Careers
Thank you for your interest in career opportunities with SOG Specialty Knives! SOG is a competitive and rewarding work environment based just north of Seattle, Washington. Our workforce is constantly growing, with new positions appearing regularly- Below you'll find any open positions available.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE:
Title: Director, Sales
Reports To: VP of Sales and Marketing
Location: United States
General Description:
As a key member of the SOG Sales team reporting to the Vice President, Sales & Marketing, this position provides strategic and day-to-day tactical management across all Sales initiatives including: managing Key Account relationships, developing profitable sales programs, and promotional strategies for existing and new customers and channels that result in profitable expansion of SOG's revenue, market share, distribution and brand penetration. Products include folding knives, fixed knives, multi-tools, and gear (such as tomahawks, machetes, shovels, etc.).
In addition, this position contributes, in collaboration with the senior staff and other internal functions, to execute the "go-to-market" plan. They will also manage external partners including Sales Reps/Agencies, major key retail accounts, specialty accounts, and consumer facing e-commerce accounts. Other key aspects of this position contribute to achieving and sustaining the SOG Strategic Business Plan and Initiatives, global competitive advantage, and profitable market growth strategy.
Scope & Responsibilities:
- Build detailed annual sales plans aligned with SOG's Strategic Business Plan and key initiatives and manages key aspects of sales execution
- Identify and lead business development of accounts and channel growth
- Forecast, monitor, and report monthly sales by account and channel; actively participate in monthly SIOP meetings; and recommend appropriate corrective actions when needed.
- Works with the Marketing Department to execute packaging, promotions, pricing and other critical selling materials for these channels
- Work with product management and marketing to increase market share and act as the "voice of the customer".
- Participate in new product development (NPD) and stage gate process as the "voice of the customer".
Specific Duties:
- Build, implement, and monitor annual sales plans by territory, account, and channel and takes ownership for the achievement of those sales plans on a monthly basis
- Develop and implement specific tactics with timelines and benchmarks.
- Direct the Sales teams to work with key stakeholders to develop, implement, and drive sales growth
- Develop the SOG sales organization into a high-performing, market-driven, and collaborative team that supports SOG's profitable growth, business improvement, and organizational excellence
- Provide tactical management and direction to the sales force
- Contribute to the development of short- and long-term profitable sales strategies including developing specific tactics with timelines and benchmarks
- Understand and partner with retailers and distributors to help them optimize their SOG assortment to achieve maximum revenue and profit
- Deploy and monitor effective marketplace pricing strategies and programs which drive profitable volume, growth, and which deliver against key brand positioning objectives
- Understand account-specific P&L's for key accounts and manage pricing policies and programs to other high cost-of-sales customers
- Maintains regular sales and management contacts at key customers
- Sell and promote SOG products profitably
- Obtain and analyze, sales data, market trends, account specific trends, promotional activity, required to provide timely and meaningful sales forecast by Sales Reps/Agencies, major key retail accounts, specialty accounts, and consumer facing e-commerce accounts in support of the SIOP process
- Gather market place and sales information for Sales Reps/Agencies and Key Buyers; representing the "voice of the customer" in the NPD and stage gate process
- Develop, manage, administer, budget, monitor, and report on use of company resources as required
- Participates in technical seminars, sales meetings, Automotive & Sport trade shows and other events as appropriate
- Keeps abreast of products, applications, technical service, market and competitive
- Adhere to required health and safety regulations and practices.
- Design and implement continuous improvement of various monitoring, measurement and reporting metric systems
- Manage employees with effective communication, coaching and organizational development practices to sustain good morale, effectiveness and performance of the work group
- Carry out other duties, responsibilities, and projects as may be assigned, in an effective manner
Qualifications:
- B.S. or B.A. degree from an accredited college/university in business, sales/marketing or related field
- MBA in a related field preferred
- Written and Oral Skills: English mandatory
- Intermediate level with P.C.'s: Microsoft Office Suite; Outlook; PowerPoint
- Five (5) years' experience in completing and managing projects with minimal oversight and against aggressive timelines
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
- Excellent management and administrative skills
- Ability to cooperatively interact and communicate well with inter-departmental personnel
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ten (10) years' experience in effectively prioritizing and managing work
- Demonstrate the ability to be flexible, accept new ideas and input positively, and be open to new work approaches and processes
- Eight (8) years' experience in working independently
- Ten (10) years' experience in maintaining confidentiality
- U.S. citizen or must possess valid INS Green Card
- Must possess a valid passport and ability to travel internationally without restrictions
- Must possess a valid U.S. driver's license with no major violations within the last five (5) years
Physical Requirements:
- Able to sit and work at a computer keyboard for extended periods of time
- Able to perform general office and administrative duties: copying, filing, using a telephone, etc.
- Able to stoop, kneel, crouch, bend, at the waist and reach on a daily basis
- Able to safely lift and move up to 50 pounds occasionally
- Must have corrected vision to 20/30
- Must not be color blind
- Must be able to distinguish colors and tints
- Requires close vision abilities
- Must be able to work overtime and/or weekends as required
- Travel as required approximately 75% of the time
- Must be able to travel domestically and/or internationally via commercial carrier
Dimensions:
- Adaptability
- Aligning Performance for Success
- Building Customer Loyalty
- Building a Successful Team
- Building Partnerships
- Building Trust
- Communications
- Contributing to Team Success
- Customer Focus
- Decision Making
- Gaining Commitment
- Impact
- Initiating Action
- Managing Work
- Negotiation
- Planning and Organizing
- Quality Orientation
- Sales Ability/Persuasiveness
- Stress Tolerance
- Tenacity
To Apply:
Email resume and cover letter to
No Calls Please
Title: Product Manager
Reports To: Vice President of Marketing
Location: Lynnwood, WA
General Description:
This position is the Knife & Tool product category expert with a deep understanding of: consumer needs, trade needs, and the competitive environment. Products include folding knives, fixed knives, multi-tools, and gear (such as tomahawks, machetes, shovels, etc...). The position manages the product line to drive revenue and profit growth. They also will lead the ideation and commercialization of new products and line extensions using a stage gate process.
In addition, the Product Manager leads and facilitates various cross-functional teams including Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Supply Chain, Finance, and Customer Service to achieve project goals; and is the primary point of communication between stakeholders. Other key aspects of this position contribute to achieving and sustaining the SOG Strategic Business Plan and Initiatives, global competitive advantage, and profitable market growth strategy.
Scope & Responsibilities:
- Establish, implement, and lead near and mid-term, product tactics to achieve net sales, net margin, SKU productivity, and market share for knives and tools
- Develop, facilitate, and implement product roadmap tactics for current and new product initiatives
- Develop and implement category growth strategies and tactics to execute brand revenue, share and profit growth plans
- Lead and facilitate cross-functional teams to achieve project and related business objectives
- Participate in product ideation, development and superior execution to market, including post launch assessment
- Conduct market and consumer research to develop fact based, consumer focused product strategies and tactics
- Work closely with marketing on all creative communications including catalog, advertising, website, packaging, and merchandising.
Specific Duties:
- Manage and rationalize the product line to ensure all SKU's are 'healthy' and our product line offering is the tightest assortment possible.
- Ensure all SKU's meet minimum volume performance criteria
- Implement a regular system of customer and dealer research for each new product program, recommending product innovations and extensions
- Develop and implement new product business cases, including costing, pricing, positioning, sales forecasting, replacement versus incremental sales analysis, net present value, and profitability
- Lead the product development process to ensure on-time, on-budget, and high-quality delivery of all product programs
- Serve as the product expert; understand customer needs and the competitive environment
- Provide support to Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, and Product Development
Departments - Provide competitive analysis by acquiring intimate knowledge of competitive environment and developments in the industry, channels, and product and product families; communicate findings to appropriate organizational teams
- Participate in the development of product marketing messages for consumer and dealer communications and promotions.
- Manage employees with effective communication, coaching and organizational development practices to sustain good morale, effectiveness and performance of the work group
- Lead projects and cross-functional teams to identify and execute cost savings and product improvement
- Carry out in an effective manner other duties, responsibilities, and projects as may be assigned
Qualifications:
- B.S. or B.A. degree from an accredited college/university in Business or related field required
- MBA preferred
- Three (3) years brand/category management experience
- Five (5) years of experience in consumer products management and hard goods manufacturing
- Five (5) years project management experience
- Demonstrated knowledge of market and consumer research, trends, market drivers, and customers
- Proven ability of creating and driving process (e.g.) market research and product life-cycle management
- Knowledge of the outdoor sports industry
- Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
- Excellent financial analysis and knowledge of business processes
- Demonstrated success in growing product category or business channels
- Strong computer skills; proficient in Microsoft Office suite (especially Excel & PowerPoint) required
- Strong interpersonal communication, coaching, and mentoring, skills
- Demonstrably excellent ethics, team work skills, problem solving capabilities, and ability to effectively build and maintain internal and external relationships
- Team oriented with the ability to work on high collaboration and performance teams
- Strong presentation skills
- Valid driver's license and clean driving record
- Written and Oral Skills: English mandatory
- Multilingual skills, European, Latin American, or Asian, either oral or written a plus
- Entrepreneurial aptitude for business, product development and marketing desired
Physical Requirements:
- Able to sit and work at a computer keyboard for extended periods of time
- Able to perform general office and administrative duties: copying, filing, using a telephone, Etc.
- Able to stoop, kneel, crouch, bend, at the waist and reach on a daily basis
- Able to safely lift and move up to 50 pounds occasionally
- Must have corrected vision to 20/30
- Must not be color blind
- Must be able to distinguish colors and tints
- Requires close vision abilities
- Must be able to work overtime and/or weekends as required
- Travel as required approximately 30% of the time
- Must be able to travel domestically and/or internationally via commercial carrier
Dimensions:
- Adaptability
- Building Strategic Working Relationship
- Building Trust
- Building Customer Loyalty
- Coaching
- Contributing to Team Success
- Communication
- Customer Focus
- Decision Making
- Energy
- Follow-Up
- Gaining Commitment
- Impact
- Formal Presentation
- Information Monitoring
- Initiating Action
- Listening
- Managing Conflict
- Planning and Organizing
- Quality Orientation
- Risk Taking
To Apply:
Email resume and cover letter to
No Calls Please
