Senior Area Manager

Summary of Position

The Senior Area Manager is responsible for wholesale channel performance and brand success within the defined territory, including delivery against sales targets, management of the territory operating budget, and growth of the account portfolio through new distribution. This accountability excludes national account revenue, which is owned entirely by the National Account team; the Senior Area Manager's Area Managers support national account doors within the territory through merchandising and clinic execution only, with no revenue accountability for those accounts. The Senior Area Manager leads and manages Area Managers and the regional field team — including hiring and termination decisions within the territory — to execute against sell-in, sell-thru, and service objectives, and is directly accountable for identifying and securing new distribution as a driver of territory revenue growth.

Essential Responsibilities

• Formulate and execute the territory's wholesale sales and marketing strategy in line with company growth targets and channel segmentation framework.
• Own delivery of territory sales targets, excluding national account revenue; track and report performance, forecast accuracy, and variance to the Territory Business Director.
• Manage the territory's operating budget (T&E, sampling, event and marketing spend) within approved limits; report spend against budget.
• Ensure Area Managers within the territory partner with the Marketing Retail team on marketing/trade spend and account build-out plans during the GTM Phase 3 process, prior to Phase 5 inline showings and retailer purchasing; escalate any conflict between territory-funded programs and Marketing Retail-funded account plans to the Territory Business Director.
• Identify, evaluate, and secure new wholesale distribution within the territory, in alignment with company channel segmentation strategy; own new-distribution revenue as a defined component of the territory's overall sales target.
• Review new distribution opportunities and proposed account alignment changes brought forward by Area Managers; approve any change to territory account alignment before it is implemented.
• Hire, manage, develop, and — where necessary — terminate Area Managers and regional field team members, in partnership with HR and in accordance with company policy and local employment law.
• Own performance management and KPI accountability for the field team's service and sell-thru execution, including coaching, corrective action, and headcount planning within the territory.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key wholesale accounts; serve as escalation point for premium/priority accounts beyond AM authority.
• Coordinate with internal partners (Sales Ops, Finance, Marketing, Demand Planning, HR) to align territory execution with company-wide programs and inventory strategy.
• Present product lines and lead education/clinic programs for the field team and key accounts.
• Track and report on new distribution pipeline and account portfolio health to the Territory Business Director on a regular cadence.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in Business.
• Minimum 7 years of sales experience in sporting goods, apparel, or outdoor business, including at least 3 years in a role with direct supervisory or hiring authority.
• Proven experience managing a team of 3+ direct reports, including hiring and performance-management decisions, across a multi-account territory.
• Track record of developing new accounts or distribution channels, not just managing existing relationships.
• Experience managing an operating budget and reporting spend against plan.
• Working knowledge of employment practices sufficient to manage hiring/termination decisions in partnership with HR; local employment law literacy a plus.
• Convincing, credible communicator able to represent the brand to premium accounts and internal leadership.
• Excellent organizational skills; ability to manage competing priorities across people, sales, and new-business responsibilities.
• Extensive in-territory travel required, plus travel to Burton HQ as needed.