Application Guide
How to Apply for Sales & Partnerships Associate
at Mercado Global
🏢 About Mercado Global
Mercado Global is a nonprofit social enterprise that connects sustainable, ethical fashion to the financial independence of rural Indigenous women artisans in Latin America. By partnering with brands like Levi Strauss, Stitch Fix, Stuart Weitzman, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale's, Mercado Global has generated nearly $10 million in sales for artisan partners and supported over 2,000 women entrepreneurs. Working here means directly contributing to a mission that keeps children in school and elevates women into leadership roles in their communities.
About This Role
This Sales & Partnerships Associate role is a hybrid of executive support and hands-on account management: you’ll be the EVP of Strategic Partnerships’ right hand on client and board calls, manage Salesforce pipeline, schedule meetings, prepare proposals, coordinate samples and order follow-up, and handle conference logistics. You’ll also own the stockist list, manage existing boutique accounts, prospect new ones via Faire and other channels, conduct market research, and produce monthly sell-through reports. It’s a high-impact position where you’ll help scale ethical fashion partnerships while growing into potential marketing and influencer support.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with a pipeline review in Salesforce, followed by a scheduling sync with the EVP to prepare for a client call with a brand like Nordstrom. Midday you might draft a proposal for a new boutique prospect on Faire, coordinate sample shipments, and follow up on an existing order. In the afternoon, you could join a board call as the EVP’s right hand, then update the stockist list and compile sell-through data for the monthly report—all while keeping the artisan mission at the center of every task.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Mercado Global Is Looking For
- 2+ years of experience in sales support, account management, or executive assistance, ideally in fashion, retail, or a mission-driven organization.
- Proficiency with Salesforce (or similar CRM) for pipeline management, reporting, and data hygiene; familiarity with Faire or wholesale platforms is a plus.
- Highly organized and proactive self-starter who can juggle executive scheduling, client calls, sample coordination, and order follow-up without dropping details.
- Comfortable moving between executive support and active selling—able to draft proposals, research prospects, and speak confidently with boutique buyers and board members.
- Bilingual Spanish/English strongly preferred, given the role’s focus on Latin American artisan partners and potential Guatemala-based work.
📝 Tips for Applying to Mercado Global
Highlight any experience with Salesforce or similar CRM in your resume and cover letter—be specific about how you used it for pipeline management, reporting, or account tracking.
Mention Faire or other wholesale marketplaces by name if you’ve used them; this shows you understand the exact channel Mercado Global uses for boutique prospecting.
Quantify your sales or account management impact (e.g., 'grew boutique accounts by X%' or 'managed 50+ stockists') to demonstrate you can own the stockist list end-to-end.
Emphasize your ability to support an executive while also selling—give examples of times you scheduled high-level calls, prepared briefing materials, and still closed or managed accounts.
If you’re based in Guatemala or Latin America, state that clearly and connect it to the role’s location preference; if not, explain your remote work setup and availability for Latin America time zones.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
In your cover letter, focus on: (1) your hands-on Salesforce/CRM and wholesale account management experience, especially with boutique or ethical fashion accounts; (2) your ability to be a proactive right hand to an executive—scheduling, preparing proposals, and following up on orders; (3) your familiarity with Faire or similar platforms and your track record of prospecting new accounts; and (4) your connection to Mercado Global’s mission and why supporting Indigenous women artisans in Latin America matters to you personally or professionally.
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Study Mercado Global’s brand partners (Levi Strauss, Stitch Fix, Stuart Weitzman, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s) and their sustainability or ethical fashion initiatives to understand the partnership landscape.
- → Explore Faire’s wholesale marketplace and how brands typically manage boutique accounts there; be ready to discuss how you’d use it for prospecting and account management.
- → Research the Indigenous artisan communities Mercado Global works with in Latin America and the specific impact metrics (e.g., $10M in sales, 2,000+ women entrepreneurs) to speak authentically about the mission.
- → Look up recent press, annual reports, or social media from Mercado Global to understand their current sales strategy, new partnerships, and any marketing or influencer efforts you might eventually support.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating this as a generic sales role and ignoring the executive support aspect—don’t fail to mention scheduling, board call support, or proposal preparation.
- Not mentioning Salesforce, Faire, or wholesale account management by name; generic CRM experience without specifics won’t stand out for this role.
- Overlooking the nonprofit and ethical fashion context—avoid focusing only on revenue targets without connecting to the mission of empowering Indigenous women artisans.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Mercado Global!