Area Sales Manager, Softgoods (Running & Outdoor)

Company Description

Amer Sports is a sporting goods company with internationally recognized brands including Salomon, Arc’teryx, Peak Performance, Atomic and Wilson.

“The Mountain Sport Company”, Salomon was born in 1947 in the heart of the French Alps and the birthplace of modern alpinism. Salomon’s commitment to innovative design and passion for mountain sports created a vast range of revolutionary new concepts in bindings, boots, skis and apparel for both Alpine and Nordic skiing and brought innovative solutions to footwear, apparel and equipment for snowboarding, adventure racing, mountaineering, hiking, trail running, and many other sports.

Through performance driven design, Salomon delivers innovation and progression to mountain sports; converting new ideas into action and expanding the limits of possibility. Salomon’s heritage, culture, and commitment are tied together by one simple concept: the world’s leading mountain people creating the world’s leading mountain products. Salomon is responsibly committed towards the outdoor through its sustainability program. Diversity is one of Salomon’s five values, therefore we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all.

Salomon is headquartered in Annecy, France.

Job Description

Area: South, Mid & East Netherlands (Utrecht – Eindhoven – Zwolle)

As an Area Sales Manager, Softgoods (Running & Outdoor), you will drive sales growth and build strong partnerships with key specialty sporting goods retailers across your territory. You develop joint business plans and continuously identify new opportunities for expansion.

Driven by your passion for running and running culture, you act as a true brand ambassador - bringing credibility, expertise, and enthusiasm to everything you do, from customer interactions to in-store activation and community engagement.

You play a key role in delivering our most strategic priorities: winning in Running while maintaining our leadership in Trail and Outdoor.

Your focus is on exceeding targets, understanding market trends, and creating win-win solutions for both our brand and our retail partners.

In this role, you will act as the face of Salomon in your region, bringing our brand to life through strong retail execution, product storytelling, and local engagement within the running community.

Your main responsibilities

1. Own and grow your territory

Take full ownership of your region (South, Mid & East Netherlands)

Drive sustainable and profitable growth by expanding existing partnerships and identifying new opportunities

Build the seasonal “game plan” for your territory, aligning with the brand’s strategic priority to accelerate growth in Footwear (Run & Outdoor)

Strategically prioritize accounts across buying groups, key partners, and independent retailers

2. Drive commercial performance

Lead sell-in cycles through seasonal presentations and showroom appointments

Champion a Footwear-first approach, ensuring running and outdoor footwear are at the core of all commercial strategies

Drive sell-through performance via regular field visits and in-store follow-up

Develop the softgoods business (footwear, apparel, bags) with a strong omnichannel mindset across your territory

Monitor key retail KPIs and take action to optimize performance

Ensure strong execution of seasonal priorities, with a clear focus on running

3. Build strategic retail partnerships

Develop long-term, trust-based relationships with key retailers and buying groups

Co-create joint business plans aligned with Salomon’s strategy and category growth priorities

Act as a strategic advisor to customers, identifying opportunities to elevate running and performance categories

Influence multiple stakeholders within customer organizations

4. Lead negotiations & secure brand presence

Own and lead commercial negotiations, delivering win-win outcomes

Secure optimal assortment, visibility, and in-store positioning

Strengthen Salomon’s premium brand positioning across all retail touchpoints

Ensure strong representation and prioritization of performance running and footwear categories

5. Activate the brand & drive consumer engagement (Running culture leadership)

Bring Salomon’s running vision to life locally by shaping and owning a new running culture within your territory

Leverage Gravel as a gateway to performance running, building credibility and engagement in this space

Plan and execute brand activations, events, and product demos

Bring the brand to life in-store and within local running communities

Partner with marketing to deliver impactful campaigns and activations

Increase brand relevance through community engagement and events

6. Train, inspire & elevate retail teams

Deliver product and brand training at different levels

Build retailer credibility in Running, contributing to reasserting Salomon’s leadership in the category

Transfer knowledge on product, storytelling, and selling techniques

Inspire and motivate retail staff as a passionate brand ambassador

Strengthen in-store advocacy and product expertise

7. Analyze the market & drive insights

Monitor market trends, competitors, and consumer behavior, with a strong focus on running and outdoor segments

Provide structured feedback to internal teams (sales, marketing, product)

Identify opportunities to strengthen Salomon’s positioning and credibility in Running

Translate insights into actionable plans to grow footwear and softgoods performance

8. Collaborate cross-functionally

Work closely with marketing, trade marketing, and sales peers

Align with other ASMs to ensure consistency and impact across regions

Contribute to the broader strategy of strengthening running leadership and footwear growth

Share best practices and contribute to overall team success

9. Plan, report & manage performance

Build and execute seasonal territory plans aligned with strategic growth pillars

Prepare and review customer business reports and forecasts

Track performance against footwear, running, and softgoods objectives

Ensure strong organization, planning, and follow-through

Qualifications

Essential skills & experience

~5 years of relevant experience (sales, retail, wholesale, partnerships, or events)

Strong passion for running culture and sports

Deep understanding of the running market and trends

Proven sales and negotiation skills

Experience with retail or distribution environments

Strong relationship-building and influencing skills

High level of ownership, autonomy, and proactivity

Excellent communication and presentation skills

Fluent Dutch and professional English

Essential Competencies

Drive for Results: You consistently find new and effective ways to get things done, demonstrating resourcefulness and adaptability in achieving objectives. You regularly go above and beyond expectations, taking initiative to improve existing standard operating procedures and enhance efficiency. You challenge current practices and drive continuous improvement to deliver stronger, more sustainable outcomes.

Market Knowledge: You demonstrate a deep understanding of the market context in which the business operates, including competitors, customers, and partners. You leverage your knowledge of industry trends and company value drivers to identify opportunities that can reshape the market, influence industry dynamics, and strengthen the organization’s competitive position.

Collaboration: You actively partner with peers and cross-functional stakeholders to drive results and improve performance. You contribute ideas and volunteer support to benefit colleagues, fostering a collaborative environment. You openly share best practices across business units and functions to enable collective success and continuous improvement.

Additional Information

Territory: South, Mid & East Netherlands

Office/showroom location: Zeist

Working model:

Office/showroom during sell-in

Field during sell-through (South, Mid & East Netherlands) with min 1 day in the office per week