Vice President of Sales

About the job

Opportunity:

Award-winning toy company YuMe Brands (www.yumetoys.com) is opening a new office, showroom, and distribution center in Los Angeles to better serve our US-based customers. We seek to fill multiple leadership roles, including an immediate requirement for an experienced VP of Sales to join our El Segundo, California team.

The ideal candidate will have toy industry experience, highly developed communication skills, commercial awareness, and the ability to positively impact all aspects of sales. The VP of Sales will be responsible for creating, managing, and maintaining sustainable merchandising revenue growth at key retail accounts, in all distribution channels. This individual is responsible for achieving seasonal/annual sales goals, developing distribution channels, building strategic business relationships, formulating innovative business development strategies, and providing vision for all sales strategies and their execution.

The VP of Sales will oversee and mentor the sales team, managing our sales reps and distributor partners to implement toy and consumer products retail sales growth initiatives, develop promotions, execute sell-ins, and activate key retail strategies that align with our strategic marketing, sales, and brand portfolio initiatives. The VP of Sales will act as a brand ambassador, key influencer, and change agent serving retailers, distributors, outside sales reps, licensors, and promotional clients.

Key Responsibilities:

• Within the first 90 days, develop a written sales plan with achievable targets.
• Responsible for negotiating and securing retail sales programs at all distribution channels.
• Collaborate on developing retail initiatives, and work closely with retail licensing category development, licensors, marketing, and promotional partners to ensure all activity aligns with the brand strategy and guidelines.
• Develop clear and compelling written proposals/quotations for current and prospective customers.
• Identify and develop new business strategies and categories outside traditional licensing classes with an entrepreneurial approach to new business growth.
• Conduct and coordinate sales presentations with national retail buyers, sales reps, and distributors.
• Attend and represent the company at key trade shows, maintaining up-to-date knowledge of industry trends and developments.
• Identify new trends to maintain our position as an industry leader and innovator.
• Develop pricing proposals for all new products and sales channels, and review pricing recommendations from the sales team.
• Establish sales objectives by forecasting and developing annual quotas for regions and product lines.
• Create product segmentation strategies to maximize business opportunities across various sales channels when needed.
• Develop, manage, and nurture new business accounts and partnerships to accomplish profit and volume goals.
• Maximize relationships with key retail and wholesale partners.
• Lead weekly sales meetings with the North American team.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Advertising, Marketing, or similar preferred.
• Minimum 10 years experience in retail-related buying, product development, and/or sales at a manufacturer, retailer, rep group, distributor, or licensor.
• Existing relationships with mass, specialty, e-commerce, senior merchants, buyers, distributors, and marketing teams at all channels of North American retail distribution.
• Strong knowledge of the retail industry and retail operations, including planogramming.
• Understanding of product development, product ranges, and key categories.
• Proven and effective interpersonal skills and ability to develop relationships with personnel at all internal and external levels.
• Experience implementing brand and license guidelines
• Fluent in Microsoft Office Suite – Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; able to create, understand, and interpret financial data in Excel, including sales forecasts and budgets.
• Frequent travel is required.

Compensation/Benefits:

Comprehensive compensation package including competitive salary commensurate with experience, medical, dental, and vision coverage, HSA/FSA, 401K with company match, company-paid basic life and AD&D insurance, disability coverages, paid time off, performance bonus, and other valuable benefits.

Application Process:

Please submit your resume and a cover letter outlining why you are a good fit for this position. We will only be responding to those candidates we have an interest in interviewing. We thank all others in advance. All responses will be kept strictly confidential. YuMe is an equal opportunity employer that employs individuals based on job-related qualifications regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, age, disabilities, or any basis prohibited by law.

Key Words: Vice President of Sales, VP Sales, Consumer Products, Toys, Collectibles, Plush, Licensed Goods, Entertainment Licensing, Promotions, Marketing