Account Executive - Department Stores

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, DEPARTMENT STORE CHANNEL

CHICAGO - LUXURY FIELD SALES

COTY is looking for smart leaders who are fast and passionate.

The Account Executive (AE) position at Coty offers unmatched global impact through iconic brands, and a fearless culture inspiring authentic beauty expression. The AE role allows candidates to shape prestige beauty while being apart of a visionary, international powerhouse.

RESPONSIBILITIES

As our Account Executive you are responsible for delivering retail sales goals of +$7 million Dollars (*detailed KPIs listed below), while strengthening local account penetration and retailer joint business planning – with a disproportionate growth acceleration in top potential doors. The AE also owns critical organizational expectations – leading, scheduling, and coaching a diverse team of Brand Ambassadors to deliver perfect execution, every day. AEs may also lead incremental special project work.

Your main focus:

Achieve/Exceed Quarterly/Seasonal/Annual Retail Sales Goals

• Consistently deliver on commitments, proactively communicate solutions to capture upside $ or mitigate downside risk to goal.
• Regularly analyze daily/weekly retail sales and adjust to trends or future anticipated support changes.
  • Partner with internal and external support teams and regularly communicate results from conducted activities, maximize opportunities, and minimize risk (while always ensuring sufficient store levels across basic stock, gift sets, and testers).
  • Utilize brand ranking, penetration, stock status reports as available + maximize all promo tools to drive sales and +ROI.
  • Working understanding of retailers’ CRM/Clientele systems, creating, and driving local plans to maximize retail sales.
• Own joint business planning with retailer partners to drive accountability and seasonal sufficiency planning.
  • Planning to leverage promotional calendars/visual dates, new products introductions, storewide promotions, Holiday intensification plans, Y2 anniversary plans, and competitive activity.
  • Ensure Brand Ambassadors execute Coty branded events in-store with excellence (strictly following fashion house guidelines); partner with and solicit support of local Special Event, Marketing, Visual, and Personal Shopper Teams to drive sales.
• Own Leadership Visits: Review trends/rank + share data/key successes/help needed/top door and close the gap strategies.

Leading, Scheduling and Coaching Part-Time Brand Ambassadors

• Perfectly execute corporate by-door scheduling guidance & retail sales expectations.
  • Ensure all Brand Ambassadors fulfill exact schedule expectations.
  • Ensure all Brand Ambassadors fulfill door retail $ goals expectations.
  • If unique local needs arise that differ from corporate guidance, escalate opportunity for approval in timely manner.
• Manage industry best Brand Ambassador Teams.
  • Weekly: Monitor specialists’ schedule adherence, productivity vs goal, ROI effectiveness, and clientele % vs targets where relevant.
  • Monthly: Leverage data to actively coach & monitor underperformers / celebrate top performers, capture learnings to share with regional leader for reapplication.
  • Monthly: Schedule Brand Ambassadors by-weekly/by-door according to corporate guidance. All schedules should be in place 1 quarter in advance. Any staffing $’s not invested in the dictated week will be returned to corporate budget.
  • Ongoing: Ensure Coty’s in-store team builds and maintains strong, collaborative relationships with all levels of store management to secure and benefit from preferred vendor status.
• Regularly coach and lead by example through active participation in selling, events, visuals, and shoulder to shoulder training.
  • Actively review education materials, role play & coach virtually via Teams MSFT sessions or in-store when possible.
  • Regularly leverage data in coaching sessions + share and reapply learnings from other brands/retailers/teams.
  • Ensure Specialists are influencing store management; coach on negotiations/objection handling as needed.

Maximize In-Store Presence

• Secure allocated space & location (S&L) per corporate directives. Proactively partner in/externally to ensure stock sufficiency.
  • Understand S&L process & timings unique to retailer.
  • Resolve S&L concerns + leverage local relationships and data to improve S&L whenever possible.
  • Secure incremental visual opportunities at door level: towers, tables, ecktachromes, T-Walls, outposts & holiday ship opportunities as budgets permit while adhering to fashion house and retailer guidelines.
• Communicate corporate merchandising guidelines with Brand Ambassadors to ensure perfect in-store presence, every day.
• Closely maintain and monitor the condition of permanent and semi-permanent installations. Escalate issues for immediate resolution to protect fashion house brand equity.

Education

• Partner with the Education team and Director of Training & Event Programming to train Brand Ambassadors on new initiatives, Holiday + Key Merchandising plans and eventing guidelines.
• Leverage market visits to confirm retention of training materials amongst Brand Ambassadors. Actively review key materials, role-play/coach virtually via regular Skype coaching sessions or in-store when possible.
• Display confidence in public speaking, it is a key requirement for successful market schools and regional/district presentations.

Stewardship

• Budget Ownership: Adhere to spending guidelines with minimal (<2%) over/under spends to allocated budgets. Includes part-time staffing budgets, T&E, and all in-store/eventing/ProCard spending.
• Co-Op Roles (where applicable) – fixed Demonstration Management: requires timely updates on participating door, associate names, line assignments, schedules and hourly rate changes with Manager and Finance.
• U.S. Audit: 100% timely compliance on Quarterly Proof of Performance and Data collection.
• Storage Units: 100% compliance on Storage Unit Audits/Inventories and Seasonal Non-Saleable Delivery Log Compliance.
• Use of Corporate Assets: 100% compliance on corporate rules and regulations as set for corporate assets: laptop, iPads, American Express Cards, ProCards, Company car where relevant, Storage Units, non-saleable merchandise, etc.

*Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Retail $ / % Goal (with disproportionate Top Door Acceleration + New User Acquisition).
• Brand Rank / Regional Market Share (where applicable).
• PT Budgets deployed on-time and managed within +/- 2% monthly accuracy.
  • Compliance to call cycle provided by Regional Sales Director (field visits 80% of the time)
  • Ensure adherence to policy for scheduling and paying 3rd party Brand Ambassadors
  • T&E and ProCard Budget Management within +/- 2% seasonal accuracy
• Weekly/Monthly performance reviews & coaching discussions with in-store Brand Ambassadors
  • Develop measurable action plans and track progress.
  • Track adherence to in-store call guides
  • Where relevant: Flagship Counter & Staffing Management
• Top Door Monthly Plans aligned and executed with retailer – specific focus on Education expectations
  • Visual week/KCP/Retailer Event/Launch Retail $ vs Goal and in-store Merchandising vs Expectation
  • Everyday + Merch Space / Location (> = corporate directive)
  • Holiday Gift Set % Sell Through

Working for Coty means our people make us who we are. They are the brightest minds bringing innovative concepts to life. If you are someone unwilling to settle, likes to envision larger possibilities, accelerate learning, and push boundaries – we would love to hear from you! Working at Coty means being part of an inclusive workplace committed to diversity and equity, valuing diverse perspectives and backgrounds. Your ideas will count, fostering a career where you can achieve more than you ever imagined.

The team consists of “Account Executives” working closely together with multiple departments such as Sell-In, Marketing and Education. All your colleagues are professional, seasoned, self-motivated collaborators.

QUALIFICATIONS

We’d love to see candidates who have:

Essential:

• Exceptional management, organization, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proven knowledge of industry trends and best practices and ability to work across functional areas.
• Required to work from home office and have ability to travel between locations. (This position allows for one office day per week).
• Basic to Intermediate Computer Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
• Previous team leader experience with an organization >5 people.
• 3-5 years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience: 2 years’ experience within Dept Store Channel required; 2+ years’ experience as an Account Executive.

Desirable:

• Bachelor’s degree from four-year college of university.
• Basic to Intermediate Computer Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
• Previous team leader experience with an organization >5 people.
• 5+ years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience: 2 years’ experience within Department Store Channel required; 2+ years’ experience as an Account Executive.

OUR BENEFITS

As our Account Executive, it is unique role with a genuine opportunity to make an impact. You’ll get to work in a diverse environment with a team of professionals who are passionate about the work they do and know how to have some fun along the way.

Coty’s global omni-working policy provides the option to work up to 50% of your month remotely. We believe that a more flexible philosophy of remote work will give everyone the freedom to choose what works for their individual circumstances and empower them to always perform at their best.

• Base Salary Range: $85,000-$100,000
• Health, dental, vision and disability insurance; 401(k) with generous employer match; paid time off and Summer Saturdays; Parental leave; Tuition reimbursement; Hybrid work arrangements.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

1. Our recruiter will contact you.
2. A telephone/online introductory meeting follows.
3. A first online/in-person interview
4. A second interview
5. You will receive a proposal with the terms of employment.