VP, Sales

Job Description

Job Description

We're looking for a VP, Sales to build and lead our commercial strategy — with domestic wholesale, international, and licensing (both in and out) as our primary areas for growth.

Dagne Dover has earned a loyal direct-to-consumer following on the strength of thoughtfully designed, highly functional bags and accessories. What we need now is someone to build the commercial strategy from the ground up — a hands-on leader who has personally built and scaled these channels, not simply managed a team that did, and who can take the business to its next stage of growth.

The Role: 

Commercial strategy & ownership

• Own the end-to-end commercial strategy and the sales-side P&L — prioritize channels, categories, and markets, and build the roadmap that takes us from momentum to sustained, profitable growth.

• Balance our DTC heritage with a scaling wholesale business, driving a coherent omnichannel strategy rather than competing channels.

Domestic wholesale & key accounts

• Lead and grow the domestic wholesale business across department stores, specialty retailers, and strategic accounts, identifying opportunities to drive revenue, market share, and profitable growth.

• Build and own senior-level relationships with buyers, merchants, and decision-makers, and develop account-specific strategies that maximize sell-through and long-term partnership.

• Analyze sell-in and sell-through, inventory, assortment performance, and market trends to spot opportunities and proactively address gaps, cancellations, and margin risk.

• Lead negotiations with retail partners, balancing customer needs against revenue, margin, and brand objectives.

Licensing (in and out) & brand extension

• Build our licensing strategy in both directions: bringing in the right brand partners, IP, and collaborations, and licensing Dagne Dover out into new categories and markets — establishing licensing as a durable revenue stream and brand-extension lever within accessories.

• Source, structure, and negotiate these deals yourself, then build the relationships to sustain them over time.

International expansion

• Assess and prioritize new markets and define the entry approach for each (direct, distributor, or partner), building the relationships and infrastructure to sell abroad.

Cross-functional partnership

• Partner closely with Founders, Planning, Operations, Marketing, and Finance so commercial strategy is grounded in what we can deliver — and feed customer and market insight back into product development, assortment, and pricing.

• Represent sales in company-wide planning around growth targets and forecasting, giving leadership clear visibility into performance, opportunities, and risks.

Team & leadership

• Build, hire, and develop the sales function as it scales, setting KPIs, targets, and incentives that align the team with company goals.

• Foster a culture of accountability and high performance — and lead by example. Earning the trust of the people you work with matters as much as any other part of the role.

You: 

• 12+ years of sales leadership experience in the fashion industry ideally with accessories

• A vast network you can activate from day one — existing relationships with buyers and retailers across department stores and specialty retail, and ideally licensing and international partners too.

• Comfort operating strategically and hands-on: you can set the vision and also do the deals, build the models, and own the numbers.

• Strong commercial instincts — pricing, deal structuring, negotiation, and knowing which opportunities are worth pursuing.

• Experience building and leading a sales team as it grows.

• Excellent relationship-building skills with partners, accounts, and internal stakeholders.

The expected starting salary range is $175,000-$200,000 annualized

*Commission: Uncapped commission potential; specifics discussed during the interview process

We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range based on the location of the role. The amount a particular employee will earn within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, experience, skills, performance and business needs.

Founded in 2013, Dagne Dover is a digitally native, women-owned brand that designs problem-solving bags for all aspects of life. At its core, our company is aimed at making lives easier through empathy and good design. We love people, and we love making people happy.

Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging are important to us, as a diverse team ourselves. We’ve created a community where everyone’s uniqueness is celebrated, respected, and honored. We encourage you to apply if you think it sounds like a good fit for you!