Key Account Manager, Pets

Learning Resources; Vernon Hills (IL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Learning Resources, a Chicago-area family company, seeks a driven Key Account Manager for the Brightkins pet brand. You will lead new business development across mass retail and e‑commerce, working with Sales, Finance, Product Development and Brand teams to grow the business.

Expect to build strong relationships with Petco and PetSmart, develop strategic account plans, analyze forecasts, and coordinate promotions. Travel ~30% across US/Canada.

Qualifications

• BS/BA required.
• 3–5 years sales hunter experience.
• Petco and PetSmart experience preferred.
• 2+ years managing outside representatives.
• Experience with budgeting and P&L.
• Strong communication with stakeholders.
• Travel 30% across US/Canada.

Responsibilities

• Identify and close new pet brand opportunities.
• Develop strategic and tactical account plans and forecasts.
• Review reports for sales trends and status of business.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Product Development, Creative, Finance and Sales.
• Build relationships with key decision-makers at major pet accounts.
• Attend trade shows to learn about competitors and seek opportunities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Sales hunter

Pet retail experience

Account management

Budgeting

P&L experience

Microsoft Office

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

BS/BA

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

About Learning ResourcesWe are Learning Resources®, and learning is where we play. Voted one of the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces, we’re a growing, family‑owned company known for our award‑winning educational toys, including top sellers Pretend & Play® Calculator Cash Register, Farmer’s Market Color Sorting Set and multiple Toy of the Year winners! We even help pets learn and grow through our

About Learning ResourcesWe are Learning Resources®, and learning is where we play. Voted one of the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces, we’re a growing, family‑owned company known for our award‑winning educational toys, including top sellers Pretend & Play® Calculator Cash Register, Farmer’s Market Color Sorting Set and multiple Toy of the Year winners! We even help pets learn and grow through our pet brand Brightkins®. If you’re curious, collaborative, and a kid at heart, you’ll feel right at home here. Join us in shaping the future of learning with our award‑winning team!

Team & Position Description

Working as a Key Account Manager, Pets at Learning Resources leading our Brightkins brand is a role rooted in new business development and collaboration across sales, finance, product development and brand teams. Here's why it's awesome:

• Seek, identify and close new business opportunities using market research and comprehensive development of pet industry knowledge and contacts.
• In conjunction with senior management, contribute to strategic and tactical account planning including daily execution of sales plans, joint business planning, and developing sales forecasts.
• Review and analyze reports for trends in increased sales, lost sales, and general status of business.
• Collaborate with internal teams across Marketing, Product Development, Creative, Finance and Sales to develop products, programs and promotions that drive growth within the mass consumer retail and e‑commerce markets.
• Develop strong relationships with key decision‑makers at key pet accounts while earning credibility within the industry
• Attend Trade Shows to learn about competitors, show new products and seek out new business opportunities.
• Perform other duties and assume additional responsibilities as assigned to support business and team objectives.

What We’re Looking For (Key Performance Objectives)

• Within the first 30 days: establish internal relationships with cross functional partners as well as customers in order to become the main point of contact for our pet brand and business.
• Within the first 60 days: initiate direct outreach to target accounts with a goal of setting 5 new meetings monthly.
• Within the first 90 days: secure new accounts, distribution gains or formal retailer commitments to increase revenue impact and work towards hitting quota numbers.
• Within the first year, performance will be measured by the success of building a strong new business pipeline, securing new distribution and customers, and converting opportunities into measurable revenue growth.

Requirements/Ideal Attributes

• BS/BA is required.
• 3-5 years prior experience in a sales hunter role is required, Petco and PetSmart experience strongly preferred.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience managing outside Representatives in a results driven culture.
• Proven track record of excellence in sales activity.
• Experience with strategic planning, budgeting (including P&L), and expense management.
• Strong communication skills with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong computer skills; Microsoft Office Suite
• Required travel: 30% of the time including trade shows, customer meetings (located in the US and Canada), and team meetings (Chicago, IL).

We are a drug‑free workplace and an EEO employer.

Please note: This role will be filled by our internal recruitment team, so no assistance is needed from any outside staffing agency at this time.

Salary Range: $95,000 - $115,000 plus commissions – Actual compensation may vary due to other factors such as: years of experience, skill set or location. Total compensation includes profit sharing bonus potential, 401k matching, and a variety of other benefits (details can be found here ).