Account Manager

JOIN THE BEST TEAM ON THE FIELD IN SPORT, SPIRIT & ACHIEVEMENT
At Varsity Brands, we believe every student deserves the opportunity to succeed and every educator wants to make a difference. It takes a team to make a real impact, and through our three distinct brands – BSN SPORTS, Varsity Spirit and Herff Jones – and our network of 9,000 employees and independent representatives, we are proud to partner with schools, colleges and universities across the country to transform the student journey in SPORT, SPIRIT and ACHIEVEMENT. 

Are you looking to play an important role on a winning team? Are you looking for more than “just a job,” but a place where you can truly thrive and have your daily contributions make a real difference in someone’s life? At Varsity Brands we’re a growing company where you can lend your skills and talents in support of a greater mission. In return, you get to work with great people on challenging assignments that will accelerate your professional growth.

Position Summary:   This position includes responsibility for acting as a sales and marketing liaison between HJ Greek customers, specifically, NPC market (National Panhellenic Conference/sorority) customers, NIC market (North American Interfraternity Conference/fraternity) customers, PFA (Professional Fraternity Association) market and ACHS market (Association of College Honor Society) by handling all aspects of customer’s official jewelry program, graduation, and ceremony regalia.  This position will include working with operations management personnel, marketing, and creative departments to ensure customers’ complete satisfaction in quality, products, delivery, and service. In this role you will have regular interaction with key decision makers within customer’s organization and with operations leaders.

What we want you to accomplish:

The National Account Manager role will manage the business to client relationship with specific customers. You will keep a focus on both sales and the bottom line of the company, as well as the specific needs of the customer. You will need to plan and explain how the company can meet those needs. This will be a hybrid position.

Daily displays of working in a fashion that adheres to the company values of SPIRIT:

• 30 days - display an eagerness to learn the role and prove themselves dependable.
• 60 days - gain an understanding of the daily tasks and operational aspects of how the account manager role fits into the HJ Warwick plant; Champaign plant; establish priorities, introduction to customers
• 90 days - independently service, sell to and manage the first assigned allotment of Greek letter customers.

Core Activities: (daily activities and other tasks that will support the goals laid out in previous sections)

Developing, managing, improving, and “owning” the established jewelry and graduation regalia program. Communication with customers via phone, teams and conference calls, as well as and email, daily interactions with colleagues in the Art, Marketing, Tooling, Product Development, Order Entry, Customer Service, Accounting and Production Floor, excellent time management skills, a sincere understanding of 'owning' each customer, a sales growth and increased penetration mentality, and a solid appreciation of the daily urgency that is needed to implement and manage a successful official jewelry program and graduation program.

• Represent Herff Jones in a positive, professional and respectful manner in all communications with both internal and external colleagues.
• Make solid decisions that reflect appreciation for the urgency those decisions have on others in the production chain and for customers.
• Manage all jewelry programs from inception of idea to completion of final product, to ensure the highest quality product with the plant key performance indicators.
• Proactively work with customer on critical convention jewelry requirements and adhere to operations deadlines.
• Continually review HJGreek website and update accordingly making continuous improvements and product changes.
• Understand the competitive landscape and utilize an entrepreneurial spirit to find ways to sell additional products and solutions into current accounts
• Assure assigned customers are following established pricing and royalty guidelines.
• Review and summarize all company absorbed expenses for budget and program compliance.
• Review and summarize customer’s sales by product category and make recommendations to customer and manager.
• Develop and manage/maintain all marketing. promotions and advertising functions for assigned customers
• Coordinate, plan and attend customer selling events (product selection, display selection, customer requirements).
• Represent HJ at customers’ selling events (conventions and leadership) and related trade shows.
• Promote, devise, and increase revenue within the non-official jewelry program sales.
• Communicate royalties, pricing sheets, and applicable notifications to customers in a timely manner.

Success Indicators:

• Ability to confidently manage assigned customer’s official jewelry program and non-official jewelry program and provide programs to customers.
• Proven ability to conceptualize, strategize, and think creatively.
• Independently handle assigned customers with little supervision but knowing when to ask for manager’s assistance when needed.
• Develop proactive, positive relationships to ensure a successful HJ partnership with customers.
• Manage challenging customer demands with professionalism, accuracy, and proper and complete follow-through.
• Commitment to becoming a subject matter expert in official jewelry programs and graduation regalia/ceremony products.
• Ability to effectively plan, organize and control processes for desired outcomes.

Education / Certifications Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Management or related field of study.
• Retail and/or account manager experience a plus but not required.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs.
• Position requires frequent travel throughout year to visit customers and attend trade shows as needed.
• Position requires heavy travel in summer months of June, July, and August (summer conventions).
• Fraternity/Sorority life experience preferred.

Physical Requirements:

• Manual Dexterity: Good Hand-Eye Coordination.

• Must be able to sit & stand for long periods of time during selling events.
• Ability to move throughout the office and production areas frequently during the course of the day.

Varsity Brands companies are equal opportunity employers. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran’s status, age or disability.