Job Title: Director of Sales
Location: Remote (U.S. preferred), with periodic travel
Strong preference for Midwest / SW Michigan, but not required
Role Overview
- Lead all sales and commercial efforts for TREND as it relaunches within TMP.
- Own key wholesale/retail relationships, manage rep groups, drive new business in wholesale, specialty retail, education, and select big-box channels.
- Hands-on leadership in entrepreneurial environment: shape product strategy, promotions, and channel direction—not just execute orders.
- Central role in rebuilding trust, re-establishing relationships, and ensuring profitable, sustainable growth.
Primary Responsibilities
Key Account Management
- Primary contact for TREND’s largest wholesale/retail customers
- Rebuild, renegotiate, and manage legacy accounts
- Own pricing, margins, terms, promotional agreements
- Coordinate with marketing and operations for supply and execution
Rep Group & Channel Management
- Re-engage and manage existing regional toy/gift/specialty retail rep groups
- Provide direction, materials, pricing, product focus
- Evaluate performance, territory coverage; recommend changes
- Align rep activity with product availability and promotional calendars
New Business Development
- Pursue aligned wholesale, specialty retail, education, and select big-box opportunities
- Evaluate channels thoughtfully to avoid unprofitable/high-friction relationships
- Support entry into new markets/segments where appropriate
Sales Strategy & Planning
- Contribute to commercial strategy: channel prioritization, pricing frameworks, promotional cadence, customer segmentation
- Provide sales input to forecasting and inventory planning (with finance/operations)
- Share market/customer feedback to inform product development
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with marketing on customer promotions, launches, campaigns
- Work with product management on SKU strategy, lifecycle, new concepts
- Coordinate with operations/fulfillment to meet customer expectations
- Support leadership with data, insights, recommendations
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor’s in Business, Marketing, or related (or equivalent experience)
- 7–12+ years sales experience in consumer products, educational products, toys, gifts, or specialty retail
- Proven management of large wholesale/retail accounts and rep group/distributor relationships
- Strong understanding of wholesale pricing, margin management, MOQs, lead times, inventory constraints, promotional programs, seasonal cycles
- Comfortable in limited-resource, growing business
- Excellent communication, negotiation, relationship-building skills
- Willing to travel periodically (customers, reps, trade events)
Working Style & Expectations
- Hands-on, self-directed, multi-hat wearer
- Pragmatic, disciplined resource allocation
- Collaborative, transparent, team-first
- Balance legacy relationships with modernization/profitability improvement
- Comfortable shaping the business, not just managing territory
Exhibit company core values:
- We are Client Focused
- We Do Whatever It Takes
- We are Problem Solvers
- We are Candid & Respectful
- We Succeed as a Team
- We Aim to Grow
- We Believe Fun Matters