Account Manager - Merchandising, Retail & Auto

ACCOUNT MANAGER – MERCHANDISING, RETAIL & AUTO ABOUT WORKWHILE WorkWhile is on a mission to help workers earn a better living and live better lives. 83 million Americans work hourly jobs, often with unpredictable schedules that pay close to minimum wage and offer limited benefits, leading to financial instability. WorkWhile identifies the best hourly workers and matches them with shifts that fit their skills, location, and life. Businesses get access to a quality workforce, while workers get stable income and unmatched benefits, including next day pay, free telehealth services, and financial services. We have the audacious goal to align incentives and solve inefficiencies in the labor market, disrupting the $650 billion staffing and recruiting market. Backed by Khosla Ventures and recognized by the Inc. 5000 for 10x growth, WorkWhile is reshaping the future of work. ROLE SUMMARY WorkWhile is looking for an Account Manager to join our Merchandising, Retail & Auto pod and build long-term, trusting relationships with our clients. This role is focused on managing a portfolio of accounts - from big-box, grocery, and specialty retailers to merchandising and consumer brands and other multi-location operators - ensuring they have the right in-store, reset crew, and distribution center workforce to keep operations running smoothly, especially during peak seasons, resets and remodels, inventory cycles, and high-volume periods. You will serve as the primary point of contact for your clients, driving satisfaction, retention, and growth while acting as a strategic partner who understands the fast-paced, demand-driven nature of retail and merchandising operations. WHAT YOU’LL DO - Serve as the lead point of contact for all account management matters for your clients, including staffing planning, escalations, and ongoing strategy - Build and maintain strong, long-lasting relationships with store operations managers, district managers, merchandising and DC leaders, HR leaders, and other key stakeholders - Develop a deep understanding of each client's environment - including seasonal hiring surges, reset and remodel calendars, inventory events, and customer traffic patterns - to proactively meet their workforce needs - Maintain and grow client contracts, identifying upsell and expansion opportunities across store locations, distribution centers, regions, or new job categories - Develop trusted advisor relationships with key accounts, aligning WorkWhile's solutions to their operational goals and labor challenges - Ensure timely and successful fulfillment of shifts and workforce solutions in line with client expectations and SLAs - Communicate the progress of weekly, monthly, and quarterly workforce initiatives clearly to both internal teams and client stakeholders - Forecast and track key account metrics including fill rates, worker performance, client satisfaction scores, and revenue growth - Prepare regular account health reports and business reviews tailored to operations leadership - Collaborate with the Sales team to identify growth opportunities within existing accounts and expand WorkWhile's presence across new store locations, banners, or regions - Partner with Ops teams to ensure worker supply meets client demand, especially during peak periods (holidays, back-to-school, large reset programs, etc.) - Assist with challenging client requests or issue escalations, providing quick and effective resolutions to minimize operational disruption WHAT YOU BRING - 3-5+ years of proven experience as an Account Manager, ideally within retail, merchandising, staffing, or workforce solutions. Experience in automotive is a plus, but not required - Strong understanding of retail operations, labor dynamics, and the staffing challenges unique to high-volume, shift-based environments - Demonstrated ability to communicate, present, and influence stakeholders at all levels — from store managers to VP-level executives - Experience managing multi-location or enterprise accounts is a strong plus - Solid experience with CRM software (Salesforce or similar) and Google Suite - Track record of delivering client-focused solutions and hitting retention and growth targets - Ability to juggle multiple accounts and competing priorities while maintaining sharp attention to detail - Excellent listening, negotiation, and presentation skills - Strong verbal and written communication skills - Undergraduate degree preferred BENEFITS & PERKS - Competitive base salary + commission with clear OTE upside - Equity - Remote work culture with opportunities for co-working in SF, NY, Seattle & Toronto - In-person company off-sites - Medical, dental, & vision coverage - Flexible time off - 401(k) - WFH stipend to support your home office needs WorkWhile has a diverse, mission-driven, and supportive culture—we look for people who want to take ownership, are energized by ambiguity, and strive to make a lasting impact. If this resonates with you, we’d love to chat!