Head of Partner Sales

About us:

At nkuku (nuh–ku–ku), we create beautifully handmade homewares and furniture. We work with makers throughout the world, combining timeless design with traditional skills and natural materials. 

Our brand is built on three core values: Natural, Ethical, and Crafted, which guide everything we say and do. Committed to ethical practices from the start, we are proud to be B Corp certified, joining a growing community of companies that balance purpose and profit

We foster a professional yet friendly and informal culture where respect and collaboration are highly valued. We encourage creativity, work together as a team, and strive toward shared success.

About this role and you:

We are looking for a commercially driven, brand focused Head of Partner Sales to drive our B2B channel. The role requires a focus on profitable growth but importantly balanced with partners who can drive brand reach and awareness into relevant customer audiences. This role requires the ability to be strategic in thought, excellent in execution, innovative in approach and an appetite to evolve a channel which is transitioning from a legacy set up to one that meets today’s complex requirements.

The role naturally requires someone who is an excellent team developer, great communicator and someone with a strong and up to date understanding of not only the wholesale landscape but also experience of creating partnerships that may stretch beyond this. 

The Head of Partners Sales will lead and oversee a team of Account Managers across key accounts, UK wholesale, Interior Design, Sales Support (Inbound and Outbound).

The individual will be reporting to Chief Customer Officer.

As an ethical and inclusive employer, we encourage you to be yourself. We bring our core values and behaviours to life, ensuring they are deeply embedded in everything we do, communicate, and create.

About your key responsibilities:

We are looking for our new Head of Partner Sales to deliver

•  Propose, create and implement strategic direction, aligned to overall business strategy. Understanding and experience of       customer type segmentation to align to drive approach
•  Create budgets in line with growth objectives and be strong at not only identifying building blocks of growth but also mapping    how these will be met 
•  Robust understanding of growth through good account management and relationship building but also very able to drive new   business and have a clear understanding of information sources to drive this in order to convert – in an environment where   physical show up space may be limited (trade shows etc). So, experience of building business using other methods (digital,   offline etc)
•  Strong management around sales targets, performance and other key measures both to drive performance and to       communicate performance
•  Drive to streamlining channel, whilst growing at the same time. Efficiency is key with current customer base having a large   (UK) coverage but modest sized team
•  Leading, driving, growing and development of team
•  Interior Design growth experience
•  Experience of managing remote, hybrid and office based team
•  Organisation and management of physical show up events – such as pop up trade showroom
•  Working with other teams to launch seasonal ranges to partners
•  Attend key trading meetings and present at company presentations
•  Work with finance, operations, marketing and product to deliver best results
•  Manage overall channel profitability, costs as well as sales
•  Create business cases for new ventures such as store in store opportunities and other
•  Sensible product curation for offering to customer segments

About your skills and knowledge:

This position would suit an individual who;

•   A proven sales leader at both strategic and tactical levels
•  Passionate about home and lifestyle with a strong creative eye and love for interiors 
•  Experience and understanding of management of all types of accounts, from small retailers to large multi key accounts
•  Preferably have experience in the home and interiors sector and understand buying/selling patterns
•   A strong commercial operator and negotiator
•   In tune with advances in technology and platforms that help drive growth and efficiency
•   A strong manager and leader but 100% hands on
•  Minimum of 5 years experience in B2B sales development 
• Have a growth mindset but tuned to brand alignment and profitability

About your Benefits:

·        A competitive salary and incentives

·        25 days holiday per year

·        BUPA Healthcare Plan

·       Life Cover Insurance

·        Statutory Pension

·        Company Cycle to Work scheme

·        Exclusive discounts on nkuku products and within the café

·        Paid Charity Volunteering Days

·        We’re a growing business that encourages our people to grow with us.