects/requests.
• Excellent interpersonal skills – in person, phone, email, presentations, etc.
• Fast learner, team player, and aggressive problem solver
• Strong to advanced level of skills with MS Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
• Desire to advance and grow within the company.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 5-7 years’ experience in sales, retail and/or marketing
• Must have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Basic knowledge of retail math skills
• Employee must be able to use common sense to solve problems and improve existing processes.

ReaderLink is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, or status as an individual with a disability. EOE/Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran.