Head of Channel and Category Sales National Retail Account

Samsung Electronics•Plano, TX

About The Position

Headquartered in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA) is a leader in mobile technologies, consumer electronics, home appliances and enterprise solutions. From our humble beginnings to our position today as a tech leader, our passion for innovation has been the common thread throughout our history. We’ve grown into one of THE most recognized global brands. We consider ourselves “relentless pioneers” that push boundaries and defy barriers. The company pushes beyond the limits of today’s technology to provide groundbreaking connected experiences across its large portfolio of products and services, including mobile devices, home appliances, home entertainment, 5G networks, and digital displays. As EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Corporate Commitment Partner, SEA is dedicated to making a positive impact on the environment through its eco-conscious products, practices, and operations. Role and Responsibilities We are seeking a senior commercial leader to join a top global National Retail Account as Head of Channel and Category Sales. In this role you will lead the Channel Sales and Category Sales teams to drive sales and market share growth for all product categories across all channels within the accounts under the national retail account (Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Costco, Sam’s, NFM, Microcenter + other regional retailers and clubs) by building and leveraging executive-level relationships across retail, field, and corporate HQ teams. You will own the full P&L for your channels and categories, with direct accountability for achieving ambitious revenue and market share targets. Your primary mission will be to transform these high-level partnerships into actionable, innovative, large-scale strategic sales and marketing initiatives. You will be responsible for the flawless execution of our quarterly promotional calendars and go-to-market strategy, ensuring our products receive preferential placement and investment. This is an executive leadership position focused on turning relationships into revenue. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and decisive leader with a proven track record of leading high-performing teams, creating data-driven campaigns, and delivering profitable channel growth. You will be a key member of the leadership team, responsible for the alignment and success of our entire commercial strategy. Finally, the top candidate with display a unique ability to guide their teams with a focus on continuous improvement and cross-functional alignment to translate execution into tangible business results.

Requirements

16+ years of progressive experience in senior-level channel sales, category management, or strategic account management within the telecommunications, consumer electronics, or mobile device industries.
Deep, firsthand experience developing strategic growth plans and building relationships within major US national retailers is essential
Demonstrable experience managing a significant P&L or revenue stream (e.g., $1B+) with a clear understanding of key financial drivers.
Proven ability to develop data-driven business strategies, conduct complex financial and market analysis, and translate insights into actionable plans.
Exceptional executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to influence and align senior-level stakeholders both internally and externally.
A track record of developing and executing successful, complex GTM strategies and sales programs through major retail, club or distributor channels.
Ability to create professional sales and business presentations in writing, through emails and reports, or orally, including complex business matters to an audience of high skills, management, and operational experience.
Experience managing and leading a team of teams and a matrixed organization
Ability to develop business objectives and metrics, clearly define results to be achieved, make decisions, give direction, and measure individual/team performance and business results.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, or a related field is required
Demonstrated ability to develop, directly negotiate, and execute data-based plans and strategies that drive business results.
The ability to influence and convince others, in a potentially adversarial environment, including customer leadership, directors and managers with opposing views to accept/approve plans, technical and project recommendations.
The ability to plan, organize and prioritize multiple strategic programs and simultaneous performance objectives.
The ability to write, read, interpret, explain and act based on a thorough understanding of technical documents, engineering materials and contracts or related documents.
Ability to make professional sales and business presentations in writing, through email, reports, or orally, including complex business and technical matters to an audience of high technical skill and operational experience.
Ability to support a cross-functional Samsung team to achieve customer contracted objectives and specific team goals within established time frames and requirements.

Responsibilities

Lead a set of high-performance sales account teams to develop and execute strategic plans that increase market share and revenue, maximize sell through, and achieve profitable results through direct customer negotiations.
Enable channel sales teams to execute category plans flawlessly by providing clear objectives, priorities, and success metrics.
Participate in top-to-top meetings with key customer partners to represent each channel and category's strategic vision and drive alignment.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams including marketing, product development, finance and operations to achieve the sales objectives identified by the company.
Build and maintain positive relationships with customer leadership to pursue new profitable business opportunities and product developments and to increase market share.
Directly negotiate annual Joint business Plans, Volume Incentive Rebates and Annual commercial agreements
Own and manage the full P&L for all product categories (smartphone, tablet, watch, accessories, PC, tws, other wearables etc.) within the Retail and Distribution Channels, with direct accountability for revenue, market share, and contribution margin targets.
Develop and champion a multi-year strategic vision for their categories, identifying key growth levers, competitive threats, and opportunities for differentiation.
Manage Channel Conflict between retailers and online pure players including Samsung’s own internal direct to consumer channels
Set ambitious annual and quarterly targets for sales volume, net revenue, and market share, in alignment with overall company goals.
Act as the primary business owner for each category in all executive reviews and strategic planning sessions.
Architect the comprehensive GTM strategy for all New Product Introductions (NPIs) and sustaining products within each category for the retail channels.
Provide strategic direction for developing promotional calendars, collaborating with customer, finance, business operations and product management to secure preferential placements and promotional SD/MDF investment.
Partner with Channel Marketing to develop compelling co-marketing programs, promotional offers, and value propositions that drive sell-through.
Analyze ROI and effectiveness of all GTM and promotional activities, continuously optimizing spend and strategy for maximum impact.
Drive growth and increased share for Samsung by developing leadership plans and strategies that drive results at the “last three feet” of consumer experience, where “sell-through” is critical to success.
Lead the strategic engagement with customer portfolio and ranging teams to secure placement for new products and optimize the lifecycle of existing ones.
Build the business case for product ranging decisions, leveraging market data, financial modeling, and strategic rationale.
Partner closely with the Technical Product Management team to ensure product roadmaps are aligned with customer technical requirements and ranging timelines.
Manage the full product lifecycle for the channel, from NPI forecasting to end-of-life transitions, minimizing inventory risk and maximizing profitability.
Own the top-down forecasting process for each category, ensuring high accuracy to drive supply chain and financial planning.
Conduct deep analysis of category performance, market trends, and competitive activity to generate actionable insights and inform strategic pivots.
Lead monthly and quarterly business reviews for your categories, presenting performance, insights, and action plans to senior leadership.
Spearhead the recruitment, motivation, development and retention of professionals who can deliver sustained (profitable) revenue growth.
Instill a culture of accountability and empowerment, performance-based management, teamwork and other best practices to achieve the goals of the organization.