OluKai Director of Key Accounts

Archipelago Companies, LLC.; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Complimentary chef prepared meals (Mon

Company bonus program

Generous product gift program

401k with employer match

Paid PTO and holidays

Dog-friendly office

Job summary

OluKai, a premium ocean lifestyle brand, seeks a Director of Key Accounts to own relationships with top national wholesale partners and drive revenue, margins, and growth. Lead the Key Accounts team from prebook to sell-thru, collaborating with Marketing, Planning, Production, and Tradewind Services for seamless execution.

This senior role offers visibility to company leadership and requires strategic thinking, strong negotiation, and travel to account HQs and trade shows. Hybrid in Irvine, CA.

Qualifications

• 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

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Wholesale experience

Account leadership

Forecasting & analytics

Negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or related field

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 nationalwholesale partners, and the revenue, margin, and growth plans that come with them. Youwill lead the Key Accounts team, set the account strategy for each partner, and work withMarketing, Planning, Production, and Tradewind Services so that every key account isserved well from prebook through sell-thru. This is a senior role with direct visibility tocompany 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 deliverywindows.


• Manage drop ship programs with accounts such as Nordstrom, Zappos, and REI, inpartnership with Ecom and Operations.


• Identify new growth opportunities within existing accounts, including expandeddoors, 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, markdownconversations, 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 holdingregular 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 campaignsupport at each account.


• Work with Planning, Production, and Tradewind Services on supply, shippingcompliance, 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

Experience and Qualifications

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, orsporting goods retailers.


• Experience with retailer portals and data platforms for sell-thru and inventoryanalysis.

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.