Key Account Coordinator Supervisor

About Primitives by Kathy

Primitives by Kathy is a leading wholesaler of creatively designed home décor, gift, and lifestyle products. We serve independent retailers, national key accounts, and retail partners across the country with a focus on creative design, ahead-of-the-market product innovation, strong customer relationships, and global sourcing.

Position Summary

The Key Account Coordinator Supervisor plays a critical role in supporting PBK's key account customers while providing day-to-day leadership to the Key Account Coordinator team. This position oversees customer and order management activities, helps ensure customer-specific requirements are consistently met, supports onboarding and training, and serves as a key liaison between the Key Accounts team and internal departments.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, customer-focused, detail-oriented, and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. This individual combines strong operational knowledge with effective leadership and communication skills to help the team deliver an exceptional customer experience.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Development

• Represent PBK professionally, responsibly, and enthusiastically in interactions with customers, employees, vendors, and other stakeholders.
• Provide day-to-day leadership and first-level support to Key Account Coordinators.
• Serve as a liaison between the Key Account Coordinator team and internal departments, including Accounting, Compliance, Creative, EDI, Purchasing, Sales, Supply Chain, and Warehouse Operations.
• Develop and maintain training plans for new Key Account Coordinator employees.
• Provide hands-on training when appropriate and delegate training responsibilities to qualified team members as needed.
• Provide regular coaching, performance feedback, and support to the Key Account Coordinator team.
• Identify process gaps, training opportunities, and potential solutions that improve team effectiveness and customer service.
• Promote collaboration, accountability, and consistent execution across the team.

Customer & Account Management

• Develop a thorough understanding of assigned key accounts, including customer-specific processes, requirements, and expectations.
• Review, maintain, and ensure access to current vendor guides and customer requirements.
• Maintain clear account coverage instructions, including:
  • Key customer contacts
  • Order preparation requirements
  • Routing and shipping instructions
  • Invoicing requirements
• Provide product attributes, images, and other information requested by customers in accordance with customer guidelines.
• Coordinate sample shipments as requested by customers, Sales, or purchase order requirements.
• Review customer chargebacks and determine appropriate next steps.
• Process return authorizations for valid chargebacks and partner with the Compliance Coordinator on items requiring additional investigation or dispute.
• Monitor open orders, projects, and work in progress to ensure customer deadlines and commitments are met.
• Proactively communicate issues, risks, delays, and required actions to appropriate internal and external stakeholders.

Order Management

• Review incoming purchase orders for accuracy and completeness and confirm PBK's ability to fulfill customer requirements.
• Validate key purchase order details, including:
  • Ship windows and required dates
  • Items and quantities
  • Wholesale and retail pricing
  • Credit terms
  • Freight and shipping terms
• Acknowledge purchase orders through email, EDI, or other required customer processes.
• Enter or import purchase order requirements into CounterPoint.
• Enter factory sales confirmations into CounterPoint when applicable.
• Partner with Purchasing to place custom or customer-specific orders with factories as needed.
• Work closely with Purchasing and Supply Chain teams to provide factories with complete and accurate order requirements.
• Maintain proactive communication regarding production timing, customer requirements, and potential order risks.

New Customer Onboarding

• Support the Customer Order Fulfillment Manager in reviewing vendor guides and operational requirements for prospective new key accounts.
• Identify requirements that may require customer waivers, process changes, technology support, or internal review.
• Document significant customer requirements and considerations on the appropriate onboarding documentation.
• Partner with internal teams to support a smooth transition from account setup through initial order fulfillment.
• Help ensure Key Account Coordinators understand and are prepared to execute new customer requirements.

Key Account Order Fulfillment Oversight

Maintain a thorough understanding of all Key Account Coordinator responsibilities and provide guidance, backup support, and troubleshooting as needed throughout the order lifecycle.

Responsibilities include:

• Creating, ordering, and coordinating price tickets, carton labels, and other customer-required materials.
• Ensuring required materials are delivered to the appropriate factory or warehouse location based on customer requirements.
• Communicating and processing customer orders through the warehouse in a timely manner to support required ship dates.
• Completing or reviewing Key Order Cover Sheets, pick tickets, inventory locations, retail pricing information, and other required documentation.
• Submitting customer routing requests and scheduling freight pickups when required.
• Communicating transportation and shipping instructions to Warehouse Operations.
• Tracking container schedules and shipment progress for Direct Import (DI) and Point of Entry (POE) orders.
• Preparing and transmitting Advance Ship Notices (ASNs) when required.
• Communicating potential delays to Sales and customers and obtaining extensions or revised delivery expectations when necessary.
• Monitoring orders across all fulfillment methods, including FOB Lancaster, POE, and Direct Import.
• Ensuring invoices are completed accurately and according to customer requirements, including:
  • Direct Import: When merchandise is transferred to the customer's freight forwarder at the origin port.
  • Point of Entry: When merchandise is released at the destination port.
  • Lancaster: When merchandise ships from the PBK warehouse.
• Providing backup support for Key Account Coordinator responsibilities when business needs require.

Compliance

• Research and maintain knowledge of HTS codes and product classifications.
• Collaborate with the Supply Chain and Logistics Department on new and existing import regulations and required documentation.
• Maintain knowledge of product testing procedures, including the review of Testing Request Forms (TRFs) and Test Reports for accuracy and compliance.
• Assist Product Development with identifying and communicating item requirements related to product safety, labeling, and packaging compliance.
• Stay informed of applicable regulatory requirements and communicate compliance updates that may impact product development, sourcing, importing, or packaging.

Additional Responsibilities

• Participate in departmental initiatives, process improvement efforts, and cross-functional projects as assigned.
• Maintain accurate and organized customer and order documentation.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership, coaching, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated professionalism and commitment to delivering excellent customer service.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate clearly, logically, and effectively with customers, team members, and cross-functional partners.
• Strong organizational, time-management, and prioritization skills.
• Ability to manage multiple accounts, deadlines, and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• High level of accuracy, thoroughness, and attention to detail.
• Strong problem-solving skills and resourcefulness in identifying appropriate next steps and solutions.
• Ability to work independently while maintaining a team-first mindset.
• Ability to understand the broader sales, fulfillment, and supply chain process and recognize the impact individual decisions have on the customer and organization.
• Ability to anticipate potential issues and take appropriate action before they affect customer commitments.
• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to build productive working relationships across departments.
• Interest in PBK products, merchandising, and the creative aspects of product development is preferred.

Computer & Systems Proficiency

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, and Excel, or similar business applications.
• Ability to learn and effectively use order management, ERP, EDI, customer portal, and related business systems.
• Experience with CounterPoint and/or EDI systems is preferred.

Education & Experience

Required

• Associate degree in Business Administration or a related field and three or more years of relevant experience in customer service, sales support, account management, wholesale, retail, order fulfillment, or a related discipline.
• Equivalent relevant professional experience may be considered in place of the degree requirement.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex customer requirements, orders, or accounts.
• Experience supporting, training, coaching, or leading team members.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain, Communications, or a related field.
• Three or more years of experience in wholesale, retail, key account management, customer service, order fulfillment, or sales support.
• Previous supervisory or team-lead experience.
• Experience working with large retail, wholesale, national, or strategic customer accounts.
• Experience with EDI transactions, vendor compliance requirements, routing guides, or retail customer portals.
• Relevant professional certification, including certification through the National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP), is a plus.

Work Environment

• Primary work environment is a shared office setting with standard indoor temperatures and lighting.
• This position routinely uses standard office equipment, including computers, phones, printers, photocopiers, and filing systems.
• The role may periodically require entering distribution, warehouse, and shipping areas where temperatures may vary based on seasonal weather conditions.

Physical Requirements

The physical requirements described below are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.

• Regularly communicate verbally and electronically with customers, employees, and business partners.
• Frequently sit and work at a computer for extended periods.
• Frequently use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, and other office equipment.
• Occasionally stand, walk, reach, bend, and move throughout office and warehouse environments.
• Ability to reach above shoulder level and below the waist as necessary to access files, products, or materials.
• Ability to carry or move products, documents, and other work-related materials as reasonably required.
• Ability to collaborate with others both in person and by telephone or electronic communication.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Work Environment and Travel

This position may be hybrid but will require routine days in PBK corporate office in Lancaster, PA. Travel is required up to 5%.

Why Join Primitives by Kathy

This is an opportunity to lead a talented sales organization for a creative, established, and growing wholesale brand. The Vice President of Sales will play a key leadership role in shaping sales strategy, strengthening customer relationships, developing high-performing teams, and driving profitable growth across PBK’s sales channels.

Compensation and Benefits: Competitive compensation and benefits package with bonus potential.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Primitives by Kathy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.