Director, NA Sales & Business Development, Running

Job Summary

The Director of NA Sale & Business Development - Running is accountable for leading, developing, and executing a strategic go-to-market plan within running specialty and all other channels to establish KEEN as a credible and emerging running brand. This role is critical in supporting the VP of Sales to cultivate strong customer relationships, collaborating with internal cross-functional and elevating KEENs assortment with the right retail partners to deliver impactful results. This role plays an integral part in pioneering our industry leading outdoor brand in running with the US Marketplace.

Essential Functions

Description

• Leads the Technical Representative team, providing strategic direction for retail engagement initiatives that strengthen wholesale partnerships through product training, education, relationship building, consumer-facing events, and product demonstrations.
• Partners with Sales, Marketing, and Product teams to advance KEEN’s performance categories by developing engagement strategies for run specialty, outdoor specialty, and other strategic retail partners. Builds brand awareness and supports growth in Trail and KEEN Run.
• Cultivates new relationships and strengthens existing customer partnerships within the running specialty category. Focuses on expanding wholesale distribution and building the dealer network in run specialty to scale KEEN’s presence and assortment breadth.
• Identifies and evaluates new account opportunities within run specialty, focusing on key, influential, and credible retail partners to expand the brand’s presence and drive sales growth.
• Assists in developing and executing the go-to-market strategy for KEEN Run, ensuring alignment with product initiatives and the overarching brand vision across all distribution channels.
• Conducts product demonstrations that showcase performance technologies and equip retailers with knowledge of key selling features and benefits. Provides education that supports retailer success and omnichannel product promotion.
• Collaborates with network dealers to analyze performance and drive sales growth, business development, and increased market share for the brand.
• Conducts performance analyses and provides leadership with business insights that inform revenue-growth initiatives and strategic planning. Evaluates the North American running specialty market to identify and recommend growth opportunities.
• Prepares and delivers comprehensive business reports for leadership and stakeholders, including sell-in and sell-through performance, competitive analysis, product demand and availability, and market-share insights.
• Collaborates with internal Marketing and Merchandising teams to develop and execute sell-through and activation strategies tailored to the run specialty channel.
• Leverages data, performance metrics, and brand trends to guide decision- making and develop strategies for future growth opportunities.
• Helps achieve and exceed KEEN Run sales targets by partnering with Marketing, Product, Operations, and Training to deliver results.

Please note this job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without cause.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, Management, or related field required.
• Eight (8) years experience in sales, specialty account management or related field. Experience in outdoor and run footwear or retail.
• Three (3) years leading and managing a team.

Any equivalent combination of experience and education which clearly indicates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position may substitute on a year for year basis.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep understanding of the trail running market, including consumer trends, key accounts, and competitor landscapes.
• Familiarity with retail environments, omni-channel strategies, and direct-to-consumer sales models. Expertise in running and or outdoor specialty account base.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and drive strategic decisions.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and negotiation skills to engage with key accounts and stakeholders.
• Proven ability to develop and execute GTM (go-to-market) strategies and lead product positioning efforts.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong, collaborative relationships with both internal teams and external partners.
• Proficiency with sales analytics tools (e.g., Salesforce, Power BI) and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Ability to analyze and interpret sell-through data and market trends to identify growth opportunities.

Travel Required: Yes, up to 50% of the time

Base Salary: $171,900 - $184,450

This range represents the low and high ends of this position's anticipated base salary range. The actual base salary will depend on numerous factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, and location. Our base salary is just one component of our competitive total rewards strategy, which includes numerous benefits and perks as well as specific health and welfare benefits.

Why Work at KEEN:  Driven by a passion for life outside, KEEN is a values-led, independently owned brand from Portland, Oregon, that’s on a mission to create original and versatile products, improve lives, and inspire outside adventure. Founded in 2003, KEEN launched a revolution in the footwear industry with the introduction of the Newport adventure sandal and has donated more than $18 million to non-profit organizations and causes around the world to promote responsible outdoor recreation, including conservation efforts to protect open spaces. KEEN strives to show the world through its products and its actions that a business for good can actually be good for business. By giving back, reducing impact, and activating communities and individuals to protect the places where we work and play, KEEN puts its values in motion and takes action to leave the world a better place.  

Fuerst Group, KEEN, and Chrome are equal opportunity employers.  We value an inclusive and diverse community. Qualified candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply and will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability.