Permanent - Head of Sales - Africa Region - Ekurhuleni (East Rand) - South Africa

Role Definition:

• Manage and direct the Sales activities within the region to ensure consistent growth in orders and profit to grow sales into the Region and meet the objectives of the company's overall business plans and strategies.
• Responsible for the overall coordination, functional management, and leadership of all commercial activity.
• Work closely with the local team as well as the company team to ensure adequate support to the needs of customer to achieve the objectives of the company's overall business plans and strategies.

Main tasks and responsibilities:

• Overall responsibility to ensure that tenders meet company commercial guidelines and have the necessary sign off in accordance with the delegation of authority guidelines.
• Responsible for developing and implementing growth plans in line with the regional strategy.
• Maintain contact with key customers and stay ahead of impending projects.
• Ensure effective client relationship building and put in place management processes (including acting on feedback from Customer Satisfaction Surveys) to positively influence the client and create a pre-disposition to view company as the preferred source of supply.
• Develop and manage sales channels, sales planning, regional sales agents, segment training and promotional activities.
• Develop, manage and motivate a regional sales team (talent attracting, developing, and retaining the required skills, according to the strategy and growth plan).
• Work together with other teams to develop sales strategies for the region and produce accurate sales forecasts.
• Maintain knowledge of market and industry trends, competitors, and leading customer strategies
• Responsible for budget planning, forecasting and monthly reporting.
• Maintain relevant areas of CRM database, ensuring that company sales forecast and best prospect lists are provided to schedule.
• Attendance at monthly sales operations meetings and completion of fortnightly updates to relevant areas of the business to ensure overall visibility of sales pipeline and order status.
• This role involves 50% of travelling.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline or similar.
• A post-graduate business qualification or can clearly demonstrate experience of running a successful business.
• A minimum of 10 years Graduate / post-graduate working experience.
• Post-graduate training in a mechanical engineering OEM preferably (although not essential) and with a strong knowledge about centrifugal pump or rotating equipment industry.
• Solid background of sales management (min. 5 years) in an engineering services fast moving and growing environment.
• Strong people management experience, evidence of setting up a successful team and used to matrix organization.
• Experience in setting up new business opportunities.
• Regional experience > 10 years.
• Experience with international companies preferably with good exposure to African market as well as customers in the region.
• Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM tools. Reasonable knowledge of MS Office suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel & analytical tools).