POSITION SUMMARY

Director Of Independent Retail Sales

We are seeking an experienced Director of Independent Retail Sales to build, develop, and grow the independent retail sales channel for an established fine jewelry brand. This is a critical role responsible for opening new independent retail doors, expanding wholesale revenue, developing strong retailer relationships, supporting trunk show and event opportunities, and creating a scalable sales strategy for long-term business growth.

This is a player-coach position that requires both hands-on sales execution and channel-building leadership. The ideal candidate is a proven fine jewelry sales leader with an established network of independent retail relationships, strong wholesale sales experience, and the ability to personally generate business while helping build the structure, process, and future team needed to grow this important business vertical.

Independent Retail Sales Growth and Channel Development

• Develop and execute a national independent retail sales strategy to expand the brand's presence with independent jewelers and qualified retail partners.
• Identify, pursue, and open new independent retail accounts by leveraging existing industry relationships, prospecting efforts, market knowledge, trade events, buying groups, and in-person selling activity.
• Build a targeted account pipeline that includes high-potential independent retailers, regional retail groups, buying group members, and other qualified wholesale opportunities.
• Personally drive sales through retailer outreach, account visits, presentations, trunk show support, follow-up, and ongoing relationship development.
• Establish clear account priorities, sales goals, outreach cadence, and business development activity to support measurable growth within the independent retail channel.
• Create and refine a repeatable independent retailer program that may include product assortments, selling tools, trunk show support, merchandising recommendations, marketing collateral, and customer follow-up strategies.

Wholesale Account Management and Retailer Relationships

• Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with independent retailers and wholesale partners to support account growth, repeat business, and long-term brand loyalty.
• Serve as a senior point of contact for independent retail accounts, ensuring account needs, sales opportunities, concerns, and follow-up items are communicated and supported appropriately.
• Partner with retailers to understand their customer base, price points, merchandising needs, selling opportunities, and market positioning.
• Support existing and new accounts with assortment recommendations, replenishment opportunities, trunk show planning, selling strategies, and account-specific growth initiatives.
• Represent the brand professionally and persuasively in all customer-facing interactions, reinforcing product quality, design direction, service standards, and overall value proposition.

Sales Leadership, Team Building, and Rep Development

• Help define the structure, expectations, and performance standards for the independent retail sales channel.
• Support the future recruitment, onboarding, training, and development of independent sales representatives, territory sales representatives, or other sales team members as the business grows.
• Provide guidance, coaching, and support to sales representatives or account support partners to help ensure consistent execution, accountability, and brand representation.
• Help establish sales tools, reporting expectations, account planning templates, follow-up processes, and performance metrics for the independent retail sales team.
• Provide leadership with recommendations regarding territory structure, account ownership, compensation models, sales coverage, and future hiring needs.

Product Presentation, Merchandising, and Trunk Show Support

• Present fine jewelry collections knowledgeably and effectively to independent retailers.
• Use merchandising judgment to recommend product selections, collection stories, trunk show assortments, and retailer-specific selling strategies.
• Partner with merchandising, product, marketing, and leadership teams to communicate retailer feedback, product opportunities, assortment gaps, and competitive trends.
• Support trunk shows, retailer events, trade shows, market appointments, and related selling initiatives that help increase account engagement and sell-through.
• Help ensure independent retail accounts are equipped with the appropriate product knowledge, selling tools, collateral, and support needed to represent the brand effectively.

Sales Planning, Pipeline Management, and Reporting

• Develop and maintain an organized sales pipeline that tracks target accounts, outreach activity, open opportunities, follow-up items, account status, and projected revenue.
• Provide regular updates to the CEO regarding sales activity, account development, customer feedback, market trends, revenue opportunities, and potential risks.
• Recommend sales goals, account targets, territory priorities, and growth strategies based on market opportunity and business needs.
• Use reporting, customer feedback, sales results, and field observations to identify areas for improvement and additional growth.
• Maintain strong follow-through on customer commitments, sales opportunities, account needs, and internal coordination.

Travel, Trade Shows, and Field Execution

• Travel regularly to meet with independent retailers, attend trade shows, support trunk shows, conduct account visits, and pursue business development opportunities throughout the United States.
• Plan travel and account activity strategically to maximize sales impact, account coverage, customer engagement, and return on time spent in the field.
• Attend relevant industry events, buying group events, trade shows, and market appointments as needed to support account growth and brand visibility.
• Represent the brand professionally in all field-based, trade show, and customer-facing environments.

Cross-Functional Coordination and Business Support

• Work closely with the CEO and internal teams to help ensure independent retail accounts are supported effectively from sales opportunity through execution.
• Coordinate with merchandising, product, marketing, operations, shipping and logistics, customer service, and related teams to help ensure account needs, product requests, orders, collateral, and event requirements are handled accurately and on time.
• Communicate customer needs and internal follow-up items clearly to ensure proper handoff, execution, and accountability.
• Contribute to a professional, responsive, and growth-oriented working environment through strong communication, accountability, initiative, and follow-through.

Candidate Attributes Include:

• Highly relationship-oriented and persuasive, with the ability to build trust quickly and develop long-term partnerships with independent retailers.
• Proven sales hunter who can open doors, create opportunities, and drive revenue growth in a relationship-driven wholesale environment.
• Established network of independent jewelry retailers, buying group contacts, regional retail partners, or wholesale jewelry accounts.
• Strategic and commercially minded, with the ability to build a sales channel while personally generating business.
• Confident, polished, and professional in customer-facing environments, with the ability to represent a luxury fine jewelry brand effectively.
• Strong understanding of independent jewelry retailers, wholesale sales, trunk shows, buying groups, and account development.
• Merchandising-aware and solutions-oriented, with the ability to tailor product recommendations to different retailer needs, markets, price points, and customer demographics.
• Entrepreneurial, self-directed, and resourceful, with the ability to work independently while maintaining strong communication and accountability.
• Comfortable operating in a growing, family-run business environment where flexibility, initiative, follow-through, and adaptability are essential.
• Able to balance strategic planning with hands-on execution, travel, selling, account follow-up, and cross-functional coordination.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7-10+ years of experience in wholesale sales, independent retail sales, national account development, field sales leadership, or a related business development role within fine jewelry, luxury goods, or a related product-driven industry.

• Proven ability to open new retail accounts, grow wholesale business, and develop long-term customer relationships in a relationship-driven sales environment.
• Strong existing relationships within the independent jewelry retail market.
• Experience selling branded fine jewelry, luxury jewelry, bridal, fashion jewelry, colored gemstones, diamonds, or related high-value products.
• Experience conducting retailer visits, sales presentations, trunk shows, trade shows, and market appointments.
• Ability to personally generate sales while helping build the structure and strategy for a growing sales channel.
• Strong presentation, communication, negotiation, relationship management, and follow-up skills.
• Ability to travel regularly throughout the United States.
• Comfortable using email, Excel, sales tracking tools, reporting documents, presentations, and internal systems.

Preferred: