Sales Director

This is an outstanding opportunity to join a market leading speciality chemical business. Well established, they have always possessed an enviable reputation across the market, with a client list to match, but are primed to climb to even greater heights.

Recent organic and inorganic growth has left them in a strong position, with equal development expected from their medium term growth strategy, they expect to be approaching £50m within 5 years.

The businesses has constantly kept ahead of competition, primarily through their technical capability providing a true value added service, but also from the commercial re-invigoration their strategic plans have brought. Quality of product and service is at the core of the business; their consistency of service delivery is of key focus.

They are performing well, and achieving above industry average commercial returns, but with the potential to do even better. The potential for the combined business is exciting, their recent inorganic growth further cementing their market position and increasing their market share through multi-channel approaches and strategic efficiencies, whilst re-investing heavily into the business to continue and accelerate its growth and financial position. They have a strong track record of investing in both process technology and in personnel to ensure the highest of standard of both product and service are maintained.

A key part of their strategy is the recruitment of a Sales Director to sit across all aspects of the business, and it’s sales teams, reporting into the overall Managing Director.

The appointee will take a high degree of autonomy in the sales development and leadership within the business, but with the full support of the Board and the parent Group. The successful candidate will design, develop and implement a clear strategy to understand the business’s sales processes, as well as commercial strengths before embarking on driving a profitable expansion of both value and volume of sales with existing customers, and beyond.

Duties and Responsibilities

Customers – Internal & External:

• To determine the best strategy to develop and increase profitable sales and maximise the benefits of the overall product portfolio as well as the brands and service
• To develop a commercial strategy of developing strategic individuals relationships with existing (cross) client companies with the objectives of increasing visibility and exposure, and ultimately, increasing sales value/volume
• To develop and maintain mutually beneficial working relationships with all customers and partners
• To provide the required information to ensure timely and accurate communications
• Ensuring that the commercial function is consistently presented to a high level to promote a professional image to the internal and external customer

Leadership:

• Take leadership control of the sales teams, understanding and learning from their processes, strength and weaknesses before working to create a refined vision, culture and external voice
• Take a hands on role in leading the sales function. The desire to lead from the front and taking a personal sales target will be essential.
• Undertake regular reviews of the entire sales function and it’s people to improve customer service, performance and productivity.

Financial:

• To plan and prepare sales forecasts and budgets and ensure that sales profitability, volume and budget objectives are achieved
• Ensure that all management information is produced and distributed within the stated deadlines
• Proactively work towards the achievement of the company overall budgets and forecasts
• To ensure that limits of authority and sign off levels are adhered to

Business Processes & Safety:

• Ensure all policies and procedures are adhered to and to ensure that controls are effective
• Ensure that you are aware and comply with all company policies including health and safety

Specific Performance Deliverables and KPIs:

• The sales and profit performance of the Company and your designated markets.
• Meeting various deadlines
• Accuracy of budgets and forecasts
• Customer satisfaction performance of your function
• Implementation of cost reduction solutions
• Improvement and delivery of management information

Person Specification

Core Capabilities:

• Results driven
• Customer service focus
• Leadership capabilities
• Planning and monitoring
• Judgement and decision-making
• Forward thinking
• Excellent verbal and written communication, consulting and networking skills
• Excellent negotiation and numeracy skills
• Ability to work within a team
• Excellent people management skills
• Integrity
• Self motivated
• Ability to prioritise workloads, meet deadlines and maintain accuracy at all times
• Ability to work independently and with the vision to ensure customer development
• Must be able to travel internationally when required

Qualifications & Experience:

• Preferably degree educated
• Experience of the Speciality Chemical sector or a similarly technically led industry
• Experience of selling and dealing with ‘value added’ highly technical services/products
• Significant exposure to a global marketplace would be a distinct advantage
• Demonstrated ability to lead process changes
• Excellent communication and listening skills, both internally and externally and appreciation of cultural requirements
• Ability to tailor communications to the appropriate audience

This is a career defining, fantastic opportunity for an experienced, operationally aware and commercial Client-facing professional, with exposure to a technical sector, to take a key, senior leadership role within, and add significant value to an already high-performing market leader.