Sales Director

Executive Management | United Kingdom - National Coverage

The position is directly accountable for driving sales opportunities and delivering the overall order intake associated with the UK and Ireland territories, reporting to the Managing Director (MD).  The role will be responsible for the design and implementation of the sales strategy from the business planning through to execution, spanning the management and engagement of the external sales teams and managers through to the deployment and maintenance of the CRM system and sales lead funnel management.  The role will deliver against sales targets, which will span a range of solutions, services and products, all of which are sold across a variety of geographies/regions, markets and sectors.  These sales are also undertaken on a direct basis and also indirect through a number of distribution channels and partners.  Maintaining market share and targeting growth across different customers, markets and sectors will be key, in conjunction with collaborating on marketing and growth initiatives at a UK or corporate level.

Essential Duties/Principal Responsibilities :

Market/Customers

• Develop and drive the sales strategy and associated sales plans to deliver lead generation and order intake against budgets and revised forecast targets. 
• Manage the overall day-to-day activities of the external sales management team and ensuring resourcing is at appropriate levels in order to deliver against targets.
• Deliver against targets within the various markets sectors, customer types and geographies, in conjunction with ensuring that the sales mix across the company portfolio is also realized.
• Maintaining a customer centric focus across, ensuring regular meetings and co-ordination with key customers and accounts.
• A clear understanding of our competitors is essential, undertaking analysis where appropriate to identify gaps and opportunities within the markets in which Xylem operates.
• Tools such as CRM will be key to driving sales accountability, ensuring that all sales personnel are using the necessary tools and reports to create competitive and commercial advantage.

People & Systems

• Leadership and day to day management of 5 senior managers and indirect responsibility for approximately 85 external sale staff, team leaders and business development managers (BDM).
• Sales team is subdivided across a number of product types, markets, segments, geographies to maximise growth of our direct and indirect order intake.  This role therefore will need to have a willingness to travel extensively, both to manage the sales teams but also meet with key customers.
• Lead, develop, and empower teams to achieve sales targets
• Ownership of People engagement and leadership development initiatives and action plans arising from people engagement surveys. 
• Driving CPG discussions and identifying development and training needs will be key, culminating in ensuring that every direct and indirect member of the team have a clear development plan.
• Ensuring the sales organization has an effective sales training programme, which aligns to corporate programmes.

Budget Responsibilities

• Support in preparation of annual Op Plan and forecasts across all aspects of order intake and sales, which will span across the entire product portfolio, geographies and internal growth centers (GCs). Undertake analysis and agree these operating budgets with the MD, and engage as necessary with other corporate stakeholders.  Ensure the budgets are cascaded through the organisation and that SIP plans reflect the commercial/operational priorities and targets.
• Responsible for  delivering overall  order intake of circa  £140 million (variable year on year) across the various product lines and GCs ensuring that these sales are in adherence to DOA levels and that the sales margin are achievable.
• Prepare sales forecasts and budgets; monitor sales volume, order intake, and associated margins against forecasts to identify problem areas; and re-allocate resources to improve the overall performance of the sales team.

Other Spans of influence, decision making and control

• Negotiate sales with existing and new customers who are of strategic importance to the organization and that all time being compliant with company policies and ensuring commerciality of all contracts  
• Ownership and development of sales, customer satisfaction/retention strategies, including NPS surveys and actions plans arising.
• Develop and Contribute to marketing and advertising campaigns at both a local and corporate level.  
• Implementing an effective time sales pipeline and sales lead tracking processes across all external sales team.
• Manage distributors and sales channels through a combination formal agreements and discussions to ensure that targets are being met and/or corrective actions are taken.
• Maintain focus on customer accounts including engagement with customers on disputes and Account Receivables
• Collaborate with Commercial team and at times lead tendering and bid activities for the Xylem product portfolio.  Support negotiations with new customers.
•  Focus on continuous improvement across all systems and processes to drive efficiency through the organisation.

Skills/Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in related field and or qualified by experience.
• Extensive experience in a similar role
• Related experience in sales
• Water industry experience preferred 
• Experience of change management
• Communication and interpersonal skills

Information

• Location: United Kingdom

Industry experience

Education: Bachelor

Seniority: VP, Exec VP, MD, Dean, General Manager, Business Unit Manager

Media

Taxonomy

• Strategy Consulting
• Project Management
• Sales & Marketing
• Marketing
• Referral Marketing
• Marketing Communications
• Sales & Distribution
• Sales
• Program Management & Strategic Planning
• Technical Sales Representative