Sales Director na American Greetings
American Greetings · Westlake, Estados Unidos Da América · Hybrid
- Senior
- Escritório em Westlake
Job Description
As this is a hybrid role, working out of our Creative Studios in Westlake, Ohio, we will focus on candidates who currently reside in Northeast Ohio.
The Seasonal Sales Director is responsible for leading the strategic planning and growth of the Seasonal Business within the Grocery channel, specifically for our key retail grocery accounts.
The Seasonal Director owns the seasonal relationship with both key retailers, and serves as the central leader driving sales, margin, and profitability for American Greetings’ seasonal categories. This individual will bring deep expertise in the grocery channel, strong financial and strategic acumen, and a proven ability to develop customer strategies that align with both retailers and company objectives.
This role is highly collaborative, requiring close partnership with internal teams to ensure alignment across Category, Occasion, Forecast & Demand Planning, Insights & Analytics, Shopper Marketing, Sales and Sales Operations. The Sales Director may have one of more direct reports.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Develops and leads the overall strategy for the Seasonal business with key grocery retailers, aligning short and long-term plans with American Greetings’ financial and growth objectives.
• Acts as the primary point of contact and strategic liaison between the Sales organization and internal teams including Category, Occasion, Shopper Marketing, Business Intelligence, F&DP, and Sales Operations to ensure alignment and coordinated execution.
• Utilizes customer, category, and shopper insights to inform strategies that strengthen retailer partnerships and drive category growth.
• Demonstrates strong financial acumen in managing the business, including strategic planning, problem-solving, decision-making, and contract negotiation.
• Partners cross-functionally to develop and execute both joint business plans and internal financial plans.
• Delivers sales, margin, and profit goals through disciplined business management, effective use of marketing funds, and customer-focused strategies.
• Collaborates with Senior Sales Directors and Marketing partners to best manage the marketing budget, evaluating spend based on performance, ROI, and retailer commitments.
• Cultivates strong, strategic partnerships with buyers and retail decision-makers by understanding their business needs and delivering solutions that achieve mutual growth and profitability.
• Provides thought leadership across the grocery channel team, contributing to company-wide strategies that elevate American Greetings’ presence and performance within key retail partners.
• Creates presentations rooted in insights (POS, trend, consumer, product), tailored to retailer key priorities, and highlighting thought leadership, category leadership and retailer benefits
• Presents performance recaps and sales plans to the retailer, effectively communicating materials, fielding questions, addressing key retailer concerns, and summarizing key takeaways and next steps
• Updates internal cross-functional partners on retailer feedback, expectations, and status of programs with goal of progressing work and driving outstanding issues to closure.
• Partners with the Seasonal Forecast & Demand Planning team to ensure AG’s financial objectives are positioned for profitable growth and aligned to retailer growth plans
• May manage one or more direct reports; if so, must ensure deliverables are met and responsible for coaching, training, and talent development.
• Other duties as assigned
The Seasonal Sales Director is responsible for leading the strategic planning and growth of the Seasonal Business within the Grocery channel, specifically for our key retail grocery accounts.
The Seasonal Director owns the seasonal relationship with both key retailers, and serves as the central leader driving sales, margin, and profitability for American Greetings’ seasonal categories. This individual will bring deep expertise in the grocery channel, strong financial and strategic acumen, and a proven ability to develop customer strategies that align with both retailers and company objectives.
This role is highly collaborative, requiring close partnership with internal teams to ensure alignment across Category, Occasion, Forecast & Demand Planning, Insights & Analytics, Shopper Marketing, Sales and Sales Operations. The Sales Director may have one of more direct reports.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Develops and leads the overall strategy for the Seasonal business with key grocery retailers, aligning short and long-term plans with American Greetings’ financial and growth objectives.
• Acts as the primary point of contact and strategic liaison between the Sales organization and internal teams including Category, Occasion, Shopper Marketing, Business Intelligence, F&DP, and Sales Operations to ensure alignment and coordinated execution.
• Utilizes customer, category, and shopper insights to inform strategies that strengthen retailer partnerships and drive category growth.
• Demonstrates strong financial acumen in managing the business, including strategic planning, problem-solving, decision-making, and contract negotiation.
• Partners cross-functionally to develop and execute both joint business plans and internal financial plans.
• Delivers sales, margin, and profit goals through disciplined business management, effective use of marketing funds, and customer-focused strategies.
• Collaborates with Senior Sales Directors and Marketing partners to best manage the marketing budget, evaluating spend based on performance, ROI, and retailer commitments.
• Cultivates strong, strategic partnerships with buyers and retail decision-makers by understanding their business needs and delivering solutions that achieve mutual growth and profitability.
• Provides thought leadership across the grocery channel team, contributing to company-wide strategies that elevate American Greetings’ presence and performance within key retail partners.
• Creates presentations rooted in insights (POS, trend, consumer, product), tailored to retailer key priorities, and highlighting thought leadership, category leadership and retailer benefits
• Presents performance recaps and sales plans to the retailer, effectively communicating materials, fielding questions, addressing key retailer concerns, and summarizing key takeaways and next steps
• Updates internal cross-functional partners on retailer feedback, expectations, and status of programs with goal of progressing work and driving outstanding issues to closure.
• Partners with the Seasonal Forecast & Demand Planning team to ensure AG’s financial objectives are positioned for profitable growth and aligned to retailer growth plans
• May manage one or more direct reports; if so, must ensure deliverables are met and responsible for coaching, training, and talent development.
• Other duties as assigned
Location
Westlake, OH
Experience Required:
• 7+ years previous experience in sales; including proven strategic and proactive account management skills; additional 5+ years previous experience in product management, marketing, field/sales operations or related areas preferred
• Minimum of 3 years successfully managing strategic accounts on a regional or national scale, with significant financial responsibility
• 3 years prior management experience successfully managing managers or professional level individual contributors
• Experience leading a critical project team and making a lasting impact on the organization’s efficiency and effectiveness
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
• Customer centric: has a thorough understanding of retailer needs, wants, and expectations, tailors strategies, programs, and interactions to retailer preferences and needs, and strives to create long-term, loyal customer relationships built on trust and satisfaction.
• Exercises thought-leadership and strategic thinking: has an intentional and sound thought process that focuses on the understanding of critical factors and variables that will influence the long-term success with the retailer and growth for American Greetings. Requires analysis and the assimilation of insights to create clear goals, plans, and new ideas to win in a competitive, ever-changing environment.
• Sound problem solving and decision making skills: approaches problems and decisions methodically, isolates causes from symptoms, favors an inclusive approach to ensure commitment to the end result, and acts readily and decisively.
• Exhibits financial acumen: makes informed business decisions based on financial impact weighing cost with reward, has the ability to interpret financial statements, negotiate terms, and manage budgets.
• Strong performance orientation: takes action without being prompted, is motivated by achievement and persists until the goal is reached. Produces in demanding circumstances and drives issues to closure.
• Effectively communicates: attends fully when others speak, summarizes ideas, actively seeks and shares information, and is clear and articulate both in oral and in written communication.
• Establishes and maintains productive relationships through collaboration, influence (presence, confidence, and adjusting style to fit the situation), and empathy.
• Strong planning and organizing skills that allow for highly productive and efficient meeting, resource, and initiative management.
• Minimum of 3 years successfully managing strategic accounts on a regional or national scale, with significant financial responsibility
• 3 years prior management experience successfully managing managers or professional level individual contributors
• Experience leading a critical project team and making a lasting impact on the organization’s efficiency and effectiveness
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
• Customer centric: has a thorough understanding of retailer needs, wants, and expectations, tailors strategies, programs, and interactions to retailer preferences and needs, and strives to create long-term, loyal customer relationships built on trust and satisfaction.
• Exercises thought-leadership and strategic thinking: has an intentional and sound thought process that focuses on the understanding of critical factors and variables that will influence the long-term success with the retailer and growth for American Greetings. Requires analysis and the assimilation of insights to create clear goals, plans, and new ideas to win in a competitive, ever-changing environment.
• Sound problem solving and decision making skills: approaches problems and decisions methodically, isolates causes from symptoms, favors an inclusive approach to ensure commitment to the end result, and acts readily and decisively.
• Exhibits financial acumen: makes informed business decisions based on financial impact weighing cost with reward, has the ability to interpret financial statements, negotiate terms, and manage budgets.
• Strong performance orientation: takes action without being prompted, is motivated by achievement and persists until the goal is reached. Produces in demanding circumstances and drives issues to closure.
• Effectively communicates: attends fully when others speak, summarizes ideas, actively seeks and shares information, and is clear and articulate both in oral and in written communication.
• Establishes and maintains productive relationships through collaboration, influence (presence, confidence, and adjusting style to fit the situation), and empathy.
• Strong planning and organizing skills that allow for highly productive and efficient meeting, resource, and initiative management.
Position Title
Sales Director
Education Required:
Bachelor’s degree in Business/Marketing/Sales or related field
Career Site Category
Corporate Jobs
