We are the Brand Machine Group.  For over 40 years some of the biggest names in sport & fashion have trusted us to design, develop, manufacture and sell their clothing & accessories around the world.  We are a global licensing specialist managing a seamless and collaborative process of designing, developing, selling and delivering quality products -all whilst championing the unique strengths and DNA of our brands. We are seeking an energetic & experienced Distributor Manager to join our Sales team in our HQ.

You will be responsible for developing and managing strategic relationships with Distributor partners across EMEA, driving sales growth, and ensuring customer satisfaction. This is a permanent role with occasional business travel throughout the region.

WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING

• Your primary focus will be on building strong partnerships, maximising revenue & achieving sales targets.  The ideal candidate possesses an understanding of the sports / fashion industry, exceptional sales and negotiations skills and a track record of successfully managing Distributor partners who themselves have commercial businesses via wholesale, retail and online channels.

• Developing & executing sales and account plans to drive revenue growth and achieve financial targets for New Balance Kids apparel & accessories.

• Identifying opportunities to upsell & introduce new products or services to Distributor partners based in the Nordics, Poland, Switzerland, Israel, Greece, Turkey & Ukraine.

• Building a trusted relationship with our most essential partners, having a full understanding of the sales process (from order to delivery) and continually building and updating knowledge of the category & the retail landscape to understand the unique aspects & challenges of the business. 

• Analysing sales data and other performance metrics to support decision making and course correction to business plans using insights to shape and lead the conversation on category management with the customers.

• Providing weekly and monthly reporting of sales numbers to the Commercial Director and the wider business whilst conducting market research, analysing industry trends, and gathering competitor intelligence to identify market opportunities and threats.

• Developing and implementing a consumer-centric, brand building plan with partners including purchase and distribution targets.

• Contributing to key business meetings such as annual planning meeting, commercial strategy, forecast validation, demand planning and brand meetings, presenting a review of account performance identifying challenges and opportunities as appropriate.

• Collaborating with internal teams (e.g. sales, marketing operations, customer service) to ensure seamless co-ordination & customer satisfaction.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• We are seeking someone with the same enthusiasm and passion for winning that we have. Someone who is able to build strong, strategic relationships, organise and motivate themselves and demonstrate the ability needed to make a success of partner markets. You will relish the opportunity to work in a results oriented, demanding environment and will be flexible in your approach to work whilst recognising that Teamwork, Integrity & Total Customer Satisfaction are values that are at the centre of our relationship with New Balance.

• An entrepreneurial mindset with ability to think creatively – while staying within the lines -  in order to deliver sales and brand performance.

• Highly motivated and target driven individual with a proven track record in sales, ready to get ‘stuck in’ with the rest of the team.

• Someone who wants to work as part of a team.  This is not a hybrid role, as such.  The expectation is that (if you are London based) you are either in front of the customer or you are contributing to a winning culture and mentality in our head office.

• A brand and company ambassador with cultural sensitivity.

WHY BRAND MACHINE GROUP?

We offer an inclusive, pro-active working environment in the heart of London where we follow our partner’s product and distribution strategy and are passionate about nurturing brand DNA’s across all product categories and channels in a geared approach to global distribution.

Our culture is fast paced; quick decision making, empowerment and a winning mentality are the key ingredients to success.

In addition we offer a competitive base salary, a sales bonus scheme, life cover plan and even a discount on New Balance products.

REQUIREMENTS

• Proven experience as a Distributor Manager (or similar) within the sports/fashion or fmcg sector with a knowledge of the sporting goods / fashion industry, including key players & market trends.

• An ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with remote, international customers.

• Strong negotiation, communication, and presentation skills – internally & externally.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

• Results-oriented mindset with a track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets.

• Proficient in CRM software and MS Office Suite.

• Ability to travel as required for client meetings, industry events, and trade shows.