Title: Sr Director, Retail Development (ideally with Target and/or Amazon)
Contract Duration:10/27 -4/29/26
Onsite Monday through Thursday, remote Friday
The team is seeking a strong candidate with experience in retail development or categories such as Toy Hardlines, and familiarity with Target and Amazon.
The Senior Director will identify and drive opportunities supporting major brands within the Toys-Hardlines-Food-Beverage lines of business at Target and Amazon. This role will partner internally with Category, Franchise Strategy, Product Development, and Retail Marketing teams as well as externally with licensee partners, merchants, and retailer License Committee members to develop, pitch, secure, and implement merchandise programs that deliver sales at retail and support franchise building efforts allowing the business unit to reach annual revenue targets and long-term growth objectives.
Responsibilities include:
- Developing plans that maximize IP product and program placement across Toys-Hardlines-Food-Beverage lines of business. Plans must be grounded in data, retail and consumer insights, driven by IP prioritization, category and retailer strategies, and white space analysis. Plans include corresponding revenue deliverables tied to annual goals.
- Building influential relationships with merchants and serving as the Target and Amazon expert for the business unit. Being a leading authority on key category, departmental, and corporate strategies for internal teams. Monitoring market shifts including sales trends, corporate strategies, competitive landscape, and categorical changes. Communicating organizational structure shifts and buyer changes to internal and external partners promptly.
- Leading kick-offs with internal teams outlining IP prioritization, asset and product development needs driven by category strategies and retail-led opportunities.
- Driving each merchant meeting agenda, presentations, and delivering timely recaps for internal and external partners.
- Developing strong relationships with licensees’ retail account teams to support sell-in of IP; regularly reviewing performance of existing licensees and making recommendations based on buyer feedback and program opportunities. Maintaining agendas, key takeaways, notes, and next steps in partnership with Category teams.
- Proactively tracking and prioritizing product placement for marketing program development and communicating all meeting dates.
- Applying an entrepreneurial spirit by thinking about new ways to work or drive new processes from ideation through execution.
- Handling a wide range of tasks or situations demonstrating versatility, adaptability, or resilience.
- Monitoring travel and entertainment budgets within company guidelines and filing expense reports timely.
- Willingness and ability to travel on short notice as required.
Basic Qualifications:
- 10+ years of National Account sales experience in Toys-Hardlines-Food-Beverage; Target and/or Amazon experience preferred.
- Strong skills in solution-based selling, relationship building/influencing, presentation (comfortable presenting to small/large groups), strategic planning, analytics, project management, eCommerce best practices, communication, retail marketing principles.
- Deep knowledge of retail business including consumer products businesses, retail marketing tactics, promotional partnerships/packaged goods partners.
- A desire to collaborate consistently with supervisors, colleagues, and cross-divisional stakeholders.
- eCommerce experience.
- Ability to excel in a fast-paced environment; highly adaptable and resourceful; proactive rather than reactive.
- Open to additional projects or account responsibility.
Desired Characteristics:
- Business owner mindset
- Entrepreneurial spirit
- Innovative thinker
- Creative problem solver
- Strong communicator
- Collaborative partner
- Proactive and resourceful
- Personable with an outgoing positive personality
- Flexible and adaptable
- Keen understanding of Target and Amazon businesses
