Sales Manager, US Specialty

Thule Group Americas; Seymour (CT); On-site; USD 100,000 - 144,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Health and wellness benefits

Generous vacation and leave programs

Tuition reimbursement and development

Job summary

Thule is seeking a Sales Manager for US Specialty to drive growth across bike, outdoor, run, rack, automotive and luggage retailers. You will lead strategic sales planning, manage key accounts, and align efforts with VP of Sales & Marketing and cross-functional teams.

The role includes trade show leadership, training, forecasting, and promoting new product launches while ensuring margin and revenue targets across national accounts.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of general business experience.
• 5+ years of successful experience selling at the national account level with retail channels.
• 3+ years of supervisory experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage sales initiatives across specialty distribution channels.
• Lead account development and trade show activities; provide training and presentations.
• Collaborate with VP of Sales & Marketing and cross-functional teams to align programs.

Skills

5+ years general business experience

National account sales experience

Supervisory experience

Interpersonal skills

MS Office proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business or related field

Master’s degree in business or related field

Job description

Thule is looking for a Sales Manager, US Specialty. The role is responsible for achieving company sales goals and objectives through the strategic management of assigned sales territories & sales representatives across specialty distribution channels, including independent bike, outdoor, run, rack specialty, automotive, & luggage retailers. The role also manages key accounts to strengthen partnerships and drive growth in line with the company expectations.

Additional responsibilities include managing trade shows and events, delivering presentations & training, supporting sales meetings, expanding product categories, pursuing new business opportunities, and providing channel-specific operational support, including planning, forecasting, and sales collateral.

This role collaborates closely with the Vice President of Sales and Marketing; Sales Managers and Directors; and teams across Sales Operations, Marketing, Finance/Credit, Product Management, Logistics, and other departments as needed.

Identification of key retail specialty targets Account sales calls directly to key retail targets Leadership and development of Sales Rep network Alignment of internal sales members to manage ongoing sales Negotiation and coordination of trading relations Coordination with other Business Areas to ensure consistency of programs

• Developing sales and marketing initiatives
• Making regular in-person sales calls Cultivating Company relationships with key customer staff and Senior Management
• Implementing account-specific promotions
• Acting to close deals and finalize agreements
• Meeting established sales, margin, growth, and revenue goals
• Develop, implement, and execute key account profit and loss statements to ensure margin objectives, increasing sales, product distribution, and meeting individual account performance expectations
• Develop annual budget and profit plans with VP Sales & Marketing, as well as Finance Department, creating promotional/merchandising schedule, forecasting, pricing, and quarterly reviews
• Recommend sales strategies for growth and improvement based on market research and competitor analysis.
• Utilize system and POS information tools to validate data provided to customers including margin yield, sales per linear foot and specific SKU performance to maximize sales and facilitate SKU placement.

Marketing (20%)

• Coordinate activities to maximize resources with Marketing Team, and work directly with Product Managers to coordinate new product launches and create promotions
• Assist in the education and training of product managers, new sales personnel, or retail customers. Provide input for annual category marketing plans
• Recommend new product concepts and line extension to Product Managers and Designers Provide input during product development process
• Attend trade shows, including booth preparations and presentations
• Provide insight and guidance into evaluation and coordination of trade shows and sales meetings Other duties and projects assigned

RECOMMENDED REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in business or equivalent related experience
• Master’s degree in business or related field experience
• Minimum of 5 years’ general business experience
• Minimum of 5 years’ successful experience selling at the national account level with retail channels Proven ability to establish effective customer relationships to drive sales
• Minimum of 3 years’ previous supervisory experience, preferred Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Proven ability to develop and present effective sales proposals
• Demonstrated effective negotiation skills Strong mathematical skills with attention to numbers Knowledge of business accounting and finance principles
• Demonstrated effective problem analysis and resolutions
• Proven ability to manage outside representativesProven ability to develop relationships with key customer staff including executives
• Ability to understand competitive landscape
• Must have very good knowledge of Microsoft suite systems, Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Ability to travel to achieve company’s desired objectives within the channel

At Thule, we are committed to supporting our employees both professionally and personally through a comprehensive salary and benefits package, including:

• $ Hiring salary range is 100k - 144k annually
• 401(k) plan with company matching contributions
• Health and wellness benefits
• Generous vacation, holiday, and leave programs
• Tuition reimbursement and professional development opportunities

We believe in strong teamwork both within your own team but also across teams. We strive to be an open and curious organization, sharing our knowledge and inspiring one another. Within Thule Group you will find people who have a passion for the products we make and the outdoor company we are. We share the same values, and we like to have fun. All of our employees have a joint responsibility to maintain that spirit and contribute to it.

Thule is a global sports and outdoor company. We offer high-quality products with smart features and a sustainable design that make it easy for people across the globe to live an active life. Under the motto Bring your life — and with a focus on consumer-driven innovation and long-term sustainability — we develop, manufacture and market products within the product categories Sport & Cargo Carriers (roof racks, roof boxes and carriers for transporting cycling, water and winter sports equipment, and rooftop tents mounted on a car), Active with Kids & Dogs (car seats, strollers, bike trailers, child bike seats and dog transport), RV Products (awnings, bike carriers and tents for RVs and caravans) and Bags & Mounts (backpacks, luggage and performance mounts).

Thule Group has about 3,000 employees at nine production facilities and 35 sales offices worldwide. The Group’s products are sold in 138 markets and in 2025, sales amounted to SEK 10,4 billion.