Vice President of Wholesale

KREWE is an independent, high-fashion eyewear brand rooted in the vibrant culture and boundless creativity of our hometown, New Orleans. Since our launch in 2013, KREWE has grown into a dynamic and evolving brand known for its distinctive, handcrafted sun and optical frames. Designed in New Orleans and meticulously crafted with exceptional attention to detail, our eyewear reflects a commitment to quality and individuality.

Our presence spans brick-and-mortar boutiques, innovative mobile and tiny house concept stores, and a thriving e-commerce platform. You can also find KREWE at premier independent shops and major retailers across the country. Celebrated for our unique approach to design, KREWE has cultivated a loyal following among style-conscious consumers and influential tastemakers.

As we continue to expand, we’re looking for passionate, driven, and innovative individuals to join our talented team. At KREWE our work is fun, intense, and fast-paced. We believe our people are our greatest asset and those that work at KREWE are high performing, passionate, and ambitious. People here work hard because they believe in our mission and the brand. At KREWE, you will be given the opportunity to own your role and truly make a difference, no matter your level. If this sounds like the right environment for you we invite you to apply below. 

We are currently searching for a high-performing Vice President of Wholesale to optimize brand and revenue growth throughout all respective wholesale distribution channels domestically and internationally. The VP will develop and drive the wholesale strategy, concentrating on retention and growth of existing accounts and penetrating new markets. This unique role will enable a creative and results-oriented eyewear leader the opportunity to capitalize on our strength in Sun and continue to expand our growing presence within the Optical category. The VP will act as a KREWE ambassador, representing our brand by delivering world-class customer experiences reflective of KREWE’s spirit of hospitality and creativity, consistently achieving sales & profitability goals, operational objectives, merchandising standards and developing a highly successful team that will be motivated to grow, contribute and advance with KREWE.

This role is based in our New Orleans Headquarters 5 days a week.
 

Key responsibilities:

Sales Strategy & Leadership
 

• Establish multi-year growth strategies across all eyewear categories and partners including independent retailers, independent opticians and optometrists, specialty chains, department store, and marketplace accounts
• Develop and maintain a twelve-month rolling budget of revenue and expenses that syncs with company objectives
• Establish optimum sales territory allocation and evolution as markets mature and evolve
• Manage and grow the rep structure of both independent and employed sales reps
• Responsible for continuing to develop evolving sales models and account support structure
• Establish relationships directly with key accounts and top independent retail partners to best understand their needs and support the sales team
• Build and secure a pipeline of new business development opportunities including accounts and programs that drive expansion including new distribution partners, partnerships, and other opportunities
• Lead development of our wholesale loyalty program to incentivize, recognize, and reward top accounts.
• Provide analysis and reporting including but not limited to outreach, sales initiation inbound sales orders, closing sales, reorders and account satisfaction

Sales Operations
 

• Establish and manage wholesale operations calendar, including key market dates, trade-shows, sell-in periods, and regular business reviews with key accounts
• Provide recommendations for wholesale pricing and business terms that drive profitable growth.
• Ensure B2B platform is executed at a high level in brand and product presentation and optimized to support new account acquisition and provides an efficient ordering process and a complete self-service customer experience
• Standardize weekly, monthly, and quarterly sales reports with meaningful insights from the department and presenting clear plans to recoup budget variances when applicable

Cross-functional Collaboration 

• Collaborate across all departments to ensure desired outcomes are achieved
• Pursue continuous improvement of wholesale operations ensuring proactive support of future revenue goals
• Partner with VP Brand Marketing to develop programs that support acquisition of new accounts and support sell-through and reorder with existing accounts; foster brand alignment through establishing and implementing POP and marketing activities that ensure KREWE’s high brand standards are maintained throughout the channel

• Enhance partnership with Operations and Customer Service team to establish standards for wholesale customers and support for the sales team
• Work with Planning to optimize inventory ordering and allocation

Qualifications:

• Minimum 10-12+ years of prior experience in a similar leadership role with P&L accountability 
• Track record of delivering continuous growth within the eyewear industry in the North American market, with a preference for leaders who also have international experience
• Reputation for nurturing relationships with eyewear selling accounts of all types and sizes with an established industry network of past and current relationships with buyers, former partners and colleagues
• Proven history for developing and ensuring the success of independent and/or in-house eyewear sales reps through hiring and effective sales management
• Solid understanding of financials including industry pricing, gross margins, and operational accounting
• Demonstrable expertise of the eyewear industry past, present, and future
• Proven ability to establish and drive sales processes from pipeline management to acquisition of new accounts
• Experience in leading wholesale outreach through trade marketing, trade shows, and events
• Demonstrated history of positioning product against competition, and winning
• BA/BS degree preferred
• Proficiency in analyzing sales and presenting executive summaries of channel performance with identification of risks and opportunities
• Existing peer network advocating for KREWE to hire you

Benefits and Perks:

• Competitive wage
• Group health plans: health, vision and dental insurance
• Welfare benefits: life, ad&d, supplemental voluntary coverage 
• FSA Plan & HSA Program 
• 401(K) Investment Options
• Adoption Assistance, EAP, Commuter Benefits
• Paid Parental Leave 
• Quarterly Cultural Spend
• Ongoing Training & Development, an Educational Allowance
• 10 paid holidays & Unlimited PTO
• KREWE employee frame discount (of course!)

Diversity & Inclusion: 

KREWE believes in providing an inclusive workplace where all individuals have the opportunity to succeed. We are proud to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants without discrimination or retaliation because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, pregnancy or any other protected characteristic as established by applicable local, state, or federal law.