Apparel Product Development Manager Jobs in Kansas

Who We Are

Mishimoto's mission is to empower automotive enthusiasts through engineered solutions that elevate performance, reliability, and design — enabling them to push their vehicles further with confidence. Our foundation is in performance cooling, but our mission extends to any engineered product that meaningfully improves the vehicles our customers care deeply about. We build for people who are part of the car community — who modify, upgrade, and obsess over their vehicles as a form of self-expression. Our vision is to become the trusted performance partner for automotive enthusiasts worldwide.

Job Summary

The Territory Development Rep (TDR) is Mishimoto's boots-on-the-ground presence in the field — the person who turns a wholesale distributor relationship into real sell-through at the shop counter. This is a net-new field role built specifically to drive pull-through demand: working shops directly, riding alongside WD outside reps, training counter staff and installers, and representing Mishimoto at events across the territory. The TDR does not own the WD's commercial relationship (that's the Account Manager's job) — they own getting Mishimoto product moving off the shelf and into vehicles. Each territory includes WD and prospect accounts in both the US and Canada, so this role requires regular cross-border travel.

Primary Responsibilities

Field Sales & Shop Visits

• Independently visit installer shops, retailers, and other accounts within the territory to build relationships, check merchandising, and drive product awareness.
• Prioritize which shops and WD branches to visit using the regional coverage map and order-density data, rather than covering the territory evenly.
• Identify shops in-territory that don't currently carry Mishimoto and work with the relevant WD to get them onboarded.
• Execute point-of-purchase merchandising and displays at shop counters where applicable.

Wholesale Distributor Partnership

• Ride along with WD outside sales reps on their regular routes to jointly call on shops and dealers.
• Serve as the WD's go-to Mishimoto field contact — not just a periodic ride-along guest, but a known, responsive partner between visits.
• Deliver product and fitment training sessions to WD inside staff, outside reps, and shop technicians.
• Provide first-line answers to installer and counter questions on fitment, install issues, and warranty, escalating to Customer Experience as needed.

Events & Trade Shows

• Staff and run the Mishimoto booth at regional trade shows, car shows, and events where Mishimoto has its own presence.
• Represent Mishimoto inside a WD's or dealer's booth at events where Mishimoto does not have a standalone presence.
• Coordinate event logistics and local sponsorships with Marketing, including transport/setup of booth materials and use of co-op funds where applicable.

Territory Planning & Reporting

• Maintain a visit cadence plan for the territory's shops and WD branches, in coordination with Sales Operations.
• Log shop visits, training sessions, competitive intelligence, and field product feedback in CRM.
• Report territory activity and sell-through trends to the Director of Sales on a regular cadence.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate with the Account Manager responsible for the territory's WD relationships to keep sell-in and sell-through messaging aligned.
• Partner with Sales Operations on coverage map upkeep, onboarding materials, and territory data.
• Complete new-hire onboarding and ongoing product training to stay current on the full catalog and new product launches — credibility in the field depends on it.

Success Metrics

Metric

Target / Focus

Territory sell-through revenue

Quarter-over-quarter growth in the assigned territory

Shop visit cadence

Consistent coverage per the territory visit plan

WD training sessions delivered

Regular cadence per WD branch / quarter

New shop accounts onboarded

Net-new shops added per quarter

Event participation

Booth coverage at key regional events

CRM / reporting discipline

Visit and training activity logged consistently

Qualifications

Required

• Genuine automotive enthusiast — comfortable talking shop with installers and technicians, not just reciting a spec sheet.
• Comfortable presenting to small and large groups (counter staff trainings, booth demos).
• Valid driver's license and a clean driving record; based within or near the assigned territory.
• Willingness to travel extensively within the territory, including overnight and weekend travel.
• Able to travel into Canada regularly and without restriction (valid passport; no legal barriers to cross-border entry) — this territory includes WD and prospect accounts on both sides of the US/Canada border.

Preferred

• Hands-on installation experience with performance products.
• Existing relationships with WDs, shops, or event organizers in the target territory.
• Experience with CRM tools and basic sales reporting.

What You Bring

Skills and experience matter — but so does who you are. We're building a team with a Founders Mentality, and the intangibles are non-negotiable:

• Drive — You don't wait to be pointed at work. You identify what needs to happen and make it happen.
• Grit — You grind through hard problems, absorb setbacks, and come back sharper. The work isn't always clean, and you're fine with that.
• Emotional intelligence — You read rooms, build trust across functions and seniority levels, and know when to push and when to listen.
• Team-first orientation — You understand that individual wins don't mean much if the team loses. You pick up what needs picking up.
• Winner's mentality — You keep score, hold yourself to a high standard, and genuinely care about outcomes — not just activity.
• Enthusiast mindset — You get the customer because in some way you are the customer. Passion for cars, performance, or the broader enthusiast culture is a genuine differentiator here.

Experience

• 2+ years in outside sales, field sales, or a distributor/WD-facing role, ideally in automotive aftermarket or performance parts.

Our Core Values

The principles that guide how we show up every day — and what we expect from everyone on the team.

TEAMWORK

Together, we create wins!

We win as a unit. Collaboration isn't a soft skill here — it's how work gets done. We have each other's backs and celebrate shared success.

MOTORHEADS

Built for car enthusiasts, by car enthusiasts.

We build for people who care deeply about their vehicles — because that's who we are. Genuine enthusiasm for the craft isn't optional; it drives everything.

INNOVATION

Innovate or die.

We don't preserve the status quo. We challenge assumptions, explore new solutions, and bring a restless curiosity to every category and every problem.

SERVICE

Going beyond to be the best.

We hold ourselves to a higher standard in everything — for our customers, our channel partners, and each other. Good enough is never good enough.

HEART

It drives us forward.

We bring genuine passion to the work. Heart is what separates going through the motions from making something worth being proud of. We care.

INTEGRITY

Honestly? We are passionate professionals.

We do what we say, say what we mean, and own our outcomes. Trust is the foundation of every relationship — with teammates, customers, and partners alike.

Working Conditions

• Ability to lift and transport trade show booth materials and product samples (up to 40 lbs).
• Extensive regional driving; periodic air travel for events outside daily driving range.
• Regular cross-border travel into Canada as part of normal territory coverage.
• Ability to stand for extended periods while staffing a booth or shop counter.