FOOTWEAR/OUTERWEAR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE (LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO)
Our client is seeking an Footwear Account Executive who has a keen understanding of the retailers in the fast fashion and contemporary footwear industry. Candidate can reside in either Los Angeles or Chicago.
Responsibilities
• Elevating and managing account partnerships
• Identify and create new partnership opportunities through cold calling, emailing, etc.
• Network with prospective clients to have a win-win growth strategy in the branded and private label business
• Leverage existing relationships and contacts with buyers in the women’s fashion retailers, online retailers, and private label businesses to drive business
• Assess and plan specific quarterly and annual sales plans and goals with team
• Ensure sales and productivity goals are met YOY
• Devise new and innovative ways to market products and drive growth
• Analyze monthly selling goals and reports to understand and drive business
• Attend Trade Shows and Showroom appointments
• Travel Required | 75% Travel
Requirements
• Must have relevant wholesale experience
• Detailed knowledge of women’s fashion space
• Knowledge of competitive products and markets
• Possesses familiarity with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, photoshop
• Works well with a team
• Demonstrates solid motivation and ability to think creatively
• Exhibits awareness of best sales practices and methods
• Possesses strong persuasive abilities
• Possesses clear and effective verbal and written communication skills
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal and customer service skills
• Professional but confident and outgoing demeanor
• Self-motivated with a strong sense of personal accountability
• Ability to multitask, execute, and accomplish goals
• Must have a minimum of 4+ years of sales experience within footwear or outerwear
ACESSORIES BUYER – CHICAGO, IL
Responsibilities
• Coordinate with Buyers, Planners, Accounting, Quality control, Receiving departments, and vendors to ensure production requirements are followed
• Communicate with vendors any revisions or changes to garments expressed by the Buyers
• Assists with the preparation process for the negotiation of product pricing with vendors and management
• Communicate any changes to existing orders to the Purchase Order department
• Work to consistently obtain Pre-Production and Top of Production samples on time
• Responsible for trying on production samples throughout the day as needed.
• Maintain a library of best-selling styles
• Manage the data and files for production matters
• Organize selling, pull reports for Buyers and ensure that all Purchase Order
deliveries are made to the appropriate department
• Begin to effectively utilize the merchandising systems and understand warehouse process
• Develop and demonstrate basic product knowledge through sharing information with Buyer because of competitive shopping
Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university
• 3+ years of fashion buying experience
• Must be highly analytical and data driven.
• Must be able to take a spreadsheet of data on Excel and analyze it in a meaningful and impactful way
• Must arrive with a working knowledge of key merchandising concepts such as open-to-buy, sell-thru, inventory turn, etc.
• Must be highly motivated leader, driven to succeed.
• We want you to proactively find areas of improvement and take leadership
• You must be excited about fashion, in particular ACCESSORIES. In addition excited about new trends and constantly learning about construction, material, and other concepts regarding design.
• You can (and enjoy) regular travel and meeting with vendors, producers, and others in the fast fashion industry
• You are confident, extroverted and extremely comfortable with communication, whether in person, over the phone,Skype, or email.
• You have excellent follow-through
• You are a fashion leader. You follow all the style blogs and scour through Instagram for the latest and greatest looks. You love and appreciate a wide range of different styles.
• You thrive in a fast-paced work environment and embrace solving complex challenges
SVP of Merchandising
BRICK EXECUTIVE SEARCH has partnered with a company who in just 21 years in business has become the nation’s fastest growing and dynamic contemporary, fast fashion retailer. With both Brick and Mortar locations and an ecommerce presence this company is the ” GO TO” for those who want to BE SEEN. We are searching for a SVP of Merchandising who can work in lockstep with one of the owners to drive this business to a global scope .
As the SVP of Merchandising, you will lead all product strategies, driving sales, and delivering margin results and brand objectives based on targeted goals. You will closely partner with Design, Planning, and Production to develop seasonal growth plans based on an intimate understanding of the consumer, detailed knowledge of the competition and market, and a data-informed intuition about future consumer needs and opportunities. The SVP of Merchandising is a strong people leader for the Merchandising function as well as the entire Product Creation organization, who can help set the tone for a motivating team culture, create improvements in cross-functional processes, and communicate business and organizational strategies as well as direct feedback to others.
The right candidate is a creative and adaptable problem-solver who possesses critical prioritization and project management skills to deliver impact in a fast-paced environment. An excellent analytical skills, financial acumen, and attention to detail are key success factors along with strong product knowledge.
This position will report to the Chief Merchandising & Design Officer
Responsibilities
• Lead the Merchandising team to drive sales and margin growth, supporting financial and brand objectives based on a deep understanding of the consumer and the competitive landscape. Departments include Sportswear, Dresses. Handbags, and Accessories
• Collaborate with Design and Marketing to develop and road map annual initiatives and opportunities to drive brand growth.
• Develop seasonal financial and product strategies with Design, PD, Planning, and Production. Lead Merchandising to create and execute supporting category strategies and assortment plans based on data from consumer insights, sales results, site analytics, competition, and trends.
• Collaborate with Planning and Production to achieve gross margin targets and optimize the inventory productivity of all investments through pre-season planning, active management of sales and receipt forecasts (OTB), and daily/weekly in-season analysis and actions to drive sales.
• Oversee monthly buys for all styles, presenting clear investment strategies based on relevant KPIs and consumer insights. Measure and drive performance of strategies in season.
• Partner with Creative, Marketing, Acquisition/Media, and Site Merchandising to ensure assortment strategies (Creative Themes, Color Stories, Key Buys) are effectively communicated across consumer touchpoints such as website, social media, and CRM. Understand and optimize for how product strategies drive engagement and sales across touchpoints.
• Regularly shop and assess the website and partner with site merchandising to modify and enhance the site experience in order to increase conversion.
• Create and present comprehensive monthly and seasonal hindsight reviews to identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats that feed into future actions and strategies.
Requirements
• Strategic thinking: able to balance data insights with intuition to anticipate future trends for the consumers and pose scenarios that will create competitive advantage and long-term growth.
• Financial acumen and analytical rigor: able to identify areas of opportunity from a variety of KPIs, data points, and signals that indicate consumer preferences.
• Collaboration: gains trust of others and seeks to work across functions to make decisions and achieve objectives; understands and fosters the high interdependency of all Product Creation functions and shares responsibility in team successes and failures. Helps others succeed.
• Solutions and results-oriented: takes initiative to drive ideas from concept to completion and to roll up your sleeves and do what it takes to deliver successful outcomes.
• Proactive planning: able to break down objectives into achievable actions and prioritize the highest impact work through relevant milestones and feasible schedules.
• Adaptability and Continuous Improvement: able to initiate change and lead change for others; a drive to continually improve our products and offering as well as our tools and processes.
• A passion for fashion and consumer behaviors; keeps up to date on product reviews and social media sentiment, along with macro and micro trends in fashion and the competition.
• Excellent communication skills – oral, written, and presentation. Proficient in PowerPoint and capable / willing to learn teams-based communication tools .
• Willing and able to travel both domestically and internationally. Occasional travel is required.
Desired Experience
• 15+ years of experience, with at least 3 years in a Sr Merchandising role.
• Strong people leader and team builder who fosters team morale; experienced at developing talent with diverse perspectives and skill sets while establishing shared mindsets around high standards of excellence in the work as well as in professional behaviors and attitudes.
• Previous experience in e-commerce.
• Previous experience in the Fast Fashion Industry
• Proven track record of operating effectively and enabling teams to succeed in a fast-paced environment with numerous changes, deadlines, and priorities; experienced at maintaining confidence and a positive attitude under pressure.
Vice President IT – Chicago
Brick Executive Search is working to identify best in class VP of IT for a GROWING Contemporary , womwns wear company with over 40 Brick and Mortart doors and highly developed ecommerce business.
We are looking for a hands-on leader that has a proven track record of strategic thinking and execution within IT; organizing priorities on your team, fostering collaboration, and creating a supportive environment for the team. The ideal candidate is someone who excels and inspires as a leader while prioritizing goals and deadlines.
As the VP of IT you will be responsible for leading a growing IT team and managing a complex assortment of vendor relationships to ensure long term success, security, innovation, and optimization.
Essential Functions
• Oversee the technological infrastructure in the organization to ensure optimal performance
• Planning and implementation of various major technological initiatives, including ERP, automation, and omnichannel
• Develop a team of IT specialists; foster each individual’s growth within the organization;
• Ensure that all systems are performing accurately, and minimize outages and offline time companywide
• Monitor changes or advancements in technology to discover ways the company can gain competitive advantage and increase sales
• Analyze the costs, value and risks of new systems and technology, and provide sound, cost-effective recommendations to the owners and management
• Provide metrics, deadlines, and objectives to enhance the performance of all IT personnel;
• Provide ‘front line’ support to all store locations (some travel required)
• Work in a consultative fashion with other departments, such as inventory, finance, and web sales as an advisor of technologies that may improve their efficiency and effectiveness;
• Create, implement, and enforce processes to achieve overall efficiency
Qualifications
• Will be required to travel between stores and warehouses.
• Minimum 7 years experience in the Information Technology arena, with minimum 3 years of management and strategic experience in the field
• Experience overseeing large, complex, multi-unit IT programs (retail/restaurant preferred);
• 5+ years experience with database platforms, server virtualization, security platforms, storage/backup platforms, and coding languages
The Ideal Candidate Has/Is:
• Exceptional work ethic and motivation to meet strict deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communicator
• Outstanding organizational skills, with keen attention to detail and diligent task follow-through
• Ability to multitask and prioritize in a fast – paced, dynamic environment
• Highly collaborative, responsive team player
VP RETAIL OPERATIONS: CHICAGO
Responsibilities
• Serve as a hands-on leader to the entire store-oriented staff and- store management and staff,
• Coach, develop, inspire, enhance, and lead all DMs, AMs, Managers, and employees in efficiently running their businesses while making their personal and store sales goals
• Motivate and direct all DMs, AMs, Managers, and employees to work cohesively to achieve company goals – setting high expectations and inspiring people to reach them
• Reinforce and enhance the selling culture through training philosophy (explain, demonstrate, imitate, correct, and repeat)
• Identify key objectives to drive sales and lead in the strategy and execution of of those initiatives
• Create, implement, and enforce processes to achieve overall efficiency throughout all stores regarding sales, visuals, and operations
• Work collaboratively with with payroll and other departments to manage store labor and other costs
• Collaborate with other leaders across the organization to review, revamp, and reinforce processes and training
• Partner with senior management and HR to respond and resolve store level personnel issues
• Attract, identify, hire, and retain top level talent; assess talent and succession plans
• Create cohesion with other departments across the organization, including e-Commerce, Merchandising, HR, Finance, IT, Maintenance, etc. to bring about the best outcomes for the company as a whole
Requirements
• 10+ years leading a sales organization of at least $100 million in annual revenue
• 10+ years managing and overseeing at least 500+ employees (direct and indirect)
• Proven track record of recruiting and building a strong sales team from the ground up
• Proven track record of increasing revenue and sales productivity throughout career
• Experience managing overall sales processes, setting appropriate metrics for sales funnel management and establishing performance benchmarks
• Ability to travel, work, and partner with DMs throughout all existing and future stores nationally and Internationally
• A strong work ethic, willing to work in the trenches as the business demands – including peak selling hours, evenings, and weekends
• Collaborative and ability to work through cross functional relationships
• Willingness to go above and beyond “responsibilities” to effect positive change
• Bachelor’s degree is required
• MBA Preferred
• Exceptional problem-solving and analytical abilities
• The strongest verbal and written communication skills
• Strong computer/analytical skills – ability to use Excel and pick up new software
ROCK STAR- CHICAGO
Brick Executive Search is known industry wide for working with the best Creative and Design Talent Globally. We have an elevated, contemporary womens Fashion client who is in need of a ROCK STAR. – CHICAGO
Overview:
We are looking for a Creative Director with exceptional taste to develop, oversee and execute visual direction for a very fast growing brand. The role of Creative Director will require someone with strong visual branding expertise who has the ability to conceptualize a large vision and bring it to life from concept creation to execution.
Responsibilities
• Responsible for conception, design, and execution of the overall digital creative strategy including but not limited to: photography, graphics, campaigns, and advertisements
• Lead the brand’s creative vision and design efforts in order to build and maintain a strong brand identity/image
• Create compelling work that pushes boundaries and defines our image
• Consistently recruit, build and manage high performing creative team
• Provide creative leadership as well as translate/break down strategies into actions
• Lead and manage a team of photographers, stylists, and graphic designers
• Source talent for photo shoots including models and artists
• Work cross functionally with other departments for timely execution of product and campaign launches
• Create and execute weekly production agendas to meet tight deadlines
• Manage and execute concept creation and mood boards for editorials and campaigns
Requirements
• Bachelor’s Degree
• 5-10 years of experience as a creative leader within the fashion industry
• eCommerce experience is preferred
• Strong managerial, leadership, and communication skills
• Heavily experienced in Graphic Design & Photography in the digital space
• Expert knowledge of Adobe Suite
• Portfolio Required
Experienced Sales Executive – MINNEAPOLIS
BRICK EXECUTIVE SEARCH is partnering with the worlds largest maker of cut and sew knits. We have an opportunity for an Experienced Sales Executive who has sold to TARGET ( even better if the candidate has also worked FOR TARGET)
Objective
– Sales market : Expand/develop U.S. market, drawing orders from Target
Requirements
– 15 years or above experience
– SVP or above final position
– Excellent presentation and interpersonal skills
– Collaborating with various stakeholders to ensure company growth and stability.
– Ability to network with Target’s Top Managements
– Experienced and skilled in apparel sourcing
Job Description : Sales Overall
*Sales Management: Lead Sales team & Overseas corp.
– Responsible for overall Sales network and communications
– Managing sales teams and maintaining sales operations
– Outlining and managing sales budgets
– Setting quarterly and annual sales goals and motivating the sales teams to achieve their goals
– Boost sales by utilizing connection buyers/subcontractors
– Establish/grow a sales team that specializes in Fashion marketing & sales
– Develop/inject expertise in manufacturing, designing, and developing Buyers’ garments
– Coordinate with business development and marketing managers to drive growth and achieve all targets and for Sales, ODM and OEM channels
– Analyze and identify opportunities to secure new businesses from OEM customer base and optimize profit and increase revenues
*Sales Strategy: Plan Sales goals from a company-wide perspective
– Assess and develop sales strategy, focusing on Fashion and Trends.
– Assist the company’s investment plans regarding the facility, system, personnel, and/or overseas
– Strategizing and implementing operational and structural changes with other senior executives