Essense of Australia is a dynamic international bridal wholesaler and retailer with key offices in Lenexa, Kansas (US), Perth, Australia and Zug, Switzerland.  Our growing organization also operates in the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, and New Zealand. A global leader in bridal fashion for more than 25 years, Essense continues to build a steady, reliable and exciting presence in the U.S. and across the globe, with our designs sold in more than 1,200 stores and counting.  Our success can be attributed to our exquisite gown designs, strong partnerships with our stores and unwavering commitment to our brides.

An Exciting Opportunity

As a Company we are poised for growth and are seeking a passionate individual that brings experience in providing exceptional service, product training and sales support to ensure a flawless experience for our wholesale stores (clients). The Business Development Representative will prepare, coordinate, and execute Designer Preview Trunk Show events with our wholesale stores, which includes testing of our new collection gowns, providing feedback and post-show reporting as well as gathering design and marketing insights and feedback from the store.

Most importantly, we are seeking vibrant individuals who are agile, passionate, and curious to roll up their sleeves to provide exceptional service and sales support to our wholesale stores.

The reporting location for this position is our company headquarters, located in Lenexa, KS. Relocation is not provided. Individuals in this position will attend a minimum of 20 Designer Preview Trunk Shows per year and be required to travel up to 50% of their time. This will include weekends.

What You’ll Do

• Partner with internal departments to plan, execute, and provide feedback from trunk show events with leadership from a Business Development Manager.
• Facilitate weekly touch points with stores in 3-4 weeks leading up to scheduled trunk show events to ensure store is making progress on event preparation.
• Prepare travel arrangements to attend scheduled trunk show events.
• Upon completion of the trunk show, complete reporting to accurately capture all relevant information gathered through the event including trunk show feedback for Business Development, Marketing, Design, and specific gown details; as well as capture metrics on count of shows completed, sales per show, stock sales, etc. to monitor the ROI on each event.
• Facilitate wrap up communication with stores following trunk show event.
• Generally required to fly to trunk show location on Friday (dependent on location) and conduct predetermined in-store training Friday afternoon / evening with the store sales staff. May also meet with Store manager / Owner and take the client to dinner. 
• Function as an industry expert and highlight trends, fabrics, features of the collection and use influence to build strong rapport with store staff to impact ongoing store sales in association with the clients, Business Development Executive.
• Work in company-owned retail store as business needs demand to maintain current relevant focus on bridal market as well as knowledge of retail sales techniques.
• Facilitate trunk shows (as needed) and tester events within our own retail store, True Society Belle Vogue Bridal, and provide performance reports regarding sales and customer feedback.
• Attend Essense events to work in company showroom as business needs require, tasks may differ.
• As needed, assist with research tasks for potential stores for specific regions as requested, to deliver virtual and in person approved training programs and assist with temporary territory assignments to support BDEs as directed by the VP of Sales.

What We Are Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Apparel, Fashion, Business, Marketing, or related field of study required.
• Minimum 4 years of sales or retail experience required. Previous bridal or fashion experience preferred. 
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present information professionally via telephone, teams, facetime, in writing, via email, and in person.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft office suite.
• Have a professional demeanor and appearance, poised and confident with ability to interact in person in a sales capacity with store owners and their staff.
• Ability to influence, sell and service equally and the ability to build relationships with customers and solve problems quickly and efficiently.
• Pleasant demeanor, curious with grace and patient attitude.
• Highly organized, with impeccable attention to detail and ability to manage projects with defined deadlines.
• Willingness and flexibility to travel on weekends (up to 50% per year) and adjust schedule to meet business demands.
• Ability to adapt to change in an ever-growing, fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to work in the True Society Belle Vogue retail stores to successfully complete the Bridal Stylist competency standards required to qualify for a Business Development Representative in Training role. In-store training will be from 6 to 18 months to complete dependent on performance and experience.

What We Offer

We look forward to welcoming the successful candidate to our fast-growing global team! In return for your skills, we offer you the opportunity to join an international industry leader and be part of a creative and collaborative culture that empowers its people, promotes teamwork and embraces sustainability. We recognize and reward excellence, innovation, and loyalty. Our goal is to offer an inspirational and modern workplace that allows for talented individuals to thrive. As such, we provide competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package, with significant opportunity for exceptional team members to grow with us as we continue to expand. 

If you have the skills and drive to help us further our growth, please follow the prompts to submit a cover letter, resume, and online application.  Please note:  We believe cover letters are important to help us understand why you are interested in this position and your unique story and qualifications.  If you sincerely desire to work with us, please take this into consideration when submitting your materials.