Saks Fifth Avenue Sales Manager

About Saks Fifth Avenue

Saks Fifth Avenue is a premier luxury department store and a cornerstone of the Saks Global portfolio. Renowned for a carefully curated assortment of designer fashion and high-touch client service, the brand blends immersive in-store experiences with an elevated digital offering across its North American locations.

Role & Responsibilities

• Recruit and onboard new hires promptly, hiring quality talent and building a talent pipeline.
• Train and develop team members, support career development, set clear goals aligned with department objectives, and guide achievement strategies.
• Lead enforcement of policies and procedures and ensure associates understand them.
• Evaluate and calibrate direct reports’ performance and productivity fairly; provide feedback, follow up consistently, and coach and mentor associates on improvement opportunities.
• Develop direct reports’ personal brands as fashion authorities through proactive outreach and social media, broadening their connections beyond their client bases.
• Lead continued education for direct reports, focused on product knowledge, client events and experiences, targeted selling, and clienteling.
• Promote achievement, recognition, and celebration.
• Resolve workplace concerns and conflicts promptly and fairly, with minimal disruption.
• Empower the team to take ownership of internal and external customer issues and resolve them quickly.
• Oversee department scheduling in line with the promotional calendar and business needs, and manage daily task prioritization.
• Build trust and collaboration by encouraging feedback and recommendations for improvement; communicate candidly and model constructive challenges to the status quo.
• Uphold Saks Fifth Avenue’s culture and values, creating a friendly, upbeat atmosphere and ensuring customer service meets company standards.
• Model exceptional service and relationship-building by delivering memorable client experiences, planning and supporting appointments, and informing clients about in-store events.
• Execute in-store client development initiatives and collaborate with store leadership, marketing, vendors, and merchants to identify top clients and deliver events and experiences.
• Build positive, productive relationships by identifying and meeting the needs of the team, customers, partners, and community.
• Build a cohesive, service-driven team and oversee customer service efforts and escalations.
• Use data to identify client spending patterns, opportunities to increase wallet share, and ways to drive repeat business.
• Acquire new clients and strengthen existing relationships through marketing and technology channels, including social media, referrals, and networking.
• Use clienteling tools to maintain client connections and make targeted recommendations based on shopping history and preferences.
• Stay informed about new merchandise deliveries to maximize selling potential.
• Drive sales and growth by developing client advisors and client relationships.
• Create well-considered plans and manage execution, anticipating and addressing risks and roadblocks to maintain departmental operational excellence.
• Execute in-store plans and strategies to build client relationships and meet client development goals.
• Analyze internal and external customer behavior, trends, and preferences, adjusting processes and standards accordingly, including focus programs.
• Support audit compliance and enforce department and stockroom controls, as applicable.
• Monitor business drivers, industry trends, and competitors to identify and pursue opportunities.
• Track progress against departmental strategies and ensure effective execution.
• Share information, best practices, and ideas to improve business performance.
• Make sound decisions using problem definition, data analysis, hypothesis testing, and input from others.
• Apply critical thinking to analyze problems and recommend viable solutions.
• Champion change initiatives and explain their benefits and challenges to the team and others affected.

Qualifications

• Relevant experience leading a team, including supervisory experience managing direct reports.
• Proven success managing a selling and operations workforce and achieving business results.
• Proficiency with available technology, including clienteling tools, social media and social selling, and Google Workspace; advanced proficiency preferred.
• Experience building, leading, motivating, and coaching teams to achieve objectives.
• Excellent oral and written communication, with the ability to structure messages clearly and logically using appropriate communication channels.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to stand, bend, climb stairs, and lift and carry up to 10 pounds may be required.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays according to business needs.
• Luxury fashion retail experience preferred.
• Four-year degree preferred.
• Continuously develops skills and knowledge through training, coaching, and career experiences.
• Working knowledge and appreciation of Saks Fifth Avenue’s business and the fashion industry.
• Adapts approach to diverse situations and people.
• Responds to unexpected workplace changes with creativity and resilience.
• Sets and maintains high personal standards for work and environment.
• Maintains a customer-centric rather than solely store-centric mindset.

Skills

Experience

Relevant team leadership experience, including supervisory experience managing direct reports; luxury fashion retail experience preferred.

Education

Four-year degree preferred.

Compensation

The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 67,832 to USD 84,790 per annum.

Benefits

Eligible employees may receive medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) retirement plan; basic and supplemental life insurance; disability insurance; additional voluntary benefits, including critical illness, hospital, and accident insurance; and an employee discount. Career advancement opportunities across retail, distribution, digital, and corporate functions are available.

Culture

Saks Fifth Avenue emphasizes a high‑standard, client‑centric retail culture that fuses creative visual storytelling with commercial rigor. The environment rewards initiative and offers cross‑functional career mobility across retail, digital and corporate disciplines within the Saks Global portfolio.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.