is hiring a Director, Channel Marketing to join our Specialty Retail team!

DISCOVER

This is more than a channel marketing leadership role. It's an opportunity to define and build the next chapter of Channel Marketing across the Hot Spring, Caldera, and Endless Pools Swim Spas dealer network. Reporting to the VP & General Manager, Sales – North America, you'll lead the evolution of the function from a program-focused support organization into a strategic growth engine that connects Brand strategy, dealer execution, and sales performance.

As a leader of Channel Marketing, you'll assess team capabilities, organizational structure, processes, and investments while developing the visibility, accountability, and performance measures needed to drive business results. A key focus of the role is establishing meaningful KPIs and reporting frameworks that provide insight into dealer performance, promotional effectiveness, channel investments, and return on marketing spend.

You'll partner closely with Brand Marketing, Product Management, Marketing Services, National Account Sales Managers, Regional Sales Managers, Retail Performance Optimization teams, and dealer partners to identify growth opportunities, improve dealer activation, strengthen incentive programs, and create a more disciplined, data-driven approach to channel marketing.

Success in this role will come from your ability to translate brand demand into dealer sales, strengthen dealer relationships, measure what matters, and build a scalable channel marketing organization that drives growth across the Specialty Retail business.

YOUR RIPPLE EFFECT

• Are you energized by building and leading high-performing teams? Lead and develop the Specialty Retail Channel Marketing organization by creating clarity, accountability, and growth opportunities for team members while fostering a collaborative, inclusive culture that empowers individuals to take ownership and deliver results.
• Can you transform a function into a strategic business partner? Assess team capabilities, organizational structure, processes, and resource allocation to build a more effective channel marketing organization that supports dealer growth, business objectives, and future scalability.
• Can you create a channel marketing strategy that translates brand demand into dealer sales? Develop and execute channel marketing programs, promotions, dealer engagement strategies, and local activation plans that connect enterprise brand initiatives with dealer execution, driving traffic, conversion, and revenue across the Specialty Retail network.
• Do you excel at building strong dealer and trade partner relationships? Partner with dealers, Regional Sales Managers, National Account Sales Managers, and dealer network teams to identify growth opportunities, strengthen dealer activation, improve incentive participation, and provide the tools, training, and support dealers need to succeed in their local markets.
• Can you bring discipline, visibility, and accountability to channel performance? Establish meaningful KPIs, reporting frameworks, and measurement tools that provide insight into dealer performance, promotional effectiveness, channel investments, sales funnel health, and overall business impact, while identifying gaps and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Do you know how to measure marketing success through business results? Evaluate program ROI, assess dealer incentive programs including APEX, optimize channel investments, and use data-driven insights to improve dealer engagement, sales conversion, and long-term channel growth.
• Are you skilled at influencing across complex organizations? Collaborate with Brand Marketing, Product Management, Marketing Services, Sales leadership, Retail Performance Optimization teams, and dealer partners to align priorities, balance channel needs, maintain brand consistency, and execute scalable growth initiatives across North America.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field.
• 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience in channel marketing, trade marketing, field marketing, or related disciplines.
• Prior people leadership and team development experience.
• Experience working within dealer, distributor, indirect sales, or specialty retail networks.
• Strong understanding of dealer engagement, channel incentives, partner marketing programs, and dealer enablement strategies.
• Experience building processes, performance metrics, reporting frameworks, and operational structure.
• Background in durable goods, home wellness, manufacturing, or comparable specialty retail industries preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including advanced Excel and PowerPoint.
• CRM experience, including Salesforce or comparable platforms.
• Familiarity with co-op/MDF management systems, local marketing automation tools, dealer portals, or PIM systems preferred.
• Excellent communication, relationship management, project management, analytical, and influence skills with the ability to align cross-functional stakeholders and dealer partners.

We look for candidates that exhibit The Watkins Way (always Ethical, endeavors to be Transparent, embraces Inclusion, welcomes Diverse backgrounds and perspectives, Accommodating, believes in Work-Life Balance, puts Safety First, Accountable, values Relationships, Passionate, Team Player, and Goal Driven).

The employee must frequently lift and move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

Hiring Range: $133,500.00-$209,770.00

Many factors affect actual compensation including but not limited to experience, education, skills, and geographic location

Company: Full time

Watkins (the “Company”) is an equal opportunity employer and we strive to employ the most qualified individuals for every position. The Company makes employment decisions only based on merit. It is the Company’s policy to prohibit discrimination in any employment opportunity (including but not limited to recruitment, employment, promotion, salary increases, benefits, termination and all other terms and conditions of employment) based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, pregnancy, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, physical/mental disability, medical condition, marital/domestic partner status, military and veteran status, height, weight or any other such characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. The Company is committed to complying with all applicable laws providing equal employment opportunities. This commitment applies to all people involved in the operations of the Company regardless of where the employee is located and prohibits unlawful discrimination by any employee of the Company.

Watkins is an E-Verify employer. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees in the United States. Please click on the following links for more information.

E-Verify Participation Poster:English & Spanish
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