About Primitives by Kathy
Primitives by Kathy is a leading wholesaler of creatively designed home dcor, gift, and lifestyle products. We serve independent retailers, national key accounts, and retail partners across the country with a focus on creative design, ahead-of-the-market product innovation, strong customer relationships, and global sourcing.
Position Summary
The Key Account Coordinator Supervisor plays a critical role in supporting PBK's key account customers while providing day-to-day leadership to the Key Account Coordinator team. This position oversees customer and order management activities, helps ensure customer-specific requirements are consistently met, supports onboarding and training, and serves as a key liaison between the Key Accounts team and internal departments.
The ideal candidate is highly organized, customer-focused, detail-oriented, and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. This individual combines strong operational knowledge with effective leadership and communication skills to help the team deliver an exceptional customer experience.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Development
- Represent PBK professionally, responsibly, and enthusiastically in interactions with customers, employees, vendors, and other stakeholders.
- Provide day-to-day leadership and first-level support to Key Account Coordinators.
- Serve as a liaison between the Key Account Coordinator team and internal departments, including Accounting, Compliance, Creative, EDI, Purchasing, Sales, Supply Chain, and Warehouse Operations.
- Develop and maintain training plans for new Key Account Coordinator employees.
- Provide hands-on training when appropriate and delegate training responsibilities to qualified team members as needed.
- Provide regular coaching, performance feedback, and support to the Key Account Coordinator team.
- Identify process gaps, training opportunities, and potential solutions that improve team effectiveness and customer service.
- Promote collaboration, accountability, and consistent execution across the team.
Customer & Account Management
- Develop a thorough understanding of assigned key accounts, including customer-specific processes, requirements, and expectations.
- Review, maintain, and ensure access to current vendor guides and customer requirements.
- Maintain clear account coverage instructions, including:
- Key customer contacts
- Order preparation requirements
- Routing and shipping instructions
- Invoicing requirements
- Provide product attributes, images, and other information requested by customers in accordance with customer guidelines.
- Coordinate sample shipments as requested by customers, Sales, or purchase order requirements.
- Review customer chargebacks and determine appropriate next steps.
- Process return authorizations for valid chargebacks and partner with the Compliance Coordinator on items requiring additional investigation or dispute.
- Monitor open orders, projects, and work in progress to ensure customer deadlines and commitments are met.
- Proactively communicate issues, risks, delays, and required actions to appropriate internal and external stakeholders.
Order Management
- Review incoming purchase orders for accuracy and completeness and confirm PBK's ability to fulfill customer requirements.
- Validate key purchase order details, including:
- Ship windows and required dates
- Items and quantities
- Wholesale and retail pricing
- Credit terms
- Freight and shipping terms
- Acknowledge purchase orders through email, EDI, or other required customer processes.
- Enter or import purchase order requirements into CounterPoint.
- Enter factory sales confirmations into CounterPoint when applicable.
- Partner with Purchasing to place custom or customer-specific orders with factories as needed.
- Work closely with Purchasing and Supply Chain teams to provide factories with complete and accurate order requirements.
- Maintain proactive communication regarding production timing, customer requirements, and potential order risks.
New Customer Onboarding
- Support the Customer Order Fulfillment Manager in reviewing vendor guides and operational requirements for prospective new key accounts.
- Identify requirements that may require customer waivers, process changes, technology support, or internal review.
- Document significant customer requirements and considerations on the appropriate onboarding documentation.
- Partner with internal teams to support a smooth transition from account setup through initial order fulfillment.
- Help ensure Key Account Coordinators understand and are prepared to execute new customer requirements.
Key Account Order Fulfillment Oversight
Maintain a thorough understanding of all Key Account Coordinator responsibilities and provide guidance, backup support, and troubleshooting as needed throughout the order lifecycle.
Responsibilities include:
- Creating, ordering, and coordinating price tickets, carton labels, and other customer-required materials.
- Ensuring required materials are delivered to the appropriate factory or warehouse location based on customer requirements.
- Communicating and processing customer orders through the warehouse in a timely manner to support required ship dates.
- Completing or reviewing Key Order Cover Sheets, pick tickets, inventory locations, retail pricing information, and other required documentation.
- Submitting customer routing requests and scheduling freight pickups when required.
- Communicating transportation and shipping instructions to Warehouse Operations.
- Tracking container schedules and shipment progress for Direct Import (DI) and Point of Entry (POE) orders.
- Preparing and transmitting Advance Ship Notices (ASNs) when required.
- Communicating potential delays to Sales and customers and obtaining extensions or revised delivery expectations when necessary.
- Monitoring orders across all fulfillment methods, including FOB Lancaster, POE, and Direct Import.
- Ensuring invoices are completed accurately and according to customer requirements, including:
- Direct Import:When merchandise is transferred to the customer's freight forwarder at the origin port.
- Point of Entry:When merchandise is released at the destination port.
- Lancaster:When merchandise ships from the PBK warehouse.
- Providing backup support for Key Account Coordinator responsibilities when business needs require.
Compliance
- Research and maintain knowledge of HTS codes and product classifications.
- Collaborate with the Supply Chain and Logistics Department on new and existing import regulations and required documentation.
- Maintain knowledge of product testing procedures, including the review of Testing Request Forms (TRFs) and Test Reports for accuracy and compliance.
- Assist Product Development with identifying and communicating item requirements related to product safety, labeling, and packaging compliance.
- Stay informed of applicable regulatory requirements and communicate compliance updates that may impact product development, sourcing, importing, or packaging.
Additional Responsibilities
- Participate in departmental initiatives, process improvement efforts, and cross-functional projects as assigned.
- Maintain accurate and organized customer and order documentation.
- Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
Skills & Competencies
- Strong leadership, coaching, and interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated professionalism and commitment to delivering excellent customer service.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to communicate clearly, logically, and effectively with customers, team members, and cross-functional partners.
- Strong organizational, time-management, and prioritization skills.
- Ability to manage multiple accounts, deadlines, and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- High level of accuracy, thoroughness, and attention to detail.
- Strong problem-solving skills and resourcefulness in identifying appropriate next steps and solutions.
- Ability to work independently while maintaining a team-first mindset.
- Ability to understand the broader sales, fulfillment, and supply chain process and recognize the impact individual decisions have on the customer and organization.
- Ability to anticipate potential issues and take appropriate action before they affect customer commitments.
- Strong collaboration skills and the ability to build productive working relationships across departments.
- Interest in PBK products, merchandising, and the creative aspects of product development is preferred.
Computer & Systems Proficiency
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, and Excel, or similar business applications.
- Ability to learn and effectively use order management, ERP, EDI, customer portal, and related business systems.
- Experience with CounterPoint and/or EDI systems is preferred.
Education & Experience
