Senior Sales Director (GM), Sporting Goods

New Balance • Boston, MA

51d • $230,510 - $368,220 • Hybrid

About The Position

Since 1906, New Balance has empowered people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world. We innovate fearlessly, guided by our core values and driven by the belief that conventions were meant to be challenged. We foster a culture in which every associate feels welcomed and respected, where leaders and creatives are inspired to shape the world of tomorrow by taking bold action today.

This position serves as the commercial and cross functional leader for New Balance Sporting Goods channel in the United States. This role is responsible for managing all aspects of wholesale sales with with Dick's Sporting Goods and Academy Sports & Outdoor, including retailer partnership, Go-To-Market process leadership, consumer-right product assortments, forecasting, coordination of account consumer marketing strategies, and leading a team of sales professionals to achieve sales, profitability, and retailer partnership objectives.

Requirements

• Requires bachelor's degree or equivalent; MBA a plus
• 15+ years of related sales, product management or merchandising experience with a track record of achieving sales objectives.
• Deep understanding of the Sporting Goods retail landscape; experience working with Dick's Sporting Goods is strongly preferred.
• Ability to embrace managing conflict and quickly providing solutions for escalated issues.
• Exceptional negotiation skills with the ability to influence internal and external stakeholders
• Requires excellent leadership, organizational and communication skills, and the ability to work in a team-oriented environment.
• Leads by example with managing cross functional relationships with internal business partners.
• Excellent project management skills.
• Retailer and consumer mindset.
• Frequent domestic travel, approximately 20% of the time.
• This role is based at our Boston headquarters. We welcome applicants from outside the area and offer relocation support for the right candidate.

Responsibilities

• Proactively lead the development and implementation of a multi-year strategic plan with mutual performance objectives, financial targets, and critical milestones.
• Design and execute the overall sales strategy aligned to New Balance's strategic priorities, growth targets, consumer needs, and shape of the marketplace for the channel.
• Manage the execution and implementation of the Go to Market calendar and process.
• Coach, motivate, and develop Director and Key Account Managers, as well as extended commercial cross-functional teams in merchandising, marketing, planning, and operations to ensure alignment and timely execution of strategic plans.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Establish productive and professional relationships with senior-level contacts at large multi-door retail accounts, including Dick's Sporting Goods and Academy Sports & Outdoor.
• Lead high-stakes negotiations around pricing, terms, marketing investments, and joint business planning.
• Monitor channel performance across KPIs (revenue, margin, inventory, sell-through).
• Lead forecasting, budgeting, and reporting processes in partnership with planning and finance.
• Oversee actions to manage inventory and profitability levels to maintain brand health and achieve margin goals.
• Assess, clarify, and validate the team and partner needs on an ongoing basis.
• Serve as a member of the NA Commercial Leadership team, collaborating on strategic topics that aid in the delivery of New Balance's commercial goals.
• Collaborate with product merchandising teams to ensure product strategy aligns with target consumer and account strategies.
• Collaborate with planning and merchandising to develop sell in, sell through, and inventory goals for the channel. Develop reporting metrics to measure ROI and sales performance against goals.
• Coordinate the involvement of the Key Account Managers and company's commercial cross functional team, including merchandising, marketing, planning, operations, and finance to meet account performance objectives and account's expectations and deliver the multi-year plans.

Benefits

• New Balance offers a comprehensive traditional benefits package including three options for medical insurance as well as dental, vision, life insurance and 401K.
• We also proudly offer a slate of more nontraditional perks - opportunities like online learning and development courses, tuition reimbursement, $100 monthly student loan support and various mentorship programs - that encourage our associates to grow personally as they develop professionally.
• You'll also enjoy a yearly $1,000 lifestyle reimbursement, 4 weeks of vacations, 12 holidays and generous parental leave, because work-life balance is more than just a buzzword - it's part of our culture.
• Temporary associates are provided three options for medical insurance as well as dental and vision insurance and an associate discount.
• Part time associates are provided 401k, short term disability, a yearly $300 lifestyle reimbursement and an associate discount.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees