At Designer Brands, we are the proud parent company of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, The Shoe Company, and Rubino, operating nearly 675 stores across North America and a billion-dollar digital commerce business. We lead the footwear industry with a diverse portfolio of iconic brands, including Topo Athletic, Keds, Vince Camuto, Kelly & Katie, Jessica Simpson, Lucky Brand, Mix No. 6, Crown Vintage, and others. With expertise in design, production, and sourcing, we create on-trend footwear and accessories, delivered through a robust omni-channel infrastructure and national wholesale distribution. At Designer Brands, we are committed to fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity, where each employee’s unique perspective contributes to our success. Anchored by our core values of “We Love What We Do,” “We Own What We Do,” “We Do What’s Right,” and “We Belong,” we continuously drive forward together, building a future where everyone can put their best foot forward.
Step into a role where relationships fuel growth and curiosity drives market impact. As an Expert IC #1 on our North America Sales team, you expand brand reach, strengthen customer partnerships, and shape the product and planning conversation through real-world insights. You lead a piece of our wholesale business by blending analytics, collaboration, and an instinct for what customers love—ultimately delivering sales, profit, and shipping results that move the business forward. This position is REMOTE.
What You’ll Be DoingBuilding and Growing Customer Relationships- Develop and nurture strong partnerships with new and existing customers.
- Understand each customer’s unique needs to create assortments that fuel growth and reflect brand opportunities.
- Create and interpret forecasts and business reports to uncover customer needs, track performance, and guide future plans.
- Monitor account progress—including sales, shipping, and opportunities—through consistent reporting and communication.
- Negotiate internally and externally to meet sales and profit goals.
- Manage orders, including the tracking and shipping of samples.
- Partner with Planning to:
- Maintain account P&Ls
- Review markdown projections
- Recommend markdown strategies
- Identify alternative outlets for slower inventory
- Conduct store visits and competitive shopping to stay connected to customer perspective and industry trends.
- Share real-time insights with leadership and cross‑functional partners.
- Prepare for and support shoe shows, showrooms, and regional presentations.
- Understand marketplace shifts and adapt assortments and messaging to support customer needs.
- Partner with product, marketing, planning, and customer service to apply insights and unlock sales opportunities.
- Manage and maintain Drop Ship accounts, including setup and ongoing oversight.
- Ability to work independently with a proactive, self-starting approach
- Strong retail math skills with the ability to analyze metrics, identify trends, and build informed sales strategies
- Experience making business recommendations based on analysis
- Strong customer relationship‑building skills
- Collaborative mindset with clear, inclusive communication
- Strong organization, prioritization, and time‑management skills
- High attention to detail and accuracy
- Professional presence and customer‑focused approach
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, with strong Excel capability
- Experience: 3+ years of related footwear or accessory wholesale sales experience
- Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience in footwear/accessory sales
Perks and Benefits You’ll Enjoy!
- Your Sole Well-Being: Our benefits package is crafted with our associates in mind! We support you with benefits like free virtual health care, robust family/fertility benefits, 401(k) w/ match, and more. Explore our offerings at https://mymobilewalletcard.com/dbi.
- Stride with Flexibility: We offer hybrid and remote work opportunities, giving you the freedom to stay connected, productive, and inspired—wherever you do your best work.
- Stepping Up Your Career: Take advantage of training programs, professional development, and education assistance to advance your career with a company that celebrates bold ideas and fresh perspectives.
- We are Shoe-Obsessed: Because we know a great pair of shoes can change your day, you’ll enjoy 30% off at DSW & com, plus discounts across our family of brands.
Top Skills
What We Do
Designer Brands is one of North America’s largest designers, producers and retailers of footwear and accessories that operates retail concepts. Our primary concept, DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, offers brand name and designer dress, casual and athletic footwear and accessories. The first store opened in 1991 in Dublin, Ohio. Today, DSW operates more than 500 stores in 44 states. The Affiliated Business Group operates nearly 290 leased departments for other retailers, such as Stein Mart, in the U.S. Designer Brands also operates several retail concepts in Canada, including The Shoe Company and Shoe Warehouse, which provide a convenient footwear solution for the whole family, as well as DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse – nearly 150 locations in all. In 2018, the company acquired Camuto Group, the legendary product design and brand development organization best known for the successful Vince Camuto® brand and the footwear licenses of Jessica Simpson® and Lucky Brand®. The partnership transformed Designer Brands into one of the largest footwear companies in North America with global, industry-leading capabilities in product design, development, sourcing and production.
