Job description
Welcome to Apothékary™, where Nature is Medicine™. We harness the intelligence of nature by creating clean, effective herbal remedies that target the root cause of health imbalances like helping to ease stress, support the gut, strengthen immunity, boost energy, and sharpen mental focus. Our herbal formulas feature traditional herbs from several medicinal modalities including Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Japanese Kampo, and Western herbalism. We believe in getting to the root cause of health issues and herbs can be a great place to start your journey and promote wellness for the long-term.
We were founded in early 2019 by Shizu Okusa, a serial entrepreneur in the wellness industry and named E&Y’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021 and most recently awarded the prestigious Inc. 500 Female Founder Honoree award. After leaving an intense finance career, she became inspired to live a more balanced lifestyle and revisit her Japanese roots and passion for herbal medicine. Shizu set out to help others regain their holistic health using traditions she grew up with and ones she learned along the way.
Why work with us?
- You will get the chance to be an early team member at a fast-growth health & wellness startup disrupting the intersection of food and medicine – preventative healthcare rooted in herbal medicine
- We are growing fast (100x growth in two years, over $16M in capital raised, and quadrupled the size of the team)
- We’re a tight-knit, passionate team, where you’ll learn a ton and have ownership over your responsibilities.
- Work with a seasoned second-time founder and executive team
The Role:
Apothékary is seeking a Director of Sales to drive sustainable, profitable growth across all retail partners. You will be responsible for executing our global retail sales strategy and developing existing and new key account partnerships, strategically leading sales efforts within the fast-growing wellness and beauty category. You will contribute in-depth sales management expertise and be responsible for increasing both sell-in and sell-through. In this key position, you will build and manage the field team, lead events, and ensure the Apothékary brand is properly represented across all accounts.
The ideal candidate is passionate about beauty from the inside out, a strategic leader, a team player, detail-oriented, results-driven, and eager to roll their sleeves up to be part of a fast-growing brand. Being energetic, well-spoken and eager to close sales and increase revenue is an essential part of this position. The role will report directly into the SVP of Marketing & Commercialization, and have a direct line of communication with our CEO & Founder. The role will work closely with our Head of Finance and Head of Operations.
Responsibilities:
- Lead and execute the development of sales, distribution, and customer relations management strategies for Apothékary’s wholesale business while maintaining company and channel profitability domestically and internationally
- Systematically evaluate and identify new market opportunities, including emerging channels and potential international expansion, to diversify revenue streams and drive growth
- Prospect and build a pipeline of potential accounts, securing new key accounts in retail and ecommerce. Expand into new channels: practitioner, independent, hospitality (hotels), and create high branded marketing partnerships in conjunction with Brand team
- Lead the sales strategy of all products including assortment, merchandising, pricing, promotion, and shelving initiatives
- Lead visual merchandising and all marketing presence in stores, including development of fixtures, creative, and signage.
- Work with Creative and Brand team to execute on eye catching marketing campaigns in-store and various OOH / trade marketing to drive velocities in-store
- Manage, grow and improve relationships with key retail partners including Sprouts, Ulta Beauty, and other major accounts to expand distribution and improve shelf positioning and velocities
- Oversee distributor partnerships with UNFI and other key distributors to ensure optimal product placement and availability
- Provide strategic direction to the sales team, brokers, and distributors to ensure consistent execution of Apothékary’s brand plans across all trade channels
- Participate in trade shows, sales workshops, sales seminars, and events on behalf of the business in order to ensure that the business grows to its potential
- Oversee all sales reporting, budgeting, forecasting, demand planning, and alignment to Finance, Marketing and Operations to ensure cost-effective commercial initiatives
- Partner with Finance on the yearly budgeting process and participate and support the yearly long range planning processes
- Work closely with Operations & Supply Chain to align demand planning and inventory strategies with sales growth
- Collaborate with the CEO & Board on commercial growth plans, ensuring transparency and alignment on strategic priorities
- Leverage syndicated data (IRI, Nielsen, SPINS) to track performance and optimize pricing, and report data on a weekly basis to executive team
- Manage trade spend efficiency and ROI to optimize promotional investments and improve profitability
- Train store staff in person or zoom, demos and visit stores with Apothékary on shelf
- Analyze and upsell existing accounts based on customer buying history; suggest related and new products; explain technical features based on customer-identified needs
- Analyze and summarize competitor information and trends to identify new sales opportunities
- Travel as needed to meet with clients, attend and host at industry events (Expo West), and nurture relationships.
Ideal Candidate:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field; MBA preferred
- 5-7 years of progressively responsible sales experience in the consumer goods, beauty or wellness industry with proven experience managing major retail accounts
- Demonstrated experience working with key retailers such as Whole Foods, Target, Ulta Beauty, Sprouts, or similar national chains
- Proven track record of driving sales growth, especially within natural and/or beauty retail channels
- Experience managing distributor relationships (UNFI, KeHE, or similar) preferred
- Strong leadership skills with a history of managing high-performing sales teams and external broker relationships
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation abilities with C-level executives and retail buyers
- Strategic thinker with the ability to translate market insights into actionable growth plans
- Proficiency with syndicated data platforms (IRI, Nielsen, SPINS) and retail analytics
- Entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for contributing to a fast-paced, high-growth environment
- Willingness to adapt, learn, and thrive in a rapidly changing industry
- Availability for travel as required (approximately 25-30%)
- Passion for wellness, natural products, and the Apothékary brand mission
Time and Location:
The role is full-time and fully remote. Some travel will be required for this role (25-30%). For this position you must be available during at least 6 hours of our core hours between 9am - 5pm ET with some flexibility depending on your preference/time zone. While some flexibility will be allowed, this role will work closely in collaboration with the core A-Team who work primarily during those hours.
This position is available to start immediately. Note that job responsibilities may change based on the company’s evolving needs.
Apothékary is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team where everyone can thrive and contribute to our shared mission. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.
Compensation:
- Full-time (40 hours per week)
- Salary range: $110,000 - $135,000, depending on experience
- Eligibility for bonus
- Comprehensive health, dental and vision plans
- Monthly paid Mental Health Days in addition to PTO
- Monthly Apothékary product stipend
