Sales, Senior Manager, Sports, South Africa

WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

• As part of the South African and CEMEA Sales team, this role reports to the South Africa Sales Director and serves as a key connection between Nike and strategic regional retail partners.
• The teammate will collaborate closely with Marketplace Supply Chain, Planning, Sales Operations, Merchandising, and Marketing to drive marketplace growth and consumer-focused business outcomes.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Nike is seeking a results-driven sales professional who brings a strong understanding of the athletic footwear and apparel landscape, paired with the ability to influence partners and drive profitable growth (this will be a nice to have but open to candidates from other industries).
• This individual thrives in a fast-moving environment, balances strategic thinking with executional excellence, and uses data to make informed business decisions. They are skilled at building trust with key retail partners, identifying growth opportunities, and translating marketplace insights into actionable plans.
• Success in this role requires strong communication and presentation skills, commercial acumen, adaptability, and the ability to navigate cross-functional partnerships across multiple teams. The ideal candidate is energized by collaboration, embraces change, and continuously looks for ways to elevate both consumer experiences and business performance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training.
• 3+ years of experience in buying, retail planning, merchandising, sales, or a related athletic apparel and footwear industry.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Demonstrated understanding of retail mathematics, gross margin management, forecasting, and retail performance metrics.
• Track record of managing a team and working in complex matrix organization.

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON

You will lead a critical regional account relationship, driving seasonal business performance and executing consumer-focused marketplace strategies. By partnering across functions and collaborating directly with retail partners, you will help shape assortments, influence planning decisions, and deliver strong commercial results.

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with key retail partners, serving as Nike’s primary contact at the buying level.
• Collaborate with Merchandising, Planning, Marketplace Supply Chain, Sales Operations, and Marketing teams to align seasonal business objectives.
• Lead the Go-To-Market (GTM) process, translating global and geographic strategies into account-specific plans and assortments.
• Develop partner-specific assortments aligned to consumer demand, merchandise financial plans, franchise strategies, classification plans, and allocation priorities.
• Present seasonal product and merchandising priorities to partners through compelling and persuasive sales presentations.
• Analyze retail performance, sales trends, profitability, and marketplace insights to identify opportunities and improve account performance.
• Manage current-season business needs while forecasting future demand, supporting quarterly objectives, and delivering against annual financial and consumer-focused goals.