VP of Wholesale Sales

SCOUT – Company Team:

SCOUT is a fast-growing Washington, DC-based brand known for stylish, functional, affordable bags featuring colorful, one-of-a-kind patterns. The authenticity of the brand is best measured by our team of bright, talented, creative individuals who share a genuine passion for hard work and laughter. SCOUT aspires to be a national lifestyle brand and has plans to significantly increase revenue growth by 2025. Expanding our team with experienced talent and proven leadership is the critical component to scale our business in new and existing channels with 7 annual product collections and a growing base of loyal consumers.

SCOUT – Brand Customer:

SCOUT was co-founded in 2004 by Deb Waterman Johns, a former Vogue editor and busy mom of four, who saw a need in the marketplace for stylish, functional, affordable bags to match her and her family’s on-the-go lifestyle. Today, SCOUT enjoys a loyal following of modern women ranging in age from 18-54 years old who comprise four distinct personas. Our primary focus is the high achieving working mom seeking the most current trends to set her apart. She’s well-educated, hard-working, adventurous, socially conscious, and cares about supporting brands that give back. SCOUT has become her go-to resource by providing the products she needs to contain, organize, and carry all the stuff she needs to successfully navigate her busy life.

SCOUT – Products Distribution:

SCOUT is widely known for its thoughtfully designed bags with colorful original patterns and dynamic, easy-clean fabrics. Combining fashion and function at an affordable price, SCOUT has found a niche in the tote bag market and has created a sustainable competitive advantage. The core product assortment includes bags, coolers, accessories, and home organization. To further establish itself as a lifestyle brand, SCOUT is rapidly expanding into new product categories via key licensing partnerships and selective brand collaborations.

From a wholesale base of 500 specialty store customers in 2010, SCOUT has successfully diversified into 5 additional channels of wholesale distribution. Today, the wholesale channels, represents 55% of total sales, selling through 1200 specialty stores, including 14 SCOUT shop-in-shops known as Destination Stores. Other wholesale channels include a corporate gift & event business, regional multi-door retailers and a handful of select major retailers.

Our DTC website launched in 2011, marking the beginning of our ‘brand first’ strategy and enabling steady growth of direct-to-consumer sales over the last 10 years. Together, our e-commerce business and Amazon, have grown to 45% of sales. We recently opened our flagship retail store in our Georgetown headquarters as the crown jewel of our DTC experience.

About the Position: Vice President of Wholesale Sales

The VP of Wholesale Sales is a key leadership position in our organization, focused on the modernization our wholesale distribution channels. We are looking for a candidate who will successfully translate the company’s distribution plan into a 3-year roadmap. They will build, lead, and profitably scale with existing and new partners while balancing brand, product, and marketplace considerations.

We seek a highly entrepreneurial sales professional with a successful record of growth in multi-channels of distribution, working in both small and large corporate environments. The position requires experience with specialty retailers, which serve as the foundation of our customer base. The priority will be to redefine the retailer rules of engagement with the SCOUT brand and understand continued growth opportunities. They will develop and manage a target market approach for our 15 key markets, utilizing a diversified network of specialty to major retailers. They will successfully triple our new customer acquisition results in 2025. This leader will develop sales strategies for all annual collection releases and lead go-to-market efforts on category/collection extensions to acquire new distribution, including our baby collection in 2023.

This wholesale leader must be a strategic thinker with tactical project management execution. They must have the business training and experience to lead and manage the sales channel with proven reporting skills and P&L management. This will require a resourceful, creative thinker who employs technology, data, and people to achieve results. With a player-coach approach, they will effectively lead a team of seven (five direct and two indirect) sales professionals and ensure all team members are well-positioned, well-supported and provided the proper direction.

Reporting to the Co-Founder and President, the VP of Wholesale Sales, will serve on the Executive Committee. They will work in close partnership on sales and distribution strategy with the Senior Vice President.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Develop three-year distribution roadmap and drive profitable and sustainable top line sales growth with an underlying commitment to the best brand execution, operational excellence, and collaboration with internal and external partners.
• Develop and manage annual wholesale strategic plan (OGSM) and P&L to align with three-year plan.
• Analyze target markets and develop a new customer acquisition strategy with appropriate systems/pipeline support to triple new customer revenue by 2025.
• Identify and secure new opportunities with national and regional retailers that align with distribution goals and margin parameters.
• Build and sustain strong relationships with new and existing wholesale partners and communicate clear action plans and priorities within customer segments.
• Recruit, motivate, inspire, and develop an internal sales team and monitor performance through the review of financial targets and KPI with the goal of an entirely internal sales force.
• Develop and analyze weekly/monthly/quarterly sales reports to make business driving recommendations to sales, inventory, and planning teams. Establish metrics for discounting, promotions, loyalty, and product performance.
• Partner with product, planning and marketing teams on seasonal selling strategy, pre-buy process, assortments, budgets, and financial targets. Track performance and tailor strategies, materials, and incentives accordingly.
• Partner with Marketing on annual marketing strategy, all go-to-market needs, training, and sales materials. Collaborate closely with Chief Creative Officer, marketing and sales team on showroom strategy and visual merchandising standards.
• Partner with Operations team to ensure best-in-class customer satisfaction, retention, and increased customer revenue. Together, further develop the wholesale website as a key ordering tool and resource for retailers.

What We’d Like to See in You:

• 15 years of experience in a wholesale sales management role working with consumer products brand operating in multi-channels. 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Advanced analytical skills using Excel, Tableau, or similar tools. Fastidiously committed to relevant and continuous data collection and consistent and accurate reporting to inform decisions and strategy adjustments.
• Bring an established industry network to maintain new and existing relationships with buyers, former partners, and colleagues.
• Experience with fashion and accessories (bags and totes) is a plus.
• Experience with gifting and customization/personalization or corporate gifting services is a plus.

What You’ll Get from Us:

• A competitive compensation package.
• We prefer to have this position based in Washington, but there is opportunity to work remotely for the right candidate.
• You will get 3 Year Plan to potentially double the business & long-term commitment by 2 owners to invest available capital to maximize the value of the SCOUT brand.
•  An entrepreneurial opportunity to be a partner with a leadership team with proven success, and the advantage of a solid 17-year foundation with the key operating pieces in place.
• Experience working with creative and motivated team of 43. We offer a casual, fun company culture where we take creative engagement & work/life balance very seriously.
•  Being a ‘good fit’ in our team culture is paramount.
• An incentive plan based on team performance, meeting quarterly gross profit goals.
• Company matching 401K Program.
• Medical Health, Dental, and Vision Coverage.
•  Seasonal wellness credits and a seasonal credit toward SCOUT merchandise (plus a killer employee discount).
• A casual dress code in a bright and happy office environment.

COVID-19 Policy: The health and safety of our employees and their families is a top priority. To help minimize the spread of COVID-19 SCOUT requires all employees to be fully vaccinated and have received a booster vaccine once they meet the CDC eligibility requirements for COVID boosters. All newly hired employees need to be fully vaccinated and have received a booster shot by their start date. Proof of vaccination is required and will be kept confidential.

SCOUT is Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) Employer.