The company

Bounce is a purpose-driven Belgian startup pioneering a more sustainable way of playing tennis and padel. Born from a simple observation: millions of pressurized balls are discarded every year across Europe. Bounce built a full ecosystem designed to extend ball lifespan and reduce the environmental footprint of racket sports.

Their solution operates on two fronts: a player-facing offer (pressurized ball rental available directly to players) and a club-facing solution focused on extending ball lifespan while providing sorting and collection infrastructure.

The company is led by three co-founders:

• Antoine Wouter Commercial Development

• Gregory Merguerian Finance, Operations & International Business Development

• Maxime Sohet Product & Strategy

Here is a short introductory video : here

Why join Bounce now

• Be one of the first senior hires and shape the international distribution strategy from the ground up

• Operate with a high degree of autonomy ; you won't start from zero, but you'll have room to leave your mark

• Join a mission-driven company at the intersection of sports and sustainability, two of the fastest-growing sectors in Europe

• Work directly with the founding team ; short decision cycles, real impact, no corporate bureaucracy

Missions

Reporting and working closely with the founding team, the Sales Export Director will be the architect of Bounce's international distribution strategy. They will identify, qualify, onboard, and manage the right distributor and agent partners across new markets, combining strategic thinking with hands-on field execution.

This is a hunter and builder role: equal parts opening new markets and ensuring long-term commercial success in each territory.

1. Build & activate Bounce's international distribution network

Market Mapping & Agency Selection

• Conduct systematic market mapping by country: identify distribution agencies operating in sport accessories, racket sports or adjacent categories

• Screen agency portfolios: prioritize agencies that have already carried tennis/padel/sport accessory brands

• Analyze agency fit across volume of business, geographic coverage, commercial team size, retailer relationships and mission alignment

• Build and maintain a structured pipeline of qualified distribution agencies across target markets at any given time

• Track competitor distribution moves: who is using which agency, which agencies are available to take on a new exciting brand

Sales & commercial execution

• Run the full sales cycle: from prospecting and pitching to negotiating and closing distribution agreements

• Define terms, exclusivity zones, minimum volumes, reporting requirements and brand guidelines compliance for each partnership

• Define and execute the go-to-market strategy for each indirect market in close collaboration with the founders

2. Develop, train & retain distribution partners

Onboarding & training

• Build onboarding programs for new distribution agencies: product training, pitch scripts, objection handling, pricing logic, margin structure

• Train agency commercial teams and sales representatives of retailers and distributors on Bounce's value proposition, sustainability positioning and key selling arguments for each channel

• Support marketing localization in collaboration with the Brand team: adapt Bounce's communication assets for each market and ensure agency teams use them correctly

Partner development & growth

• Define clear KPIs per agency: quarterly volume targets, club acquisition targets, new retailer listings

• Conduct regular business reviews : performance vs. targets, market feedback, pricing adjustments, new opportunities

• Challenge and support clients on their local marketing plans, ensuring message consistency and strategic alignment across all indirect markets

• Identify when an agency relationship has reached its ceiling and model the right transition timing, either renegotiating terms or preparing a direct market entry

3. Represent Bounce & drive performance across markets

Brand & market presence

• Be the face of Bounce in all indirect markets: connect with key decision-makers of tennis and padel companies, build trust-based relationships with distributors, retailers and federation contacts

• Attend key racket sports events and trade shows to build relationships and spot new distribution opportunities

Performance tracking & collaboration

• Monitor the commercial performance of all indirect markets against defined KPIs: volume targets, new club and retailer acquisitions, agency sell-through rates, market penetration

• Continuously optimize the commercial and marketing strategy per market based on results and field intelligence

• Report directly to the CEO with regular structured meetings with the full founders team to align on go-to-market strategies, present KPI reports and brainstorm new market opportunities

Expected profile

Experience

• 5 to 8 years in international sales, export development or distribution management, ideally in sport accessories, racket sports, lifestyle sport or consumer goods

• Proven track record of identifying, selecting and onboarding distribution agencies across European markets

• Understanding of the economics of distribution: margins, agency fee structures, exclusivity trade-offs, minimum volume logic

Language Skills

• English mandatory (written and verbal)

• French (able to hold a conversation)

• Other language is a significant plus given target markets

Hard skills

• Highly analytical: able to build market maps, score and compare distribution partners, model commercial scenarios and manage a structured CRM pipeline

• Comfortable building go-to-market plans from scratch for new territories with full autonomy

• Able to ensure partner teams carry the right commercial and brand messaging across all channels

Soft skills & Mindset

• Hunter and builder DNA: you enjoy mapping a market, building from zero, and watching the numbers grow : you do not wait for a playbook, you write it

• Rigorous, organized and relationship-driven: managing 6 to 8 markets simultaneously requires both airtight pipeline management and genuine people skills

• Genuine passion for sport and sincere buy-in on sustainability, comfortable with the ambiguity and fast pace of a scaling startup

Location, date of arrival & contract

Location

• Headquarters: Wavre, Belgium

• Flexible working arrangement: mix of remote, office presence, and travel

• Regular presence with the founding team expected (weekly touchpoints)

Start Date : ASAP

Contract Type : Freelance or long term contract