National Account Manager, Consumer Retail

About Learning Resources:

We are on a mission to bring learning to life! We are Learning Resources®, and learning is where we play. Voted one of the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces every year for the last four years, we’re a 150-person strong, family-owned company who make award-winning educational toys, including top sellers Pretend & Play® Calculator Cash Register, Farmer’s Market Color Sorting Set and Toy of the Year winners Botley® the Coding Robot and Coding Critters®. We share that dedication to learning across our family of companies. Learning Resources team members work closely with the curriculum experts at hand2mind, as well as Educational Insights, makers of hit viral products including Kanoodle®, GeoSafari® Jr., and Playfoam®. We even help pets learn and grow through our pet brands Brightkins® and Hunger for Words™. We pride ourselves on being committed to our employee’s personal and professional development, a thriving culture and a diverse, creative atmosphere. Along with our culture and competitive benefits package, we offer a variety of opportunities for training and development. We are looking for professionals who are truly just kids at heart! Come join our award-winning team today!

Team & Position Description:

As the National Account Manager for Consumer Retail, you will play a pivotal role in driving strategic and operational sales success within mass retail and e-commerce markets. This position combines account management and new business development, requiring collaboration with internal teams across sales, finance, marketing, and product development to deliver innovative educational products. You will be responsible for building deep customer relationships, growing sales volume, and ensuring alignment with organizational objectives.

Key Performance Objectives:

1. Strategic Account Growth

• Within the first 90 days, develop and implement a comprehensive account growth strategy for key retail partners in order to set us up for success to meet or exceed budgeted revenue goals. 

1. Customer Relationship Management

• Plan introduction meetings within 120 days in order to build and nurture relationships with key retail buyers and category managers, leading to growth and expansion opportunities. 

1. Cross-Functional Team Collaboration

• Serve as the liaison between cross-functional teams and retail partners to customize product assortment, address challenges in real-time, and optimize placement both in-store and online on a quarterly basis. 

1. Market Analysis and Reporting

• Conduct detailed competitive and market trend analyses within the first 90 days. Use POS data and industry data to refine product positioning and secure buy-in for strategic initiatives. 

1. Forecast optimization

• During the first 90 days, work with operations and forecasting team to optimize product forecasts. This will involve analyzing historical sales data, market trends, and customer behavior, while closely collaborating with marketing, finance, and supply chain teams.

1. New Business Development

• Identify and secure new business opportunities by Q4 of the first year, contributing to an incremental revenue increase.

Requirements/Ideal Attributes:

• BS/BA is required
• 7-10 years prior industry experience is required, mass consumer retail experience with Target strongly preferred
• Minimum 2 years’ experience managing outside Representatives in a results driven culture
• Proven track record of excellence in sales activity
• Strong computer skills; Microsoft Office Suite
• Experience with strategic planning, budgeting (including P&L) and expense management
• Strong communication skills with internal and external stakeholders

We are a drug-free workplace and an EEO employer.

Please note: This role will be filled by our internal recruitment team, so no assistance is needed from any outside staffing agency at this time.

Salary Range: $135,000 - $145,000 plus commissions – Actual compensation may vary due to other factors such as: years of experience, skill set or location. Total compensation includes profit sharing bonus potential, 401k matching, and a variety of other benefits (details can be found here).