Sales Director ad interim

The Sales Director has the overall control and responsibility for all sales activities of the company. He/she is driving the sales in line with the strategy. This will require a dual approach: optimizing the more standard part of our portfolio whilst focusing on ambitiously growing the focus areas (products, markets, customers) through value selling.

This will require setting up and managing key processes: pricing management, selective growth through opportunity funnel management and product/customer portfolio management. This will be achieved by inspiring and driving a sales team that is based in The Netherlands and in our subsidiaries in France, Belgium and Germany.

Content:

• As part of the Management Team, develop and implement the client’s 5 year strategy.
• Contribute to the development of company strategy/business plan across all areas of the business, challenge assumptions and decision-making as appropriate.
• Provide sales and commercial insights.
• Co-lead the implementation of this strategy, lead the implementation of all sales related elements.
• Lead all sales activities, growing our overall margins through strong selective growth in our areas of strategic focus (products, markets, customers) whilst optimizing activities/costs in standard (non-focus) areas. This dual approach will need a purposeful and seasoned sales leader who is very conscious of the different dynamics of both parts of the business (commodity dynamics vs differentiated value sales).
• Manage and develop the sales teams, including hiring, training and performance management. Create and inspire a performance culture based on ambition to grow and a drive for results in order to grow our overall margins. Instigate a sense-of-urgency to improve in a decisive way.
• Develop and implement the necessary processes that will lay the foundation for success:
• Pricing process: value selling, commodity pricing,…
• Growth processes: opportunity funnel management,…
• Profitability improvement processes: product/customer portfolio management, customer segmentation,..
• Any other process deemed necessary to achieve our strategic goal.
• With profitability and cash forecasting being key in our competitive business, having a reliable sales forecast (on the right level of granularity) is key. This process is existing but needs more attention and more granularity. This is needed so that it can be used as a reliable basis for other important business decisions: purchasing of RMs, stock levels of intermediates/finished products, cash position. Furthermore, a more reliable sales forecast will give a good indication of the successful implementation of our business strategy.
• Form a close working relationship with the other members of the management team to drive the strategy as well as to identify and realize business performance improvement opportunities.

Profile:

• Master degree in Economics/Business Engineering/Administration/Engineering or equivalent through experience.
• 7-10 years of experience in leading international sales teams, preferably in a B2B environment. Indicatively at least 15 years of overall work experience.
• Industry sales experience would be considered an asset, as would be experience in the construction industry.
• A strong drive to substantially grow margins, the will to be an active and confident team player in a winning team.
• Outspoken change agent, transforming the current culture to be driven by selective growth and margin improvements.
• Strong affinity and in-depth experience with creating and implementing sales processes in terms of pricing management, growth funnel management/sales development as well as profitability improvement processes.
• Hands-on person who feels at home in a mid-sized company environment where he/she will have immediate impact, taking ownership and getting things done.
• Ability to handle multiple priorities and steer a clear course in spite of unexpected/expected hurdles/challenges/issues.
• A respected, confident and inspiring communicative leader, with the capability to manage and motivate our sales teams across Europe effectively.
• Analytically strong person who, supported by our finance function, can understand what needs doing and then implement the action soonest.
• Fluency in English, German and French is required. Knowledge of Dutch would be considered a strong asset.

Practical

• Minimal 6 months likely to be extended.