Senior Sales Manager

LHH202105

Automotive

THE COMPANY

Our client is a multi-billion-dollar globally diversified company that designs and manufactures various engineered components and products. Their growing automotive business unit, which exceeds one billion dollars in sales, is comprised of four main product segments with operations on three continents. Their customers include OEM and Tier 1 automotive companies. The company continues to experience growth in a rapidly changing environment as a leading manufacturer of specialized comfort components.

THE OPPORTUNITY

As a Senior Sales Manager, the primary responsibilities are strategically focused on generating partnerships with new customers and continuous building of existing customer relationships to promote growth of the business. This role is the connection to customers and is responsible for leading customer and/or product initiatives to drive profitable sales growth. With the use of basic engineering knowledge, and a dynamic sales team, this position is designed for an articulate and results driven sales leader.

This position reports to the Director of Sales North America with two (2) direct reports.

JOB DEFINITION

The ideal candidate will demonstrate solid presentation and interpersonal skills with a proven background managing sales teams. Additionally, direct experience selling highly engineered/technical products and/or solutions into the automotive industry is critical to this position. He/she will be customer-centric, self-motivated, and successful at building and developing relationships internally and externally. Our client is looking for someone with face-to-face experience in communicating with customers at all levels, including C-suite and top engineering and purchasing executives. The successful candidate must be committed to helping to drive the revenue growth within North America. This candidate will align, embrace, and embody the values of the company; Communication, Continuous Improvement, High Expectations, Accountability, Speed, Quality, Teamwork and Integrity.

SKILLS

This position will execute aggressive but realistic annual sales plans targeted to increase market share.

Works closely with the Director of Sales North America in developing and implementing strategic sales plan targeted on sustainable growth within North America.
Strong commercial mindset with a track record of selling into OEM and Tier 1 engineering and purchasing groups to effectively sell partnership and value over price.
Proven ability to proactively develop, manage, and enhance new and existing customer relationships.
Customer focused and relationship driven to achieve overall revenue growth by customer, product and region. Assists the Director of Sales North America to create effective sales tactics that maximize business development efforts.
Ensures that the voice of the customer is communicated to internal cross-functional teams. Weekly face-to-face meetings with customers to identify solutions and circumnavigate any obstacles.
Help to develops sales and account management strategy, process and underlying objectives for the team(s).
Promote a positive, constructive and solutions-oriented team environment. Proven ability to demonstrate the highest level of integrity professionally and personally.
Deeply integrate into organization’s value chain to enable candidate to quickly develop accurate sales proposals for customer requests.
Proactively identify new business opportunities that match company and business segment objectives and capabilities.
Validates solution pricing and contract-specific revenue proposals with the Senior Business Director to ensure economic viability.
Develops 18-month forecast to understand industry trends, customer demands and new business opportunities.
Leads the product presentations to existing and new customers, acquires RFQ’s and provides value add quoting in a timely manner. Responsible for negotiations and quote changes.
Tracks the accounting status with customers to ensure the accounts receivable and accounts payable are timely and up to date.
Maintains and continually enhances a sales and revenue forecasting system that provides accurate, reliable, and predictable information regarding retention of existing customers, prospects, viable opportunities, and contracts. Executes both annual and monthly sales plans and objectives. Monitors sales infrastructure to enhance and support operations.
Maintains strong partnerships with value chain to fully align business processes with sales operations.
Drive the organizations sales growth for the NA market for all automotive product groups.

BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE

Minimum of 5+ sales years’ experience within the Automotive industry.
Must have experience going through an entire sales cycle process from start to finish.
Proven ability to connect to customers and get “buy-in” to promote growth of the business.
Must have a proven track record of winning new customers/business and cultivating relationships/business with existing customers.
Basic engineering/technical knowledge to positively lead a sales team through the sales process.
Ability to promote new products with today’s customers as well as existing products with new customers, anticipate market trends, provide early input to the Engineering Team on new developments to get ahead of the competitors.
Exceptional interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
Proven ability to communicate with all functions internally.
Team player; promoting a consistent balance to the sales team. Effectively work at a tactical level and handle multiple projects simultaneously.
Demonstrates ability to manage the negotiation process with customer on behalf of the company.
Values aligned to a values-driven organization.
High emotional intelligence and willingness to be a “Roll-Up-Your-Sleeves” participative sales leader.
International mindset, to ensure the best communication with NA customers having a global footprint and with the global team.
Proven ability to develop business plans which address delivery pipeline, performance-against-budget and projected future activity.
Proven track record in executing successful sales strategies that maximize revenue growth. Proven track record of successfully growing revenue while maintaining required profitability metrics.
Proven ability in create accountability at the management level, and to lead by example.
Demonstrates financial acumen and related analysis skills, budget planning and creation, understanding pricing strategies and the ability to create highly accurate sales and revenue forecasting models.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business or Marketing is required.
MBA highly preferred.

If you have these qualifications and are looking for a challenging career, please submit your Resume using the button below.

Nicole Regula

Lead Consultant

Jodi Ellis

Director, Executive Recruitment

Eric Hohauser

President