Key Account Associate

Steve Madden•Gilbert, AZ

3d•$70,000 - $75,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Key Account Associate is responsible for divisional retail sales reporting for Dillards and Dillards.com. This position supports the Wholesale Footwear business. The responsibilities described below are considered essential functions of the role. This position is based in our AZ office and requires working on-site five days per week.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required
Proficiency with computer skills, including Microsoft Office, Word, and Excel
Retail math
2-4 years’ experience in wholesale, eCommerce, buyer or related field
Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, and organizational skills
Highly organized, detail-oriented and time management skills essential

Responsibilities

Managing following accounts: Dillards and Dillards.com
Own end-to-end merchandise planning, buying, and inventory strategy for Dillard’s, driving alignment across sales, inventory, and financial goals
Partner with Dillard’s to develop and align annual and seasonal sales and receipts plans, supporting overall financial and inventory strategies
Develop and execute weekly, monthly, and seasonal sales and inventory plans, optimizing revenue, sell-through, and profitability
Manage Open-to-Buy (OTB) and in-season reforecasting to ensure accurate inventory flow and strong in-stock positioning
Analyze historical performance and current trends to identify risks and opportunities, informing strategic decisions
Forecast demand by style, size, and channel (stores and e-commerce), including core replenishment and key marketing initiatives
Partner with Dillard’s to build and execute assortment strategies at class, style-color, and sku count
Generate and manage purchase orders, including reorders of top-performing products
Oversee inventory levels and depth by store and style-color to ensure alignment with sales plans
Allocate and rebalance inventory across locations to maximize sell-through and minimize excess stock
Develop and execute pricing and markdown strategies aligned with Dillard’s cadence to protect margin and drive conversion
Maintain strong cross-functional partnerships with Dillard’s merchants, marketing teams, and store leadership to ensure seamless execution
Support brand marketing initiatives, including email campaigns and major e-commerce items, through inventory planning and coordination
Prepare and present business recaps, forecasts, and strategic insights in market meetings
Lead product setup and system management, including SKU creation, product copy, and image uploads for e-commerce
Manage dropship business
Collaborate with coordinators to optimize in-store product placement and execution
Conduct regular store visits to assess performance, identify opportunities, and strengthen retailer relationships
Develop and deliver training materials to support store teams and enhance product knowledge
Continuously improve forecasting, reporting, and allocation processes to drive efficiency and accuracy
Ability to conduct interpersonal interactions including coaching, negotiating, selling, group presentations, etc.
Most decisions are made within company policy constraints, and some latitude exists. Decisions may impact others or the organization
Work responsibilities occasionally concern confidential and/or sensitive information requiring the use of discretion
Job duties are somewhat varied, occasionally requiring conceptualizing, planning and implementing
Under limited supervision, anticipates and solves problems for self and other lower-level employees
Has no supervisory responsibility, provides basic work direction usually one-on-one