Sales Manager

This is an outstanding opportunity to join a market leading packaging business. They possess an enviable reputation across the market and a client list to match, but are focused on climbing to even greater heights. 

The business is seen as a trailblazer in their marketplace, constantly re-investing to keep ahead of the competition. This impressive business has evolved to maintain an innovative position in this highly evolving marketplace and has a clear focus on commercial input as well as new product innovation. Quality of product as well as service is at the core of the business.

The board have set about both an accelerated new product development strategy along with an ambitious  expansion program to drive exponential growth. This will be undertaken, with close input from the board, to bring new products to market over a 3-5 year time frame, leveraging the commercial channels set up in the short-term. This will in turn bring further investment in technologies and inorganic growth opportunities.

This privately owned, well-funded business is performing well. They are cash rich, debt free and with significant investment capital available. 

However, there exists significant appetite to accelerate recent growth achievements with the business seeking to more than double both turnover and EBITDA, whilst further cementing their market position, increasing their market share and internationalising the business, all the time re-investing heavily into the business to continue and accelerate its growth and financial position in the long term. They invest significantly in both process technology AND in personnel to ensure the highest of standard of both product and service are maintained.

This desire to continue to develop along with their default culture of high motivation and energy has led to the need to recruit a Sales Manager to take control and development key customers.

The appointees will take high degrees of autonomy in the management, development and leadership of their key markets, but with the full support of the Board. The successful candidates will design, develop and implement clear strategies to profitably expand the sales in their respective markets both through the established of new distribution networks and, crucially, through direct sales where appropriate. They will be tasked with achieving the agreed profitability and sales targets as well as the on-going performance.

But this is not a stand-still role. The appointees will be on a set succession planning strategy to broaden their role from overall control of regions to one of leading ever larger markets.

Duties and responsibilities

Customers – Internal & External:

• To determine the best strategy to develop profitable sales and maximise the benefits of the product portfolio and the brand and service
• To liaise, negotiate and help customers with the selection of the correct products based upon commercial and technical aspects
• To develop and maintain mutually beneficial working relationships with customers
• To provide the required information to ensure timely and accurate communications, ensuring that your function is consistently presented to a high level to promote a professional image to the internal and external customer

Financial:

• To monitor, in conjunction with the credit controller, the payment record and credit worthiness of all distributors and customers to ensure timely payments
• 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
• Undertake regular reviews of your function to improve customer service, performance and productivity

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

Qualifications & Experience:

• Preferably degree educated
• Exposure to a fast-paced, FMCG/Packaging/High Volume sector and product mix
• Experience of selling ‘value added’ manufactured products
• Demonstrated ability to lead process changes
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and general Office applications
• Excellent communication and listening skills, both internally and externally and appreciation of cultural requirements
• Ability to tailor communications to the appropriate audience
• Full driving licence

This is a career defining, fantastic opportunity for an experienced, operationally aware and commercial business development professional, with exposure to growth markets and add significant value to an already high-performing market leading business.