Partnerships Manager

About the Company Vaer is the largest watch assembler in America. Founded in Venice, California in 2016 by Reagan Cook and Ryan Torres, we set out to return a sense of dignity and craftsmanship to the affordable wristwatch, building durable everyday watches that go from the office to the ocean at a price that makes sense. Ten years on, Vaer is a self-funded, vertically integrated retail business with eight-figure revenue and no outside investors. We design, manufacture, and deliver our watches through our online store , our brick and mortar locations, and a growing network of dealers and retail partners. Our line-up runs from accessible solar and quartz field watches to premium as the "Warby Parker of wristwatches," Vaer has been featured in The New York Times, GQ, Gear Patrol, Wired, Huckberry, and countless watch industry outlets. We're a small team in our highest-growth chapter, and the partnerships you build in this role will shape what the brand becomes. About the Role We're hiring a Trade & Business Development Manager to own Vaer's business-to-business channels. You'll grow our network of dealers and retail partners, represent Vaer at watch fairs and trade shows, and guide custom and co-branded projects from first conversation to finished watch. You'll handle the full lifecycle from lead to paid invoice and feed accurate demand into our monthly inventory planning. This role suits someone who enjoys building relationships, selling in person, and sweating the details that keep partners happy. Responsibilities • Wholesale and dealers • Take and process dealer orders by phone and email, pitch new releases, and manage pre-orders from intake through fulfilment • Allocate limited releases across dealers fairly and strategically • Vet and onboard new dealers, set payment terms, and enforce our MAP pricing policy • Manage consignment retailers, including stock placement, sell-through tracking, and settlement • Keep partner materials current: line sheets, price lists, terms, and product imagery • Follow up on payments, coordinate with our AR team, and handle returns, warranty claims, and damaged shipments • Maintain a shared CRM so account history lives with the company, not one person • Shows and events • Represent Vaer at watch fairs and trade shows: sell product, meet collectors, and identify prospective dealers and partners • Own the annual show calendar and budget, selecting events on cost and expected return • Manage booth logistics, inventory, payment setup, and shipping • Capture leads at each event, follow up within an agreed window, and report on customer feedback and competitor pricing • Custom and co-branded projects • Qualify inbound requests and conduct outbound outreach for corporate gifting, clubs, and brand collaborations • Scope and quote projects with target margins, minimums, deposits, and payment milestones • Manage design iterations with our designer and deliver mockups on schedule • Coordinate feasibility, lead times, samples, and quality control with our assembly partner • Bring approved projects to the team in time for the monthly inventory order • Reporting and cross-functional work • Provide a monthly demand forecast covering wholesale, pre-orders, and custom projects • Report on wholesale revenue, receivables aging, pre-order status, and the custom pipeline • Share dealer, market, and customer feedback with design and marketing • Coordinate launch assets so dealers receive them at or before our direct-to-consumer announcements Qualifications • 3+ years in wholesale, B2B sales, or account management, ideally in watches, jewellery, or another consumer product category Required Skills • Confidence selling on the phone and face to face at events • Strong organization and follow-through across many accounts and projects at once • Comfort with invoicing, payment follow-up, and accurate record-keeping in an ERP or similar system • Ability to travel regularly, including some weekends Preferred Skills • Bonus pointsKnowledge of watches and the collector community • Experience managing custom or made-to-order projects with a designer or manufacturer • Familiarity with CRM tools, Shopify, and spreadsheet-based reporting Pay range • Base salary: $60,000–$80,000 plus commission