National Account Manager, Alt Channels

MGA Entertainment, Inc.•Minneapolis, MN

About The Position

MGA Entertainment is one of the world's fastest growing and largest privately held toy and entertainment companies. Headquartered in Chatsworth, Calif. and with offices globally, the company creates innovative, proprietary, and licensed consumer products and entertainment, including toys, games, dolls, apparel, consumer electronics, home décor, stationery, sporting goods, movies, and television series. The MGA family includes award-winning brands such as L.O.L. Surprise!™, Little Tikes®®, Rainbow High™®, Shadow High™, Bratz®, MGA’s Miniverse™®, Na! Na! Na! Surprise™, Mermaze Mermaidz™ Color Change, Micro Games of America™, Baby Born® Surprise and Zapf Creation®®. The mission of this role is to maximize sales, profitability and promotional activity within corporate margin expectations.

Requirements

7+ years or more of sales management/sales experience within the toy industry.
Superior relationships with retailer management, buyers, marketing managers, replenishment & planning personnel.
A proven track record of building sales and profitability in a competitive business environment.
Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration or Marketing is required.
Possess elevated financial acumen - Margin/Forecast Planning/ Budget Management.
Excellent strategic and disciplined planning skills.
Well-developed sales, people, communication, administration, sales policy, planning and leadership skills.
Ability to think on your feet and contingency plan.
Formal knowledge customers’ communicative/administrative/planning tools i.e.: VDP & EDQ/ Retail Link.
Ability to travel.
Knowledge of LC (FOB) and Domestic shipping procedures.
Solid computer skills (Microsoft office – Excel, Word, PPT).

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree preferred

Responsibilities

Create rapport with the retailer’s entire buying team, including all executives, buyers, planners, and replenishment team.
Work with buying teams to understand their needs, performance metrics, time tables, etc.
Respond or acknowledge all customer requests in timely manner.
Be the expert on the products, categories, and competition in and outside your areas of responsibilities.
Manage day to day service issues between MGA marketing, product, customer marketing, and retailer buying teams.
Establish and present timelines for line reviews, item conformation time lines, "set" and other relevant dates.
Build bottom-up (item level) forecasts in adherence to Global Forecast time line.
Execute collaborative base-line and promotional forecasts with all buyers.
Create Seasonal Business Plans for each buyer (per category/brand) consisting of SAP Plan, confirmed promotional activities (ads, end caps, shelf space, other feature space, catalog, POP Signage etc.).
Review Business Plans (SAP/Promotional Plan/Forecasts) with each buyer on a monthly basis. Adjust and communicate all adjustments to SVP Sales/Marketing/and MGA Supply Chain.
Analyze POS data on a weekly basis. Look for trends, planned promotional lifts and outcomes, competitive challenges, etc. - and incorporate details with each buyer in the Monthly Business Plan meeting.
Be in front of “Early Reads” - anticipating challenges to first of season POS.
Provide weekly updates by Buyer - State of business/New initiatives, placement/promotional updates etc. - Recipients: SVP Sales.
Follow through recaps of buyer meetings (in season and placement feedback/conformation).
Shop top four toy retailer stores every two weeks.
Participate in all National Sales and Show meetings/events.
Provide detailed responses to product offerings to SVP Sales/Marketing/President after Line Shows.
Other duties as assigned