Clarks is looking for an experienced manager to drive the business's sales, profitability and operational success in India, accountable for overseeing and managing all aspects of distribution partnership operations within the country. This role involves developing and executing strategic plans to drive sales growth, in collaboration with our distributor partner, and managing other relationships that include manufacturers and digital marketplaces to ensure the efficient distribution of products. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in retail management, excellent partnership & collaboration skills, and a deep understanding of the local market. What You'll Be Doing Strategic Planning: Develop and implement strategic plans to achieve sales targets and expand market presence. Distributor & Partnership Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with the distributor (based in Mumbai) & other partners, ensuring alignment with company goals and objectives. Sales Management: Monitor sales performance, analyse market trends, and identify growth opportunities. Selling Operations Oversight: Work with the distributor to oversee the distribution network, ensuring efficient and timely delivery of products to retail partners. This includes reviewing and signing off on new locations. Manufacturing Coordination. Act as the “bridge” between the distributor and Clarks' manufacturing partners to ensure a seamless supply of products and optimal effectiveness. Digital Growth: Partner with key marketplaces and the territory's distributor to deliver high digital penetration within the Clarks India business. Facilitate learning across the broader Clarks organisation. Budget Management & Leadership: Manage the country budget, ensuring cost-effective operations and maximising profitability. Line manage one Operations Coordinator to support the “back end” of operations in the territory (POs, billing, payments, administration, compliance, etc.). Compliance: Ensure all operations comply with local regulations and company policies. Reporting & Business Reviews: Act as the primary contributor and owner of the quarterly business reviews. Provide regular reports on sales performance, market conditions, and strategic initiatives to senior management. What You'll Bring Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in retail management or distribution partnerships, with at least 3 years in a leadership role. Proven track record of achieving sales targets and driving business growth. Influencing in a collaborative partnership engagement is a must-have. Strong understanding of the local market and retail landscape, including digital selling channels. Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills. Ability to work independently and make strategic decisions. Ability to work remotely from HQ and other key stakeholders About Clarks Two brothers, a small town, and shoes that changed the world. Based in Somerset, England, Clarks has redefined shoemaking since its foundation in 1825, when James and Cyrus Clark made a slipper from sheepskin off-cuts and forever transformed the future of footwear. Sparking revolutions and defining generations, our archive of over 25,000 shoes includes the inimitable Clarks Desert Boot™ and Clarks Wallabee™. And every pair we design today uses the same ground-breaking combination of invention and craftsmanship that started it all. Progress is woven into our DNA. Whether we’re pioneering cutting-edge comfort technologies, championing social change, or working on trailblazing collaborations with cultural icons and KOLs, we’re always striding forward. Join us in 2025 as we celebrate 200 years of giving people the freedom to move comfortably, proudly commemorating our legacy of craft, innovation, and impact – and looking boldly ahead, too.
Job Summary: The Account Manager (India) is responsible for acting as the prime “point person” for the Clarks & Metro distributor relationship in India, acting as the bridge between the two organisations. Responsibilities include owning the day-to-day relationship with Metro brands on behalf of Clarks, coordinating the end-to-end delivery of product, liaising with sourcing teams & factories (including compliance), working with Metro Brands on channel execution and providing support on behalf of Clarks. This role also owns the cadence of reviews and engagements between the two organisations, including performance reviews and business planning, ensuring that the business is growing at agreed levels. Key Responsibilities: Act as the prime point person , the main point of coordination in the relationship between Clarks & Metro Brands (India). Act as the liaison partner, the bridge, between Metro Brands and Clarks team members across all functions (E.g. product, sourcing, operations, finance, billing, marketing). Own the day-to-day relationship with partner, maintaining a positive relationship. Understand the needs & requirements of the partner, in order to deliver tailored solutions & services on behalf of Clarks. Resolve client issues promptly, create a positive partner experience. Act as a key influencer , both within Metro Brands and Clarks. Be able to push decisions, make things happen, drive the growth plan forwards, push through obstacles and get things done. Resilient, commercial and fast paced. Coordinate the end-to-end delivery of product . This includes product selection, ensuring a clear calendar is maintained, as well as order placement (including factory source) & fulfilment. Act as the liaison point between Metro Brands and the Clarks sourcing & factory teams, including updates on deliveries and resolution of issues. Ensure all compliance requirements are covered, including anything required for local legislation and filing. Partner with Metro Brands on channel execution , especially on store openings & digital development (marketplaces). Responsible for providing any data, materials or information required from Clarks to deliver on agreed channel developments. Participate in business planning and development discussions with the partner. Ensure the business is growing at the agreed contractual level. Monitor partner commercial performance and track KPIs. Provide regular reporting & insight to Clarks’ seniors on performance levels. Responsible for arranging and managing the cadence & formal interactions (and content required) between Clarks & Metro Brands. E.g. regular business reviews, product selection etc. Act as the key escalation point if there is any issue, including timing delays. Identify growth opportunities within the market and influence the partner and senior Clarks team to make tangible commercial improvements. Act as the “eyes and ears” on the ground. Provide local market knowledge , insight and intelligence. Qualifications: Degree in Sales, Business Administration, Marketing, or a related field. Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in retail management / buying or distribution partnerships, with at least 3 years in a senior role. Proven track record of driving business growth & operations. Influencing in a collaborative partnership engagement is a must have. Strong understanding of the local market and retail landscape, including digital selling channels. Ability to work independently and make strategic decisions. Ability to work remotely from HQ and other key stakeholders. Skills: Proven experience in Retail account management, with global brands. Strong commercial acumen. Resilient & fast paced in delivering commercial outcomes. Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills (internal & external. Ability to regularly travel within India is important. International travel may be required occasionally. Pragmatic and action oriented. Analytical and problem-solving with strong resolution skills. Adaptability and resilience, ability to work & think independently. About Clarks Two brothers, a small town, and shoes that changed the world. Based in Somerset, England, Clarks has redefined shoemaking since its foundation in 1825, when James and Cyrus Clark made a slipper from sheepskin off-cuts and forever transformed the future of footwear. Sparking revolutions and defining generations, our archive of over 25,000 shoes includes the inimitable Clarks Desert Boot™ and Clarks Wallabee™. And every pair we design today uses the same ground-breaking combination of invention and craftsmanship that started it all. Progress is woven into our DNA. Whether we’re pioneering cutting-edge comfort technologies, championing social change, or working on trailblazing collaborations with cultural icons and KOLs, we’re always striding forward. Join us in 2025 as we celebrate 200 years of giving people the freedom to move comfortably, proudly commemorating our legacy of craft, innovation, and impact – and looking boldly ahead, too.