Director, Wholesale Strategy & Business Development

SoTalent; Mount Horeb (WI); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

SoTalent is seeking a Director of Wholesale Strategy & Business Development to lead the optimization and growth of its Amazon 1P business while expanding the broader wholesale channel. The role blends wholesale strategy, vendor negotiations, P&L management, and omnichannel execution, requiring senior leadership, data-driven decision making, and strong retailer relationships.

Hybrid work with in-office and remote options is offered in the United States.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Fashion Merchandising, or related field or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in wholesale, retail, e‑commerce, or related commercial functions.
• 5+ years in senior wholesale strategy or business development, preferably in Outdoor/Workwear/Consumer goods sectors.
• Experience building or scaling a wholesale business or division.
• 5-7+ years of hands‑on experience managing a high‑volume Amazon Vendor Central (1P) business.
• 3+ years managing multi‑million‑dollar Amazon advertising budgets.
• Established relationships with major retail buyers, retail executives, and wholesale partners.
• Strong understanding of P&L management, financial forecasting, wholesale margins, cost-to-serve, and commercial modeling.
• Strong understanding of Amazon performance metrics (ROAS, TACOS, ACOS, CVR, CPC).
• Experience with Amazon Vendor Central, EDI, ASNs, packaging compliance, logistics, and chargeback management.
• Ability to work across creative, commercial, marketing, supply chain, and operations.
• Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Own the P&L for the Amazon 1P / Vendor Central channel.
• Lead annual vendor negotiations and manage terms including MDF, damage allowances, freight terms, wholesale margins, and other vendor costs.
• Develop and optimize Amazon advertising across Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Display, and Video.
• Manage paid acquisition budgets and campaign performance against ROAS, ACOS, TACOS, CVR, CPC.
• Align advertising investment with inventory availability, product margins, demand, and Buy Box performance.
• Partner with supply chain teams to identify and eliminate Amazon chargebacks and compliance issues.
• Oversee Vendor Central processes including EDI, ASNs, packaging compliance, logistics, and chargeback disputes.
• Develop the strategic roadmap for entering and scaling the broader wholesale channel.
• Assess market opportunities and identify retail partners aligned with brand and long-term strategy.
• Build detailed wholesale P&L and financial models covering margins, chargebacks, markdowns, terms, and revenue potential.
• Define operational infrastructure for wholesale (EDI, labeling, logistics, inventory, fulfillment).
• Develop a Go-To-Market calendar covering product development, commercialization, retail presentations, production, and delivery.
• Leverage retailer relationships to gather market intelligence and secure opportunities.
• Design and execute wholesale pilot programs before broader market expansion.
• Establish multi-year financial projections and business cases for executive leadership.
• Cross-functional collaboration to integrate wholesale with DTC/e‑commerce.
• Maintain channel integrity and executive communication on strategy and results.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Negotiation

Executive communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Financial modeling

P&L management

Channel strategy

Vendor negotiations

Market analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/Marketing related field

Tools

Amazon Vendor Central

EDI

ASNs

Amazon Advertising tools

Job description

Director, Wholesale Strategy & Business Development

Location: Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, United States

Work Setting: Hybrid - Monday-Thursday in office, Friday remote option

Employment Type: Full-time

Salary: $140,000-$190,000 USD/year + bonus and long-term incentive eligibility

Function: Wholesale Strategy, Business Development, Retail, E-commerce, Amazon, Omnichannel Growth

About the Role

A strategic and highly analytical Director of Wholesale Strategy & Business Development is sought to lead the optimization and growth of an established Amazon 1P business while developing the roadmap for broader wholesale expansion.

This senior leadership role combines wholesale strategy, business development, Amazon Vendor Central, retail partnerships, P&L management, digital advertising, financial modeling, and omnichannel commerce. The successful candidate will own Amazon channel performance while simultaneously assessing the commercial opportunity for wholesale, building the financial business case, defining the required operational infrastructure, and developing a scalable go-to-market strategy.

The role requires an experienced wholesale leader with established relationships across major retailers and the ability to move between executive-level strategy, financial analysis, retailer negotiations, and hands‑on channel execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the holistic P&L for the Amazon 1P / Vendor Central channel, balancing revenue growth, advertising investment, wholesale margins, and profitability.
• Lead annual vendor negotiations and manage commercial terms including MDF, damage allowances, freight terms, wholesale margins, and other vendor costs.
• Develop and optimize Amazon advertising across Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Display, and Video.
• Manage paid acquisition strategy, budgets, keyword bidding, and campaign performance against ROAS, ACOS, TACOS, CVR, CPC, and other commercial KPIs.
• Align advertising investment with inventory availability, product margins, demand, and Buy Box performance.
• Partner with supply chain teams to identify and eliminate Amazon chargebacks and operational compliance issues.
• Oversee Vendor Central processes including EDI, ASNs, packaging compliance, logistics, and chargeback disputes.

Wholesale Strategy & Business Development

• Develop the strategic roadmap for entering and scaling the broader wholesale channel.
• Assess market opportunities and identify retail partners aligned with the brand, product portfolio, and long‑term commercial strategy.
• Build detailed wholesale P&L and financial models covering margins, chargebacks, markdown structures, shipping terms, cost-to-serve, and revenue potential.
• Define the operational infrastructure required to support wholesale, including EDI compliance, ticketing, labeling, logistics, inventory, and fulfillment processes.
• Develop a comprehensive Go-To-Market (GTM) calendar covering product development, commercialization, retail presentations, production, and retail delivery.
• Leverage established relationships with major retail buyers and executives to gather market intelligence, secure retailer presentations, and identify pilot opportunities.
• Design and execute controlled wholesale pilot programs before broader market expansion.
• Establish multi-year financial projections and business cases for executive leadership.

Cross-Functional & Strategic Leadership

• Ensure wholesale and Amazon strategies integrate effectively with existing DTC, e-commerce, and retail operations.
• Protect brand positioning and customer experience across third‑party and wholesale channels while managing potential channel conflicts.
• Partner with marketing, merchandising, supply chain, operations, finance, product, and e-commerce teams to execute complex channel strategies.
• Translate multi‑phase strategies into detailed roadmaps with milestones, deadlines, dependencies, and contingency plans.
• Present commercial strategies, financial models, market opportunities, and investment requirements to executive leadership.
• Monitor market trends, retailer requirements, customer behavior, and channel performance to identify new growth opportunities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Fashion Merchandising, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in wholesale, retail, e-commerce, business development, or related commercial functions.
• 5+ years in senior wholesale strategy or business development, preferably within Outdoor, Workwear, Corporate Apparel, National Specialty Retail, or related consumer goods sectors.
• Demonstrated experience building or scaling a wholesale business or division.
• 5-7+ years of hands‑on experience managing a high‑volume Amazon Vendor Central (1P) business.
• 3+ years managing multi‑million‑dollar Amazon advertising budgets.
• Established relationships with major retail buyers, retail executives, and wholesale partners.
• Expert understanding of P&L management, financial forecasting, wholesale margin structures, cost-to-serve, co‑op allowances, and commercial modeling.
• Strong understanding of Amazon performance marketing metrics including ROAS, TACOS, ACOS, CVR, and CPC.
• Practical experience with Amazon Vendor Central, EDI, ASNs, packaging compliance, logistics, and chargeback management.
• Strong understanding of how wholesale, DTC, e-commerce, Amazon, and physical retail operate within an omnichannel business.
• Ability to develop complex business cases, financial models, GTM strategies, and multi‑year growth plans.
• Strong negotiation, retailer relationship management, project management, and executive communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively across creative, commercial, marketing, supply chain, and operational functions.
• Highly organized with strong attention to timelines, milestones, dependencies, and execution.
• Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.