Director of Professional & Specialty Channel Development

Developlus•Corona, CA

6d•$140,000 - $155,000•Remote

About The Position

The Director of Professional & Specialty Channel Development is responsible for driving profitable sales growth across Developlus’ Professional Beauty, Beauty Supply, OTC, Specialty Retail, and other assigned sales channels. As part of the Sales organization, this position will develop and execute channel-specific sales plans, manage existing customer and distributor relationships, identify new business opportunities, and provide leadership and accountability to Developlus’ network of outside sales brokers. This role serves as the company’s internal subject matter expert for Professional and Specialty Channels and is expected to understand the unique customer, distributor, education, promotional, and relationship requirements that distinguish these channels from mass retail. Working closely with the Vice President of Growth and cross-functional partners in Marketing, Product Development, Supply Chain, Operations, and Finance, the Director will translate channel growth objectives into clear, measurable execution plans and deliver sustainable sales and profit improvement. The ideal candidate is a hands-on sales and business development leader with demonstrated experience growing professional beauty, beauty supply, specialty retail, or related consumer product channels.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, or a related field preferred.
8–10 years of progressive sales, business development, account management, or channel management experience within beauty, personal care, consumer packaged goods, or a related industry.
Demonstrated experience in Professional Beauty, Beauty Supply, Specialty Retail, OTC, distributor-managed, or similar relationship-based sales channels.
Experience managing outside brokers, independent sales representatives, or distributor partners.
Proven ability to develop and execute account and channel growth plans.
Demonstrated success generating new business, expanding distribution, and growing existing accounts.
Strong understanding of pricing, customer profitability, forecasting, promotional planning, and sales reporting.
Experience working with branded consumer products and within a manufacturing environment preferred.
Strong understanding of Professional Beauty and Specialty Channel sales models.
Demonstrated ability to turn strategy into specific execution plans.
Strong broker, distributor, and customer-management skills.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation abilities.
Strong financial and analytical skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain consistent follow-through.
Self-directed, resourceful, accountable, and results-oriented.
Ability to work effectively across Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Supply Chain, Operations, and Finance.
Strong judgment and ability to evaluate opportunities based on growth potential, profitability, and strategic fit.

Responsibilities

Develop, own, and execute the long-term strategic vision for Professional Beauty, Beauty Supply, OTC, Specialty Retail, International Distribution, and Emerging Channels.
Establish annual business plans, sales objectives, revenue forecasts, and channel growth strategies.
Identify, evaluate, and prioritize new market opportunities, customer segments, and distribution partnerships.
Develop channel-specific go-to-market strategies aligned with corporate growth objectives.
Monitor competitive activity, consumer trends, and industry developments to identify growth opportunities and competitive advantages.
Direct and manage the activities of outside brokers representing Developlus within assigned channels.
Establish clear broker expectations, sales goals, account priorities, and reporting requirements.
Conduct regular broker calls, pipeline reviews, account reviews, and performance evaluations.
Ensure brokers are actively pursuing agreed-upon opportunities and completing assigned follow-up actions.
Provide brokers with the product information, samples, pricing, presentations, training, and promotional materials needed to represent Developlus effectively.
Evaluate broker performance and recommend changes when representation is not producing expected results.
Serve as the primary sales contact for assigned customers, distributors, and strategic partners.
Build and maintain productive relationships with professional distributors, beauty supply accounts, specialty retailers, and other channel partners.
Conduct regular business reviews to assess sales, distribution, inventory, promotions, opportunities, and performance concerns.
Develop joint account plans designed to increase sales, distribution, product assortment, and customer profitability.
Coordinate product education, promotional support, and sales initiatives with customers, distributors, and brokers.
Ensure customer commitments, follow-up items, and internal requirements are clearly documented and completed.
Identify and pursue new customers, distributors, and channel opportunities aligned with Developlus’ brands and capabilities.
Maintain an active and measurable pipeline of new business opportunities.
Develop customer-specific presentations, proposals, pricing recommendations, and sales materials.
Support negotiations involving pricing, promotions, product assortment, and commercial terms in coordination with the Vice President of Growth and Finance.
Represent Developlus at customer meetings, distributor meetings, trade shows, and industry events.
Evaluate opportunities based on revenue potential, profitability, strategic fit, operational requirements, and likelihood of execution.
Maintain a strong understanding of Professional Beauty and Specialty Channel structures, customers, distributors, competitors, and market trends.
Educate internal teams on how these channels differ from mass retail in areas such as product education, distributor engagement, field selling, promotional support, and customer relationship development.
Monitor competitive activity, emerging brands, distribution changes, and customer needs.
Recommend channel-specific sales approaches, product opportunities, and promotional strategies.
Provide customer and market feedback to support product development and commercialization decisions.
Partner with Marketing and Product Development to evaluate the fit of new and existing products within assigned channels.
Develop channel-specific sales plans for new product launches.
Coordinate broker, distributor, and customer education prior to launch.
Track new product placement, initial orders, sell-through, reorders, and customer feedback.
Recommend adjustments to assortment, positioning, pricing, education, or promotional support based on market response.
Partner with Marketing to develop channel-appropriate promotional programs, sales materials, education, and customer support.
Work with Supply Chain and Operations to support forecasting, inventory planning, order fulfillment, and customer service.
Collaborate with Finance to evaluate pricing, customer profitability, promotional spending, commissions, and return on investment.
Coordinate with Product Development and Marketing to communicate customer feedback and identify channel-specific product opportunities.
Ensure internal teams understand customer requirements, launch dates, sales commitments, and execution priorities.
Own the sales forecast for assigned channels and accounts.
Monitor sales, gross margin, distribution, customer profitability, broker performance, and new business activity.
Prepare monthly and quarterly channel performance reviews.
Maintain accurate account plans, opportunity pipelines, forecasts, and action-item tracking.
Identify performance gaps and recommend specific corrective actions.
Ensure channel strategies are supported by defined execution plans, responsible parties, deadlines, and measurable outcomes.