Sales Manager, Designer

Who We Are

Saks Fifth Avenue is a leading destination for luxury fashion, driven by a mission to help customers express themselves through relevant and inspiring style. Since its inception in 1924, the company has delivered one‑of‑a‑kind shopping experiences, featuring an expertly curated assortment of fashion and highly personalized customer service. Its unique approach combines an emphasis on the digital customer experience with a strong connection to a network of 33 extraordinary locations across North America for seamless, all‑channel shopping. Saks Fifth Avenue is part of Saks Global’s portfolio of top luxury retail brands and real estate assets.
Job Overview

As the Sales Manager, you possess total ownership of the sales experience within your Saks Fifth Avenue store and occupy a critical role in the achievement of the company’s objectives. Within this role, you facilitate partnerships across functions and leverage team skills to build a customer‑centric sales experience, all while being a steward of the Saks Fifth Avenue brand. You have an appetite for driving sales by developing the clienteling skills and selling behaviors of a team of high‑performing direct reports. You maintain high visibility on the selling floor to coach and develop our selling force, while refining the art of connecting with clients to build sustainable relationships through exceptional service and regular outreach.
Key Responsibilities

Recruit and seamlessly onboard new hires, acting with urgency to hire quality talent and build a talent bench.
Train and develop top talent, supporting team members in identifying career development goals and opportunities for growth, setting clear goals, and communicating them in alignment with department objectives.
Foster an environment of accountability by enforcing policies and procedures, ensuring all associates understand them.
Evaluate and calibrate performance and productivity fairly for direct reports, provide feedback with consistent follow‑up, and coach and mentor associates on opportunities for improvement.
Develop direct reports to build their personal brand as a fashion authority, leveraging social media platforms and broadening connections beyond the client base.
Drive continued education initiatives for direct reports, focusing on product knowledge training, client events and experiences, and targeted selling and clienteling.
Promote a positive environment of achievement, recognition, and celebration.
Resolve work‑related concerns and conflicts quickly, finding common ground and settling disputes fairly with minimal disruption.
Empower the team to take ownership of internal and external customer problems and resolve them quickly.
Oversee scheduling of department associates with sensitivity to promotional calendar and business needs, while managing the team’s daily prioritization of tasks.
Create and maintain an environment of trust and collaboration by encouraging team members to share feedback and make recommendations for improvement.
Speak with truth and candor, modeling how to challenge the status quo appropriately.
Exhibit Saks Fifth Avenue’s culture and values, creating a friendly, upbeat atmosphere where customer service aligns with company standards.
Role‑model exceptional service and client‑relationship building skills by consistently delivering memorable client experiences, planning and supporting client appointments, and informing clients of in‑store events to enhance engagement and loyalty.
Execute all client‑development‑specific initiatives in‑store and collaborate with functional partners, including store leadership, marketing, vendors, and merchants, to identify top clients and seamlessly execute events/experiences.
Proactively build positive and productive relationships, seeking to help others by identifying and meeting the needs of the team, customers, partners, and the community.
Build a cohesive customer‑service‑driven team, overseeing customer service efforts and escalations.
Use data‑driven methods to identify patterns in client spend, identify opportunities to increase wallet share, and drive repeat business.
Increase new client acquisition and strengthen existing relationships by leveraging various marketing tools and channels of technology, such as social media platforms, referrals, and networking.
Exercise expertise in the use of clienteling tools to deliver exceptional service, stay connected with the client, and make targeted recommendations based on shopping history and preferences.
Take initiative to stay informed on new merchandise deliveries in the store to maximize selling potential.
Drive sales and growth through the development of client advisors and client relationships, establishing well‑thought‑out plans and managing team execution while anticipating and adjusting for risks and roadblocks to maintain operational excellence.
Support audit compliance to enforce department and stockroom controls, as applicable, and stay informed of business drivers, industry trends, and competitors to identify new opportunities.
Track progress against departmental strategies, proactively share information, best practices, and new ideas with the team to improve business and performance.
Demonstrate strong decision‑making skills, including problem definition, data analysis, hypothesis testing, and asking for input.
Champion change initiatives, explaining benefits and challenges of change to the team and others impacted.
Required Qualifications

Relevant experience leading a team with supervisory experience managing a team of direct reports.
Proven track record of success managing a selling and operations workforce and achieving business results.
Proficiency in utilizing available technology, including clienteling tools and social media (social selling), as well as Google Workspace programs, advanced proficiency preferred.
History of building, leading, motivating, and coaching teams to achieve objectives.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, structuring messages in a clear logical manner using the most appropriate communication medium.
Strong attention to detail.
May require standing, bending, climbing stairs, and lifting and carrying up to 10 pounds.
Willing to work a flexible schedule based on business need, which will include evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Preferred Qualifications

Luxury retail fashion experience.
4‑year degree.
Continuously builds skills and knowledge through training, coaching, and career experiences.
Demonstrates a working knowledge and appreciation of the Saks Fifth Avenue business and the fashion industry.
Adapts personal approach in response to diverse situations and people.
Responds to unexpected changes in work environment with creativity and resilience.
Establishes and upholds high personal standards for individual work and environment.
Maintains a customer‑centric mentality versus a solely store‑centric one.
Benefits and Compensation

Salary Range: $67,832 – $84,790 annually (actual starting pay determined by location, experience, and other factors). This position is also eligible for bonus. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, 401(k) retirement plan, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, disability insurance, and a variety of additional voluntary benefits such as critical illness, hospital, and accident insurance. All eligible full‑time employees receive a comprehensive benefits package and a generous employee discount.
Equal Employment Opportunity

Saks Global is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. Saks.com is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

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