Sales and Customer Experience Director – Torquay

The Company:

Patagonia is an outdoor apparel business like no other, “We’re in business to save our home planet.” A certified B Corporation, the company is recognised internationally for its commitment to product quality and environmental activism – and now our one and only shareholder is our home planet with 100% of profits going to fight the environmental crisis.

Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is based in Ventura, California with offices around the world including in Doon Marng Warree (Torquay), Australia. Our values stay true to a business that was started by a band of climbers and surfers, and the minimalist style they promoted. The approach we take demonstrates a bias for simplicity and utility – build the best product and provide the best service; examine our practices openly and honestly; protect our home planet; be just, equitable and antiracist; do it our way.

We look for candidates with proven experience who thrive in a team-based atmosphere, individuals who are passionate about their communities, the environment and caring for others. We seek core Patagonia product users, people who love to spend as much time as possible in the mountains, ocean, and wild nature.

Folks who deal well with ambiguity, learn on the fly, demonstrate sound judgment, and solve problems creatively are most successful with us. We’re looking for someone who builds and maintains relationships with ease and desires to put the customer at the centre of everything they do. We don’t want someone who can just do a job – we want the best person for the job. Yet we don’t look for “stars” seeking special treatment and perks. Our best efforts are collaborative, and Patagonia culture rewards the ensemble player, while it barely tolerates those who need the limelight.

What the role is

We are in business to save our home planet. You’ll be helping us achieve this by enabling a responsible, for-profit and purpose driven business through the lens of Patagonia’s mission and values and sport culture. You ensure that we meet our commitments to our organisation, partners, customers and community. Your role will contribute by focusing on meeting the demands of our consumers through a multichannel set up by building compelling customer experiences.

You ensure that we are still in business in the long run through a healthy and resilient business, expanding mindfully and driven by our purpose, and clearly communicating our values. You act as a leader who facilitates, creates space for collaboration and adaptive teams. You are surfacing opportunities and risks to build resilient strategies and tactics to meet a complex and fast developing market.

As a member of the Leadership Team in Australia, this role transcends functional responsibilities and collaborates with the LT on leading Patagonia in the region. This role is accountable for building high level strategy in collaboration with APAC LT and implementation with key stakeholders as well as taking strategic and tactical decisions for Patagonia Australia as needed.

Main tasks

Strategy & Implementation

• Collaboratively develop a customer centric sales strategy for the entire Australian marketplace with team and key stakeholders, focusing on surf, outdoor and activist customers & communities through our Retail and Wholesale channels.
• Work closely with our digital and ecommerce team to align sales strategy online and in real life.
• Partner with key stakeholders in the APAC to work on and share best practices and strategy.
• Innovate how we distribute our product through physical and digital channels and find ways for Wholesale, Retail and eComm channels to complement each other to offer a cohesive customer experience across touchpoints with Patagonia.
• Focus on connecting to the customer moving from transactional to transformational sales opportunities incrementally driving ‘good growth’.
• Capitalising on customer touchpoints by inspiring customers to support Patagonia’s purpose and engage with our sport culture.
• Through partnering with the Marketing & Product teams, evolve how we show up in the market to drive engagement and loyalty in an increasing Patagonia customer community and a mutually valuable and long-term relationship.
• Lead and enable strategic planning across retail and wholesale channels, deliver best in class after sales service and support, manage cross-functional initiatives, and identify and drive new business development opportunities in partnership with peers and your team.
• Partner with key stakeholders in Australia and APAC to develop and lead Australia sales priorities.
• Keep abreast of industry and customer trends and developments in the marketplace.
• Ensure the marketplace strategy is reflective of the Patagonia brand and is meeting all commercial, brand and functional goals in all channels in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders.

Customer experience

• Lead and innovate our customer service team to improve outcomes for customers, streamline workflow, and craft ‘human centric’ approach to service.
• Work with key internal functions in Australia and APAC like Product, Marketing, Operations and Channel teams to ensure optimal customer experience, product presentation in our technical product and sportswear categories.
• Ensure we are leading with strong technical Patagonia product experience and positioning in all channels.
• Partner with Marketing, Product and Enviro and Channel teams to deliver seasonal marketing and environmental initiative plans reaching and engaging customers across all channels with impact.
• Continue to evolve on customer experience across all touchpoints throughout the customer journey resulting to an engaged and trusting customer set.

Delivering the business

• Build and own the plan for thoughtful expansion, realizing responsible growth in markets assuring the right long-term decisions are made and the business can pivot when required.
• Plan and deliver upon the budgeted business objectives across channels and top and bottom line, driving a responsible and profitable business in alignment Finance and Product teams.
• Set targets and manage a cross-functional effort to deliver against brand awareness, customer experience and revenue, margin and operating income goals.
• Engage on Australia and APAC level to adjust business and other goals as needed.

Leading the team

• Oversee the retail, wholesale and customer service teams, and ensure group and individual goals are being met.
• Lead as a facilitator and conductor to bring a strong team with diverse perspectives together over an aligned strategy and plan.
• Take time to fully understand the needs and opportunities in each channel and region.
• Build and align vision and strategy in an inclusive manner, making sure all voices are being heard.
• Create buy-in and engagement around direction and priorities. Ability to translate the plan into clear team and individual objectives and deliverables.
• Lead and nurture the retail, wholesale and customer service teams through a culture of safety, trust and accountability with clarity of direction and priorities.
• Hire the right talents to build and run the business.
• Coach and provide regular, ongoing feedback to direct reports.
• Thoughtfully develop career paths and developmental opportunities with the P&C team and other relevant functions for the sales organisation.
• Be a visible and present leader for all your team members through joint team events (online and offline), market visits and other ways.
• Lead by example in an authentic way.

What we’re looking for

In order to succeed in this role, it is expected that you will have:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or equivalent combination of relevant education, experience, and training.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in Strategy and Sales (owned retail & wholesale), and at least 5 years in a senior sales role in the Australian surf and / or Outdoor industry.
• Demonstrated breadth of experience in the Australian market, including thorough knowledge of competitors, consumer behaviours and trends, growth opportunities, business relations etc.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and facilitation skills.
• Empathy and courage, to drive resilience in teams.
• Ability to foster trust and a deep commitment to collaborating over a common plan.
• Strong commercial business acumen.
• Solid project management skills with an ability to accurately prioritize and manage trade-offs for delivery of existing projects while concurrently planning future projects.
• Data driven and customer centric decision making.
• Strong communication skills both written and verbal.
• A deep attention to detail and dedication to accuracy and precision.
• Results and impact oriented. Skilled at knowing when to stop the analysis and transition into commercial discussions.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced, often ambiguous environment.
• Ability to work and learn independently and collaboratively in complementary teams.
• Adept at creative storytelling using data driven insights, and the ability to bring complex consumer data to life for non-technical business partners.
• Confident working with multiple partners, prioritising and leading multiple workstreams simultaneously to create business impact and drive purpose.
• Proven experience in building positive working relationships and working with cross-functional teams.
• Experience in a multinational consumer products environment, and with omni-channel fulfilment network strategy, inventory and returns flow.
• Ability to influence critical business outcomes in a matrix based, global environment.
• Ability to seamlessly move between forward thinking and strategy and tactical implementation.
• Innovative problem solver and connector of people and ideas.
• Strong connection to Patagonia’s mission statement and values.

Other important details

• This is a full-time position, based in Torquay, Victoria

Equal Employment Opportunity

Patagonia is an equal opportunity employer. Patagonia recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes without regard to race, religion, colour, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, or individuals with a disability. Patagonia is proud of our diverse workforce and encourages applications from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Like our planet, our company is an interconnected network of ecosystems dependent on each other. Patagonia is a global community with members that seek to respect, uplift and celebrate all the qualities that make each of us unique – members that look to champion justice, equity and inclusion across our company and beyond.

Accessibility Support

Patagonia is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for talent with disabilities. If you require assistance and or accommodation in the search and or application process, please contact us at [email protected] with your full name, best way to reach you, and the accommodation needed to assist you with the application process.

Benefits:

Patagonia provides employees with competitive benefits package (unique to each role) that may include environmental internships, employee discounts, generous clothing allowance, activism hours, nine-day work fortnight, equal paternity leave, matching of charity donations and much more.