West Coast Sales Manager

Description

At Vibram, we’re driven by curiosity, creativity, and innovation. We value bold thinking, diverse perspectives, and a passion for pushing boundaries. We’re looking for achievers and forward-thinkers who are ready to make an impact and help shape what’s next.

We’re looking for a driven, relationship-focused West Coast Sales Manager to join our North America Sales team. Based in Los Angeles, CA and reporting to the National Sales Manager, you’ll play a pivotal role in accelerating growth across the West Coast by building long-term partnerships, uncovering new business opportunities, and expanding strategic relationships with some of the industry’s most innovative footwear brands.

In this highly visible role, you’ll serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to customers, connecting Vibram’s world-renowned soling technologies with their product vision, performance goals, and commercial objectives. You’ll operate at the intersection of sales, product creation, and brand strategy, collaborating closely with design, development, and manufacturing teams to bring innovative, high-performance footwear solutions to market.

You’ll own account strategy, identify and champion growth opportunities, influence key stakeholders, and represent Vibram as a leading partner in the development of industry-defining outsole solutions. Success in this role requires a strong understanding of the footwear industry and product creation process, along with the ability to build relationships, navigate complex organizations, and collaborate effectively across functions.

The ideal candidate is passionate about footwear and the outdoor industry, energized by relationship building and innovation, and has a proven track record of turning customer insights into business opportunities and results.

If you’re ready to build meaningful partnerships, shape innovative products, and help leading brands push performance forward, we’d love to hear from you.

Requirements

• Drive regional growth by developing and executing strategic sales plans that grow revenue across new and existing accounts.
• Build trusted customer partnerships with key decision-makers across product, design, development, sourcing, and other critical functions.
• Identify and convert new business opportunities across the Western region, from prospecting through partnership development and commercialization.
• Own account strategy and planning, including forecasting, pipeline development, revenue targets, and long-term growth plans.
• Develop a deep understanding of customer businesses, including brand strategy, product roadmaps, consumer needs, and market positioning, to uncover opportunities for growth.
• Expand adoption of Vibram technologies, compounds, and innovations across key accounts by connecting customer needs with the right soling solutions.
• Serve as the primary point of contact and trusted advisor for assigned accounts, ensuring seamless communication and alignment throughout the customer and product development journey.
• Guide customers through the product creation process, from initial brief and concept development through testing, commercialization, and launch.
• Partner cross-functionally with Vibram’s global design, development, innovation, and manufacturing teams to deliver differentiated, high-performance soling solutions tailored to customer needs.
• Lead customer engagements including project kickoffs, product reviews, development milestones, and critical decision points.
• Represent Vibram as a strategic brand partner in customer meetings, product presentations, industry events, trade shows, and brand activations.
• Monitor market and competitive trends, emerging technologies, and evolving opportunities across the footwear and outdoor industries to identify new avenues for growth.
• Partner with internal teams to drive successful project execution, ensuring products meet customer requirements, performance expectations, timelines, and commercial objectives.
• Own regional revenue performance, balancing new business development with strategic account expansion and retention.
• Maintain accurate and timely CRM/SAP records of customer interactions, opportunities, pipeline activity, forecasts, and key initiatives.
• Provide clear, consistent reporting on sales performance, pipeline health, account activity, and regional growth initiatives.
• Travel domestically and internationally as needed to support customer relationships, business development, product creation, and strategic account initiatives.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university preferred, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant experience.
• 3+ years of experience in sales, account management, business development, or a related commercial role, ideally within the footwear, outdoor, or related industries.
• Strong understanding of the footwear product creation and development process, from initial concept through commercialization.
• Experience collaborating with brands, factories, and cross-functional product teams to bring products to market.
• Proven ability to build and maintain strong customer relationships and influence decision-making across multiple stakeholders and functions.
• Strong business development and strategic account management skills, with the ability to identify opportunities, develop solutions, and drive revenue growth.

Vibram is committed to employing a diverse workforce. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability.