Head of Sales

OVERSEES: Wholesale and DTC teams

REPORTS TO: President and CEO

Must be based in New York and available to work onsite, in person.

The Head of Sales is responsible for developing our wholesale and DTC (including retail and e-commerce) distribution across all categories in North America. They work closely with finance, marketing, design, and production teams, leading decision-making and strategizing through a sales and growth lens. The Head of Sales oversees the acquisition of new strategic accounts and DTC customers, as well as maximizing opportunities with our current customer base. The person in this role will direct and develop the sales and logistics team and be influential across all areas of Lingua Franca to ensure we meet our commercial targets while enhancing our culture and supporting the evolution of the Lingua Franca brand.

Lingua Franca is a small (but quickly growing) company committed to fair trade, ethical labor practices, and the highest environmental standards. We look forward to filling this role with an individual who is excited to grow with us. Because we are a small team, we all wear many hats and are happy to roll up our sleeves and lend a hand whenever needed. Can-do attitudes and respectful, inclusive outlooks are greatly valued and expected of all team members.

Responsibilities will include:

Sales:

• Create the wholesale and retail sales strategies to achieve both short term and long term targets
• Deliver new business opportunities and customers to develop our global business and enhance brand awareness
• Collaborate with key strategic accounts to achieve mutual sales growth via product selection
• Provide commercial insights on collection development including recommending capsule collections with strategic accounts to maximize turnover
• Build and maintain commercial relationships with key industry players and accounts
• Lead and execute strategy each season for all categories (RTW, Core Custom Line, Accessories) for the North American market utilizing our brands guidelines
• Negotiate trade terms to maximize business revenue while nurturing relationships
• Create the Lingua Franca store and e-commerce buys per season to showcase the collection in our direct-to-consumer channels
• Effectively communicate the Lingua Franca brand narrative, representing the core values of our brand both internally and externally and carry out trainings to all relevant accounts to ensure retailer teams are aligned with the brand image and ethos
• Oversee the creation and distribution of commercial assets including line sheets to support the customer journey
• Plan the exit stock strategy, analyzing margins to maximize the company’s profitability
• Manage day-to-day wholesale accounts maintenance, including negotiation, payment remittance, communication regarding shipments and deliveries
• Maintain the office sample selection at all times and oversee showroom preparations during Market
  Continually iterate on current sales processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness
• Proactively create and update customer-facing resources and order-related communication — such as payment terms, FAQ, and order-related email language

Analytics:

• Create merchandising plans per season to provide guidelines to the design team on commercial SKUs and key fabrics per collection
• Develop best in class sales reports on top-selling styles, fabrics, SKUs and categories 
• Prepare detailed pricing pyramids to ensure the collection meets key price points for each category 
• Analyze the weekly sell-through reports to capture current trends and provide feedback to the management team

Team:

• Lead the sales and logistics teams to maximize sales potential per market and ensure all deadlines are met
• Deliver seasonal trainings to members of staff and wholesale accounts

The ideal person will have:

• 5+ years in the designer fashion industry in a sales leadership role
• Proven track record of increasing revenue
• An extensive network within the industry
• Excellent negotiation and presentation skills
• Ability to be flexible and work with creatives
• Entrepreneurial - willing to roll up sleeves and be scrappy
• E-commerce shoots and creative campaign experience
• A strong understanding of the fashion production process
• Working knowledge of Shopify
• Solid understanding of retail math, including mark-up, sell-through, OTB, and gross margin

   

Lingua Franca is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, age, national origin, citizenship status, marital status, military/veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. We are committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion, respect and integrity, customer focus, and innovation.