Key Accounts Program Manager

About Speks
Hi, we're Speks, a New York-based product design company creating premium sensory products for teens and adults. We sell globally through major retailers including Target, Walmart and Barnes & Noble, specialty stores, international distributors, Amazon and our own website.
We're growing quickly and building a Merchandising team to make sure our customer programs are executed successfully from start to finish.
About the Role
We're looking for a highly organized, proactive Key Accounts Program Manager to manage the execution of programs for our largest retail customers and international distributors.
Our key account programs often involve products, packaging and displays developed specifically for individual retailers. Each program has its own requirements, production timelines, inventory commitments and delivery deadlines.
Your job is to make sure every piece comes together.
You'll coordinate programs for major retailers such as Target, Walmart, Costco, Kohl's, Staples and Barnes & Noble, along with our international distribution partners.
You'll work across Sales, Merchandising, Product Development, Production, Planning, Operations and Finance to manage each program from initial planning through production, delivery and invoicing.
This is not a sales role and does not carry a revenue quota. You'll partner closely with our sales team, but your responsibility is making sure the programs we commit to are executed correctly, completely and on time.
You'll report to our Director of Merchandising.
What You'll Own
Customer Program Planning
* Own the master calendar for key retail accounts and international distributor programs.
* Turn customer commitments into detailed project plans with clear deadlines, deliverables and responsibilities.
* Coordinate line reviews, product launches, displays, packaging, production, inventory availability and shipping timelines.
* Work backward from customer delivery deadlines to establish milestones for every department.
* Account for international production and shipping lead times, including factory holidays and Chinese New Year.
* Identify potential delays and resolve problems before they affect customer commitments.
Sales & Merchandising Support
* Prepare our sales team for customer meetings with product recommendations, sales performance, projections, samples, displays and marketing materials.
* Gather customer requirements and communicate them to Merchandising and Product Development.
* Help coordinate product assortments, packaging configurations and customer-specific programs.
* Ensure approved programs are communicated clearly across departments.
Product Development & Compliance
* Coordinate customer-specific packaging, labeling, case packs, pallet configurations and vendor requirements.
* Work with Product Development to ensure testing, certifications and compliance documentation are completed before production.
* Track the readiness of products, packaging, displays and other program components.
* Make sure retailer and distributor requirements are understood and incorporated into production plans.
Production & Inventory Coordination
* Work with Production to track factory orders, manufacturing milestones and product readiness.
* Coordinate with Planning to confirm inventory requirements and availability.
* Track inbound shipments and identify potential delivery risks.
* Flag conflicts involving production capacity, inventory availability or competing customer priorities.
* Develop options and recommendations when timelines or inventory commitments need to change.
Order Execution & Delivery
* Coordinate with Operations to ensure customer setup, vendor portals, routing and shipping requirements are completed on time.
* Monitor sales orders and shipments to ensure accurate, on-time and complete delivery.
* Keep customers and internal stakeholders informed of program status and delivery dates.
* Help resolve shortages, delayed shipments, substitutions and other execution issues.
* Coordinate international distributor deposits and payment milestones with Finance.
* Ensure invoices are accurate and retailer chargebacks or deductions are identified and addressed.
* Review program results and identify improvements for future launches and customer programs.
Who You Are
* 5+ years of experience in program management, account operations, sales operations or export operations within consumer products, toys, gifts or hardgoods.
* Experience managing programs for major retailers such as Target, Walmart, Costco or similar national accounts.
* Strong understanding of manufacturing timelines, purchase orders, inventory, shipping and retailer compliance.
* Experience coordinating projects involving multiple departments and external partners.
* Highly organized, detail-oriented and capable of managing numerous deadlines simultaneously.
* Proactive about identifying problems, following up and keeping projects moving without constant supervision.
* Strong spreadsheet skills and experience working with retailer portals and operational systems.
* Comfortable using AI tools and technology to improve efficiency, reporting and project management.
* A practical problem-solver who takes ownership and follows through.
Nice to Have
* Experience with international distributors and export operations.
* Experience working with factories in Asia.
* Familiarity with retailer vendor portals, EDI and routing compliance.
* Experience managing customer-specific packaging, displays or product configurations.
Why Join Speks?
We're a fast-growing, entrepreneurial company where people have meaningful ownership over their work.
You'll be responsible for coordinating some of our most important customer programs and helping build the systems and processes that support our continued growth.
You'll work directly with leaders across the company and have the opportunity to make a measurable impact on how successfully we deliver for our customers.
Position Details
* Full-time, on-site in Midtown Manhattan
* Reports to the Director of Merchandising
* Program management and execution role, not a quota-carrying sales position
How to Apply
* Please submit your resume and a brief description of a major retail or international distributor program you've managed from initial commitment through delivery, including how you kept it on schedule.