Sr. Key Account Associate

General Summary

The Sr. Key Account Associate is responsible for divisional retail sales reporting for Dillards and Dillards.com. This position supports the Wholesale Footwear business.

The responsibilities described below are considered essential functions of the role.  This position is based in our AZ office and requires working on-site five days per week.

Key Responsibilities

• Managing following accounts: Dillards and Dillards.com
• Own end-to-end merchandise planning, buying, and inventory strategy for Dillard’s, driving alignment across sales, inventory, and financial goals
• Partner with Dillard’s to develop and align annual and seasonal sales and receipts plans, supporting overall financial and inventory strategies
• Develop and execute weekly, monthly, and seasonal sales and inventory plans, optimizing revenue, sell-through, and profitability
• Manage Open-to-Buy (OTB) and in-season reforecasting to ensure accurate inventory flow and strong in-stock positioning
• Analyze historical performance and current trends to identify risks and opportunities, informing strategic decisions
• Forecast demand by style, size, and channel (stores and e-commerce), including core replenishment and key marketing initiatives
• Partner with Dillard’s to build and execute assortment strategies at class, style-color, and sku count
• Generate and manage purchase orders, including reorders of top-performing products
• Oversee inventory levels and depth by store and style-color to ensure alignment with sales plans
• Allocate and rebalance inventory across locations to maximize sell-through and minimize excess stock
• Develop and execute pricing and markdown strategies aligned with Dillard’s cadence to protect margin and drive conversion
• Maintain strong cross-functional partnerships with Dillard’s merchants, marketing teams, and store leadership to ensure seamless execution
• Support brand marketing initiatives, including email campaigns and major e-commerce items, through inventory planning and coordination
• Prepare and present business recaps, forecasts, and strategic insights in market meetings
• Lead product setup and system management, including SKU creation, product copy, and image uploads for e-commerce
• Manage dropship business
• Collaborate with coordinators to optimize in-store product placement and execution
• Conduct regular store visits to assess performance, identify opportunities, and strengthen retailer relationships
• Develop and deliver training materials to support store teams and enhance product knowledge
• Continuously improve forecasting, reporting, and allocation processes to drive efficiency and accuracy

Specific Job Skills:

Essential duties include

• Ability to conduct interpersonal interactions including coaching, negotiating, selling, group presentations, etc.
• Most decisions are made within company policy constraints, and some latitude exists. Decisions may impact others or the organization
• Work responsibilities occasionally concern confidential and/or sensitive information requiring the use of discretion
• Job duties are somewhat varied, occasionally requiring conceptualizing, planning and implementing
• Highly organized, detail-oriented and time management skills essential
• Under limited supervision, anticipates and solves problems for self and other lower-level employees
• Has no supervisory responsibility, provides basic work direction usually one-on-one

Required Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required
• Proficiency with computer skills, including Microsoft Office, Word, and Excel
• Retail math
• 2-4 years’ experience in wholesale, eCommerce, buyer or related field
• Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, and organizational skills

The expected base salary for this position ranges from $70,000-$75,000. Ranges are based on various factors such as relevant skillset, training, years of experience related to the current job description, education, and our organizational structure. In addition to the base salary, Steve Madden offers a competitive benefits package that includes health and dental insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, 401K, paid holidays, a generous paid time-off policy, and career opportunities within a dynamic team.