OluKai Director of Key Accounts

OluKai; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Complimentary breakfast and lunch Mon-

Brand discounts

Company bonus program

Paid anniversaries to Hawaii and other

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance

401k with employer match

PTO and floating holidays

Dog friendly office

Job summary

OluKai seeks a Director of Key Accounts in Irvine, CA to lead our largest national wholesale relationships and set the account strategy. You will collaborate with Marketing, Planning, Production, and Tradewind Services to serve key accounts from prebook through sell-thru. This senior role reports directly to company leadership.

Location is hybrid in Irvine, CA with four days in-office weekly. Compensation ranges from $150,000–$170,000 plus annual bonus; travel is required and AI-enabled tools

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or related field or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years wholesale or key account experience in footwear/apparel or related consumer products.
• 3+ years leading a team with national accounts.
• Proven record of managing national-chain accounts and growing them profitably.
• Strong knowledge of prebook, at-once, sell-in/sell-thru, allowances, and drop ship.
• Comfort with forecast ownership, P&L, and presenting to senior leaders.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Willingness to travel to account HQs, trade events, and OluKai offices.
• Experience actively leveraging AI-enabled tools for productivity and insights.

Responsibilities

• Build and execute annual and seasonal account plans with targets for sell-in, sell-thru, and margin.
• Lead prebook and at-once negotiations on assortment, terms, and delivery windows.
• Manage drop ship programs with key accounts like Nordstrom, Zappos, REI with partners.
• Identify growth opportunities within existing accounts, including new doors and exclusive products.
• Own the Key Account sales forecast and report performance by account and season.
• Use sell-thru and inventory data to guide reorders, markdowns, and next-season buys.
• Protect profitability by managing allowances, chargebacks, and promo spend.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Key Accounts team; foster OluKai values.
• Align with Marketing on in-store presence and seasonal campaigns; partner across planning and production.

Skills

Account strategy

Wholesale growth

Forecasting

P&L ownership

Negotiation

Team leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

AI-enabled tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/marketing

Tools

Retailer portals

Data platforms

Job description

Who We Are

At OluKai, we build premium products for the ocean lifestyle. Our footwear is created using the highest quality materials and crafted into beautiful, functional and incredibly comfortable designs that reflect the spirit of the ocean lifestyle we all enjoy.

We are committed to creating quality products for our customers while leaving the smallest footprint possible on the planet. Our company philosophy is to be environmentally responsible as manufacturers and to pledge OluKai to actively support and work for a clean environment and a better quality of life.

Our customers and staff embody the connection that exists between people and the ocean, it is our Culture. We want to build a team of individuals who embrace this culture and have a passion for providing premium products and service to our customers.

About The Role

The Director of Key Accounts owns OluKai's relationships with its largest national wholesale partners, and the revenue, margin, and growth plans that come with them. You will lead the Key Accounts team, set the account strategy for each partner, and work with Marketing, Planning, Production, and Tradewind Services so that every key account is served well from prebook through sell-thru. This is a senior role with direct visibility to company leadership.

What You’ll Do (Responsibilities include, but are not limited to)

Account Strategy and Growth

• Build and execute annual and seasonal account plans for each account, with clear targets for sell-in, sell-thru, and margin.
• Lead prebook and at-once negotiations, covering assortment, terms, and delivery windows.
• Manage drop ship programs with accounts such as Nordstrom, Zappos, and REI, in partnership with Ecom and Operations.
• Identify new growth opportunities within existing accounts, including expanded doors, categories, and exclusive product.

Performance and Forecasting

• Own the Key Account sales forecast and report on performance against plan and last year, by account and season.
• Use sell-thru and inventory data to guide in-season reorders, markdown conversations, and next-season buys.
• Protect profitability by managing allowances, chargebacks, and promotional spend.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop the Key Accounts team, setting clear goals and holding regular performance conversations.
• Build a team culture that reflects OluKai's values of Aloha, 'Ohana, and Quality.

Cross-functional Partnership

• Align with Marketing on in-store presence, co-op programs, and seasonal campaign support at each account.
• Work with Planning, Production, and Tradewind Services on supply, shipping compliance, and order fulfillment.
• Represent the account's voice in product, line-planning, and merchandising decisions.

Relationships

• Act as the senior executive contact for buyers and merchants at each Account, including line reviews, business reviews, and in-person visits

Required

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or a related field, or equivalent experience
• 10+ years of wholesale or key account experience in footwear, apparel, or a related consumer-products category, including 3+ years leading a team.
• Proven record of managing national-chain accounts and growing them profitably.
• Strong command of wholesale concepts: prebook and at-once ordering, sell-in versus sell-thru, allowances, and drop ship programs.
• Comfort building and owning a forecast and account-level P&L, and presenting results to senior leaders and buyers.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Willingness to travel to account headquarters, trade events, and OluKai offices.
• Actively seeks out AI-enabled tools and emerging technologies, adapting quickly to leverage them for improved productivity, deeper insights, and more effective processes, while exercising sound judgment and maintaining compliance with organizational standards

Preferred

• Existing relationships with buyers at national specialty, outdoor, department-store, or sporting goods retailers.
• Experience with retailer portals and data platforms for sell-thru and inventory analysis.

Core Competencies and Success Measures

The best candidate combines commercial rigor with the warmth that defines OluKai: confident and encouraging with partners and teammates, and clear-eyed about the numbers.

• Strategic thinking: connects account plans to brand priorities and long-term growth. We are a full price business model.
• Analytical judgment: turns sell-thru, inventory, and margin data into decisions.
• Influence: earns trust with buyers and with internal teams that do not report to them.
• Leadership: develops people and builds a collaborative team.

Success In This Role Looks Like

• Majors revenue and margin meet or exceed plan year over year.
• Healthy sell-thru and clean inventory positions at each account.
• Strong, lasting relationships with every Major buying team.
• A team that is engaged, accountable, and growing

Location & Office Structure: This is an in-office hybrid position, mandatory 4 days per week in office in Irvine, CA with the option to work from home 1 day per week. Subject to change without notice as per company guidelines.

Compensation: The salary range for this position is $150,000 - $170,000 plus opportunity for annual bonus; salary is based on the experience that you bring to the position.

Benefits And Perks

• Complimentary chef prepared breakfast and lunch provided Monday - Thursday
• Generous product gift program and all brand discounts
• Company bonus program
• 5 year and 10 year Anniversary gifts to Hawaii and other desirable destinations
• Medical, Dental, Vision insurance in accordance with plan guidelines
• Company paid life insurance
• 401k with employer match in accordance with plan guidelines
• 15 Days of PTO plus one additional day of PTO every year on your anniversary and 3 Floating Holidays per year
• Paid beach and giveback days, bi annual team building events and other in person celebrations

  Work with talented and great people who share a love of the ocean lifestyle

• OluKai is a Certified B Corporation with paid company service days
• Dog friendly office

Archipelago Companies values a diverse, inclusive, and entrepreneurial workforce and culture, and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at [e-mail]. Archipelago will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.