Sales Director

US Africa Trade Desk; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision

401(k)

Paid time off

Job summary

US Africa Trade Desk is building a U.S. apparel portfolio and launching an American denim and casual wear line with co-branded partnerships. We seek a senior sales leader to shape U.S. retail and e-commerce strategy from day one.

The role requires a strong network with buyers (Nordstrom, Macy’s, Target, Costco, Ross) and the ability to lead a growing sales team, showroom setup in New York, and cross-functional collaboration across Design, Marketing and Finance.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in U.S. apparel wholesale sales.
• 5+ years managing key retail accounts and/or leading a sales team.
• Experience selling owned, licensed and/or co-branded brands; e-commerce and marketplace experience.
• Strong retail math (margin, sell-through, markdown money, open-to-buy) and working knowledge of EDI and vendor compliance.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; strong Excel and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Own net sales, orders booked and new-account growth targets for wholesale and e-commerce, set annually with leadership.
• Drive sales of company-owned and co-branded brands: line plans, account assortments, sell-through, replenishment and reorders.
• Open and manage key retail accounts end to end: line reviews, purchase orders, vendor set-up, EDI and retailer compliance (routing guides, labeling, chargebacks).
• Develop and lead execution of the e-commerce sales strategy (e.g., own site, retailer marketplaces and drop-ship programs), with targets agreed with leadership.
• Negotiate account terms (margin, allowances, markdown support, payment terms) within parameters approved by leadership.
• Within the first 30 days, complete a market analysis that sets priority retailers, key competitors and potential influencer partners.
• Track competitors, pricing, promotions, new entrants and market trends 1–3 years ahead, serving as the company’s eyes and ears in the marketplace.
• Collaborate with the Design and Product Development team and Senior Apparel Advisor so new product fits the market and our manufacturing capabilities.
• Partner with the Marketing team to align strategy and develop sales decks and collateral.
• Work with the Director of Continental Services and sourcing team on costing, capacity and lead times so offers to retailers are deliverable.
• Manage the sales budget; recruit, lead and manage sales staff, agents and showroom personnel as the team grows.
• Set up and manage a New York showroom and/or pop-ups, and represent the company and brands at sales exhibitions, trade shows and markets.
• Maintain the sales pipeline and account records in the company CRM, deliver regular sales reports (orders, shipments, sell-through, margin), and prepare quarterly and annual projections by category, line and market.

Skills

Retail math

Account management

Sales leadership

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Build the U.S. sales function for a new apparel portfolio. We are launching our own American denim and casual wear brand and developing a co-branded line in collaboration with an iconic heritage streetwear name, with more company-owned and partner brands to follow. This is a rare chance to lead sales from the ground up and shape U.S. retail and e-commerce strategy from day one.

U.S.-Africa Trade Desk is a privately owned commercial business headquartered in Orlando, Florida, with offices in New York, South Africa and Mauritius. We connect African manufacturers with U.S. retailers and are building a portfolio of company-owned and co-branded apparel brands for the U.S. market. Our network of African manufacturers gives retail partners a traceable, responsibly sourced supply chain backed by on-the-ground sourcing expertise.

Role summary

We’re hiring a senior sales leader to build the sales function and drive wholesale and e-commerce sales of our company-owned and co-branded brands. Initial categories are men’s, women’s and teen apparel; children’s, toddler and home are planned for later phases.

Initial products include denim, knit casual wear (hoodies, quarter-zips, polos, elevated tees) and elevated streetwear for company-owned and co-branded lines.

The ideal candidate will have current, active buyer relationships (buyers, DMMs, GMMs) at department and specialty retailers such as Nordstrom and Macy’s, and/or mass, club and off-price retailers such as Target, Costco and Ross for volume programs.

What you’ll have

• Close partnership with senior leadership and a seat at the table on brand and channel strategy
• An in-house Design and Product Development team, a Senior Apparel Advisor, and a sourcing team on the ground in Africa
• Leadership commitment to build a New York showroom and grow the sales team as the business scales

Location and travel

• Orlando, Florida or New York City. Full-time. Regular travel to retailers, trade shows and markets, and between our Orlando and New York offices (40%). Candidates must have the legal right to work in the United States.
• Reports to: Director of International Operations, with regular engagement with the CEO on brand and channel strategy.
• Collaborates with: Design and Product Development team, Senior Apparel Advisor, Director of Continental Services (Africa sourcing), Marketing and Finance.

Responsibilities

• Own net sales, orders booked and new-account growth targets for wholesale and e-commerce, set annually with leadership.
• Drive sales of company-owned and co-branded brands: line plans, account assortments, sell-through, replenishment and reorders.
• Open and manage key retail accounts end to end: line reviews, purchase orders, vendor set-up, EDI and retailer compliance (routing guides, labeling, chargebacks).
• Develop and lead execution of the e-commerce sales strategy (e.g., own site, retailer marketplaces and drop-ship programs), with targets agreed with leadership.
• Negotiate account terms (margin, allowances, markdown support, payment terms) within parameters approved by leadership.
• Within the first 30 days, complete a market analysis that sets priority retailers, key competitors and potential influencer partners.
• Track competitors, pricing, promotions, new entrants and market trends 1–3 years ahead, serving as the company’s eyes and ears in the marketplace.
• Collaborate with the Design and Product Development team and Senior Apparel Advisor so new product fits the market and our manufacturing capabilities.
• Partner with the Marketing team to align strategy and develop sales decks and collateral.
• Work with the Director of Continental Services and sourcing team on costing, capacity and lead times so offers to retailers are deliverable.
• Manage the sales budget; recruit, lead and manage sales staff, agents and showroom personnel as the team grows.
• Set up and manage a New York showroom and/or pop-ups, and represent the company and brands at sales exhibitions, trade shows and markets.
• Maintain the sales pipeline and account records in the company CRM, deliver regular sales reports (orders, shipments, sell-through, margin), and prepare quarterly and annual projections by category, line and market.

How success is measured

Success is measured on net sales and orders booked, new accounts opened, sell-through and margin of owned and co-branded brands, e-commerce growth, account profitability and forecast accuracy.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in U.S. apparel wholesale sales, including 5+ years managing key retail accounts and/or leading a sales team.
• Proven record of building volume at department/specialty and/or mass/club/off-price retailers.
• Experience selling owned, licensed and/or co-branded brands; e-commerce and marketplace experience.
• Strong retail math (margin, sell-through, markdown money, open-to-buy) and working knowledge of EDI and vendor compliance.
• A plus: links to Africa’s apparel sector, or experience with offshore sourcing.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; strong Excel and PowerPoint.

Compensation and benefits

Base salary range of $150,000 to $200,000, depending on experience, plus bonuses.

Benefits: health, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time off.

U.S.-Africa Trade Desk is an equal opportunity employer.