Key Account Executive – Athletic Specialty

Job description

The ‘Key Account Executive – Athletic Specialty’ will be responsible for leading Salomon's commercial relationships with the brand’s most strategically important Athletic Specialty retail partners and driving accelerated growth across the North American Lifestyle marketplace. This role owns all aspects of account management including strategic planning, revenue growth, forecasting, assortment development, inventory management, and cross-functional execution. The Key Account Executive serves as a critical advocate for Salomon within these accounts while ensuring alignment with brand priorities and long-term growth objectives. The ideal candidate brings strong experience managing large-scale retail partnerships, navigating complex organizations, diligent order book management, and driving profitable growth within fast-paced consumer environments. We are looking for a consumer-focused leader with a proven track record of operational excellence and developing best practices. This candidate also has a solution driven mindset, is process driven, and can influence both internally and externally. WHAT MAKES THIS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK & PLAY: A generous PTO policy, plus 15 paid annual holidays and 3 floating holidays Half-day Fridays for 5 months of the year An exceptional employee discount on all our products and sister brands (Arc’teryx, Armada, Atomic, Wilson) Complimentary gym membership and resort season pass to local locations & mountains Opportunities to engage in the community and with industry partners ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and responsibility satisfactorily: Strategic Business Ownership Develop and execute annual and multi-year account growth strategies aligned with Salomon's business objectives. Build multi-year growth plans aligned with Salomon's business objectives. Lead Joint Business Planning processes and align commercial objectives and establish measurable growth initiatives with key account stakeholders. Monthly/Quarterly shipment execution and ability to clearly communicate needs and updates to key stakeholders throughout the organization Identify and clearly articulate opportunities for demand creation, expanded distribution and increased market share within the respective account base while strategically balancing demand capture and driving a pull marketplace Revenue, Forecast & Financial Management Own revenue, margin, forecasting, and inventory productivity for assigned accounts. Manage performance against budget and growth targets. Analyze sales trends, business risks, and opportunities. Develop action plans to improve account productivity and profitability. Assortment & Marketplace Strategy Lead seasonal assortment planning and sell-in presentations. Partner with merchants and planners to optimize product selection and inventory investments. Drive opportunities for new category placements, expanded distribution, and increased visibility. Ensure account strategies support both commercial objectives and brand positioning. Cross-Functional Leadership Coordinate execution across Planning, Marketing, Supply Chain, Customer Service, Product, and Finance teams. Support successful product launches, key campaigns, and retail activations. Drive operational excellence and issue resolution. Ensure account readiness throughout seasonal business cycles. Relationship Management Develop strong relationships across merchant, planning, inventory, marketing, and executive stakeholder groups. Lead business reviews and strategic planning sessions. Establish Salomon as a trusted and valued strategic partner. Influence customer decisions through data, insights, and category expertise. Market & Consumer Insights Monitor performance trends across athletic, footwear, and performance categories. Provide competitive intelligence and consumer insights to support internal planning throughout the organization. Identify emerging opportunities to strengthen Salomon's brand presence and commercial performance. QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, ABILITIES & COMPETENCIES The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 5-8+ years of wholesale sales, national account management, or key account leadership experience. Experience in Sales, Merchandising or Planning working with major athletic, footwear, sporting goods, or lifestyle retailers such as Foot Locker, JD Sports, DTLR or Shoe Palace Experience in managing high volume Men’s, Women’s, Unisex and Kids businesses Strong understanding of wholesale forecasting, assortment planning, and inventory management. Demonstrated success driving revenue growth and strategic customer relationships. Excellent analytical, negotiation, communication, and presentation skills. Ability to navigate and prioritize the needs of the brand and the business between both internal stakeholders and senior customer decision-makers. PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORKING ENVIRONMENT The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to sit, stand, and walk. The employee must occasionally kneel, stoop, crouch, twist and lift to 30 pounds, with or without accommodation. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but can involve exposure to varying noise levels as well as flashes of light. Amer Sports is a sporting goods company with internationally recognized brands including Salomon, Arc’teryx, Peak Performance, Atomic and Wilson. “The Mountain Sport Company”, Salomon was born in 1947 in the heart of the French Alps and the birthplace of modern alpinism. Salomon’s commitment to innovative design and passion for mountain sports created a vast range of revolutionary new concepts in bindings, boots, skis and apparel for both Alpine and Nordic skiing and brought innovative solutions to footwear, apparel and equipment for snowboarding, adventure racing, mountaineering, hiking, trail running, and many other sports. Through performance driven design, Salomon delivers innovation and progression to mountain sports; converting new ideas into action and expanding the limits of possibility. Salomon’s heritage, culture, and commitment are tied together by one simple concept: the world’s leading mountain people creating the world’s leading mountain products. Salomon is responsibly committed towards the outdoor through its sustainability program. Diversity is one of Salomon’s five values, therefore we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. Salomon is headquartered in Annecy, France.