Vice President of Wholesale

KREWE is an independent high-fashion eyewear company inspired by the creativity and spirit of New Orleans, our hometown. Since launching in 2013 the brand has continued to grow and evolve with an extensive offering of unique, hand-crafted sun and optical frames designed in New Orleans and crafted with the utmost attention to detail. In addition to brick & mortar locations,  mobile and tiny house concept stores, and a robust ecommerce business the brand is also available at many notable independent and major retailers such as Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Shopbop. KREWE’s unique approach to eyewear has created a cult-following amongst consumers and influencers alike. Our frames have appeared in publications from GQ to VOGUE and on celebrities such as Beyonce, Gigi Hadid, Meghan Markle, Carrie Underwood, Hailey Bieber, Zayne Malik, Scott Disick, Adam Huber, among others.

As the business grows, we are seeking smart, creative, and experienced individuals to join our talented team! Key attributes and qualities we are looking for in candidates for all open roles include an entrepreneurial spirit, innovative and solution-oriented, adaptable and resilient, best-practices methodology, team-oriented with a lean-in attitude, highest standards for execution, and a high level of accountability.

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 through the evolution and marketing of KREWE’s “Royalty” program expanding distribution and creating and activating a robust Resorts program. This unique role will enable a creative and results-oriented leader eyewear expert the opportunity to capitalize on our strength in Sun and play a key role in developing KREWE’s Optical category, a strategic initiative that will fuel KREWE’s continued success. As a sales leader, 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.

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 rep structure including management of both independent and employed sales reps including working with finance on appropriate commission and compensation structure
• Responsible for evolving specialty and independent 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 (NuOrder) 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 sales team
• Work with Director of 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
• 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.