Welcome to the MILK MAKEUP FAM:
At Milk Makeup, we’re all about cool clean beauty fueled by creativity. Born out of Milk, a creative hub in downtown New York City, innovation, self-expression, and community are at the heart of everything we do. We believe beauty isn’t about how you do your makeup, it’s what you do in it—and how you Live Your Look—that matters.
Who YOU are:
• Community connector: You’re always thinking about how to improve your and your community’s future. You’re passionate about building a global community where everyone can feel seen and inspired in beauty.
• Courageous but chill: Wherever you come from, you’re driven by the hardworking New York spirit that Milk embodies. You’re flexible and ready to get the job done, but you’re humble and make moves thoughtfully. You strive for quality, have fun doing it, and always have the greater good of the brand in mind.
• Fearlessly innovative: You’re not afraid to take calculated risks and enjoy problem solving. You’re down to disrupt the status quo and innovate in order to raise the bar. You value a forward-thinking space that encourages you to lead change, never follow.
• Champion of self-expression: You’re creative at heart and are always genuinely you. You live your look and want to grow with people who celebrate individuality.
• Inclusive + mindful: You believe an open mind is always the best place to start and value active listening. You embrace differences and help foster a safe working environment for yourself and your peers.
The ROLE:
The Director of Key Accounts at Milk Makeup is responsible for driving the management and development of strategic retail partnerships across North America. This role will own the end-to-end relationship with partners, ensuring flawless execution of our brand strategy and maximizing growth opportunities. While this position will have a particular focus on flagship accounts, it is designed to oversee a portfolio of critical retail partnerships and drive cross-functional alignment to meet sales, marketing, and operational objectives.
As a key leader within the organization, this role plays an integral part in the success of the GTM team, ensuring that retail account strategies seamlessly align with Milk Makeup’s overarching brand priorities. The Director of Key Accounts will collaborate closely with cross-functional partners to deliver innovative and results-driven retail solutions, amplifying the impact of GTM initiatives at every stage of execution.
What YOU’ll do:
Account Strategy and Relationship Management
- Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned retail accounts, building strong, collaborative relationships with buyers, planners, and cross-functional teams.
- Develop and implement strategic account plans that align with company objectives and deliver mutual growth for both the brand and the retailer.
- Monitor market trends and retailer-specific performance to identify growth opportunities and mitigate risks.
Sales and Business Development
- Partner with Demand Planning and Operations on the annual and seasonal planning process, including forecasting, promotional calendars, and new product launches, in partnership with internal and retailer teams.
- Analyze account performance and provide actionable insights to optimize assortments, pricing, and promotional effectiveness.
- Negotiate and manage trade terms, co-op agreements, and other commercial partnerships.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with the GTM team, including Marketing, Education, Field Sales, and Operations, to align account strategies with broader brand initiatives.
- Serve as a conduit between retail accounts and internal teams to ensure that feedback, opportunities, and challenges are addressed effectively.
- Partner with Demand Planning and Operations to ensure accurate forecasting, inventory management, and on-time deliveries.
- Collaborate with the Education team to translate account-specific strategies into actionable plans at the store level.
Marketing and Activation
- Lead the planning and execution of account-specific marketing initiatives, ensuring they align with broader brand goals and retailer requirements.
- Collaborate with Marketing, Visual Merchandising, and Digital teams to create compelling in-store and online activations that reinforce Milk Makeup’s positioning.
- Track and evaluate the ROI of marketing investments to inform future strategies.
Leadership and Development
- Provide thought leadership to the GTM team and mentorship to junior team members supporting the accounts.
- Act as a strategic partner within Milk Makeup, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation.
- Lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with internal teams and retail partners, sharing performance insights and recalibrating strategies as needed.
We’d like YOU to have:
- 8+ years of experience in key account management, sales, or related roles within the beauty, consumer goods, or retail industry.
- Proven track record of driving growth and building strong relationships with major retail accounts; experience with Sephora, Ulta Beauty, or similar is a plus.
- Strong financial acumen with experience in forecasting, P&L management, and trade negotiations.
- Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and lead cross-functional teams.
- Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Passion for beauty, retail, and innovation, with a deep understanding of the evolving retail landscape.
Why you’ll love being part of MILK MAKEUP:
• Flexible time off: We provide a generous PTO program, paid company holidays, summer fridays, and more.
• Health + wellbeing support: We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, a wellbeing reimbursement, wellbeing speaker series, and a 6% 401k company match.
• Family accommodations: We offer a generous parental leave program of up to 20 weeks of 100% paid leave to care for and bond with your child.
• Employee care: We offer employees 100% paid leave for up to 12 weeks following their own illness.
• Professional growth + development: We have a comprehensive program to support your growth at Milk Makeup, lunch + learns, DEI led training sessions, and a learning and development program.
• Hybrid work model: We provide flexibility to support individual work styles, balance business needs, and ensure we live our values. We have a strong (and chill!) office culture in Soho with a dog-friendly environment and a well-stocked kitchen of snacks and drinks.
• MMU swag: We want you to get familiar with our new drops and re-up on any of your fave products.
