Sales Director - Placon Corporation

The Sales Director is responsible for developing a sales strategy and executing on that plan year over year. Additional responsibilities include developing and implementing all related sales programs designed to grow revenue; developing and delivering sales objectives and strategies in alignment with overall market and corporate direction; developing recommendations regarding opportunities to maximize sales through sound market research and data that match our core competencies and providing oversight and management of salesforce to ensure current customer and profit base is retained and grown.

Essential Accountabilities

1. Represent Placon brand in professional environment including customer presentations, trade shows and industry events.
2. Manage overall sales process including but not limited to: pipeline management, account strategy execution, development of territory plans, utilize current selling system methodologies.
3. Identify and implement new business development initiatives in target markets and geographies to achieve Department and Individual Major Objectives annually.
4. Work with sales team to identify prospects and targets through the use of market based research and analysis and ensure opportunities are developed using established sales process;
5. Provide support and guidance to the sales team to ensure existing customer relationships are maintained and grown. Ensure the communication and escalation of at risk business.
6. Manage sales staff by mentoring and counseling employees, as well as planning, monitoring and appraising job performance.
7. Manage the sales compensation plan, including establishing targets for Regional Managers and approving incentive payouts.
8. Establish sales plan/budget; monitor and ensure sales objectives are met.
9. Forecast key accounts and new business quarterly.
10. Establish and maintain high level contacts within key customers.
11. Responsible for margin performance including evaluating margin and value added in each account, establishing targets and goals and monitoring progress.
12. Develop and monitor effective sales analysis tools.
13. Develop, document and manage the sales process.
14. Gain support and alignment of cross-functional departments to achieve Department Major Objectives.
15. Manage the proposal process and coordination of supporting resources.
16. Oversee account and target review process and follow-up on findings.
17. Conduct and coordinate all contractual negotiations for key accounts as assigned.
18. Responsible for compliance to ISO work instructions and procedures as assigned.
19. All other duties as assigned by Manager.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Engineering, Business Administration or related degree.
• Minimum of 3 - 8 years sales team management experience (having direct reports). Minimum of 5 years direct sales experience; including at least 3 -5 years with large National Accounts experience at high levels in the customer's organization.

Desired Skills

• Ability to lead sales team and drive results.
• Demonstrated effective leadership skills.
• Experience within the thermoforming and injection molding industry, with emphasis on Retail, Food, Processor or Medical packaging applications.
• Demonstrated creativity and ability to learn and integrate new concepts and ideas rapidly.
• Strong computer literacy with applications software

Position Requirements

Effective communication skills: listening, verbal and written; quantitative analysis skills, strong listening skills, strong investigation skills, cold calling, comfortable with understanding and communicating information of a technical nature. Strong understanding of profit and loss statements with a demonstrated ability to affect results.

Work Environment Conditions:

Physical Requirements: (what/how often)

Normal Office

Light Work (lift 10 lbs.): Presentation equipment

Medium Work (lift 11-30 lbs.): Tradeshow equipment and product samples

Heavy Work (lift 31-50 lbs.): (Minimal) case of product and samples

Other Physical Requirements: Ability to travel by air and car

Equipment/Tools Used

Personal computer, fax, phone, copy machine, Oracle, MS Office software, salesforce.com

Mental Requirements:

Reading, Writing, Calculating

Interpersonal Skills

Reasoning/Analysis

Works with Minimal Supervision

Other Mental Requirements: Ability to manage multiple priorities and complex projects

Travel Frequency (in addition to seminars or related training):

Approximately 70% travel required.

2-3 times per week (Customers, Tradeshows, Corporate office, etc.)