Director of sales and business development wholesale

DIRECTOR OF SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (WHOLESALE)

Puffin Drinkwear is an inclusive brand that makes personality infused apparel for your drink to wear. We call it Drinkwear. We’re focused on having Fun Together and are seeking an individual who embodies similar fun-loving qualities to help grow our community and contribute to our mission.

We’re looking for a Director of Sales & Business Development (Wholesale) who, when not working with sales reps and customers, can be found supporting our two Sales Managers, winning new business, and leading the Sales Department. Puffin supports workplace flexibility and strongly prefers this role to be Bend, OR-based; however, exceptional remote candidates will be considered.

As our Director of Sales & Business Development , reporting to the CEO, you will lead the wholesale team and continue Puffin’s growth and marketplace penetration as we define and own the Drinkwear category. Balance strategic level activities with overseeing and performing day-to-day business development and select Key Account Management.

In a typical week you will lead and support Puffin’s in-house Sales Management team and external rep force to plan and deliver profitable topline revenue and develop and drive Puffin’s distribution and coverage strategy. Thoughtfully and effectively grow Puffin’s brand awareness through opening/winning in the “white space” channels and executing on the Go-to-Market plan. “Own the number” and partner with Product, Planning & Operations, and the Ecommerce/DTC teams to execute to plan.

You’re a good fit for this role if you have a founded point of view and work well collaborating cross-functionally and as a Team Leader. You are a strategic thinker with a proven track record of achieving revenue targets, opening new channels, building and managing high-performance teams, and developing effective brand strategies. Your experience and passion will lead to broadening Puffin’s wholesale footprint more deeply into Outdoor/Sporting Goods, Farm & Ranch, Trend Retail, Collegiate, and Lifestyle channels. You are an effective planner with an analytical mind but are equally enthusiastic about chasing vetted at-once opportunities.

In return, you’ll get from us an inclusive team of people to grow with. We are open to new ideas and welcome your thoughts on building our wholesale distribution and growing Puffin’s fan base. Exposure and participation with our Board (PE backed). We are selective and hire only great people and therefore are accustomed to extending independence and autonomy.

To apply , let us know why you'd be a great fit for Puffin Drinkwear, share your résumé, and send it to:

Job Title: Director of Sales & Business Development (Wholesale)

Location: Bend, Oregon (exceptional remote candidates will be considered)

Responsibilities:

1. Deliver wholesale sales revenue and contribution margin performance at or above budget.
2. Lead and manage internal sales management team to create a culture of brand evangelism.
3. Identify and complete outreach to targeted new wholesale partners and channels. Manage select Key / House Accounts.
4. Participate seasonally with Key Accounts, Top to Tops, and major line reviews. Host seasonal sales meetings.
5. Develop and implement short and long-term sales strategies in conjunction with product and marketing for all wholesale channels.
6. Research key account needs and collaborate with in-house partners to identify brand development opportunities.
7. Explore and evaluate channels/geographies for incremental growth. Develop roadmap and activation timelines.
8. Be an integral leader in the Go-To-Market (GTM) process to continually evolve and improve cross-functional workflow.
9. Lead seasonal GTM milestone discussions and decision making in relation to defined annual revenue, profitability, and SKU-performance objectives.
10. Work cross-functionally with Operations and Planning by creating and maintaining the sales budget and forecast accuracy.
11. Partner and support Ecommerce/DTC and Licensing/Collaborations/Partnership channel teams.
12. Own the Department’s functional budgets and staffing plan.
13. Lead and live true to the Puffin Leadership Pact.

Supervisory Responsibility: Two Sales Managers, aligned by Channel (“Outdoor/Sporting Goods” and “Gift/Specialty”). Dotted-line reporting to Sales Operations Manager and Marketing Coordinator.

Reporting: Establish clear sales metrics, benchmarks, and key performance indicators for measuring progress. Maintain key account metrics and inventory health. Present sales activity updates to staff, leadership team, CEO, and board.

Qualifications and Skills:

1. 7+ years of relevant industry experience within apparel, footwear, outdoor, gift, and/or accessories.
2. Proven experience as a stand-out teammate, performer, and collaborator.
3. Exceptional communication and presentation skills.
4. Excellent knowledge of industry trends, channel segmentation, premium brand management.
5. Financial analysis proficiency including “retail math,” establishing sales budgets, commission structures, and associated action plans.
6. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities.
7. Self-starter that can thrive in both a corporate and start-up environment.
8. High level of organizational skills and attention to detail.
9. Capable at operating at both a strategic/conceptual level and at a detailed, operational level.
10. Understanding of brand licensing and partnerships (desired, not required).
11. Sales and/or distributor experience outside North America (desired, not required).
12. Strong skills working with MS Outlook and project management software.
13. Interest and ability to travel domestically and internationally for customer meetings and industry events as needed.
14. Strong understanding and comfort working within ERP systems and integrated technology suites.

Company Benefits:

• Healthcare: Medical, Dental, Vision (Puffin covers 95% employee premium)
• 401k: 4% Employer Match
• Generous Policies: PTO (4 weeks), Holidays (10 annually), Employee Development / Volunteer (1.5 Days), Work from Home (up to 1 day weekly), Flex Days (20 Annually), Summer Hours, and Sabbatical
• Career development and advancement (Grow with us!)
• Quarterly Company events, activities, and give-back volunteer opportunities via Puffin’s Good Together initiative
• Unlimited good times

More about Puffin Drinkwear: We create “Drinkwear” that brings FUN and celebrates GOOD. Drinkwear brings smiles, personality, conversation, and fun wherever you go. Our tagline of Fun Together is no accident. We were founded in 2019 in Bend, Oregon.