UK and Ireland Commercial Director

UK and Ireland Commercial Director

 Position Purpose:

This key position drives our growth agenda via maintaining and growing our current core business within the swine, ruminant and speciality sector within our selected customer segments.

Supports and leads execution and implementation of the long-term sales vision and goals. Plans, deploys and monitors sales tactics to reach PCM and AOE targets within selected customer segments. Leads and provides direction to front-line sales workforce professionals and sales supervisors. Supervises all sales operational activities across a defined portfolio of products/services within a broader geographic/territory.

Major Tasks:

BUILD, DEVELOP & MAINTAIN INTERNAL/EXTERNAL CUSTOMER/CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS

• Leads the planning and tactical execution of sales plans and goals. Ensures that the sales organization/teams continuously build and develop integrated relationships with external/internal customers.
• Executes Sales Effectiveness Framework to ensure customer connectivity philosophy is effectively deployed to the sales/account management teams. Takes direct responsibility for customer satisfaction and business retention. Directly maintains and pursues relationships with more strategic and transactional customers/accounts and collaborates closely with sales management leadership to support the development of customer relationships.
• Leads and supports the sales/account management teams to achieve the overall success of customer relationships by delivering the targeted business/financial results for the defined portfolio of products/services and the customer. Identifies and informs the need for improvements or enhancements to the portfolio of product and services.

• Within defined area of scope and responsibility;
• Supports and ensures tactical alignment of medium/short term business drivers and capabilities as well as executes marketing/sales plans as it relates to product/market segmentation, pricing, channels, etc) to ultimately deliver value-added solutions.
• Possess general industry as well as deep local market knowledge; collaborates cross-functionally to identify and to inform emerging industry trends, business opportunities, and potential value creation and optimization generated from innovation discoveries.
• Possess a solid understanding of the markets in which the sales team operates, and knows what is required to successfully operate in the respective market/industry/segment.
• Facilitates the flow of information and communicates/informs market trends, competition, and cross-functional account specific initiatives that can be leveraged across immediate sales teams and across multiple departments/business.

• Directly supervises the day-to-day sales operations activities; executes and deploys the sales plans, vision and goals across the portfolio of products/services.
• Supports and implements the business value proposition for a consolidated action plan aimed at improving effectiveness in prospecting, cross selling, management/renewals of accounts, presentations/negotiation and execution of contracts.
• Supports the management team in defining the competitive landscape for the sales group. Supports the identification and prioritization product growth, and new product opportunities and services through customer feedback insights, customer needs, and business capabilities.
• Executes the minimum pricing strategy and allocation decisions for each product/service to ultimately drive profitability according to market demand and competition.
• May directly or indirectly negotiate contracts that involve medium-short term and more complex negotiation techniques.
• Coaches team on negotiation techniques; from gathering information from multiple resources through demonstrating control and understanding of buyers needs to achieve “win-win” outcomes.
• Determines and administers territory management and planning processes for the assigned geographic areas. Allocates resources based on territory coverage design and implementation requirements.

• Sets and executes sales objectives, goals and has direct responsibility for monitoring established targets (i.e. growth rate, gross margin contribution, profit criteria, revenue). Responsible for the monitoring and overall execution of the detailed plan of activities to ensure sales targets and goals are achieved.
• Executes and monitors performance standards for the sales organization. Directs and reassess priorities in order to achieve sales volume objectives for the defined portfolio of products/services.
• Develops and monitor medium/short-term sales forecasting and measurement processes that incorporate complex market variations to support the overall organization’s strategy and goals (i.e. annual/quarterly/monthly/weekly results).
• Leads and oversees the tactical deployment and execution of sales targets and performance program(s). Consolidates and monitors aggregated team performance and addresses performance gaps.
• Monitors closely and informs changes in market conditions and adjust performance metrics that will effectively drive desired performance. Supports change management efforts to increase overall sales team effectiveness

• Directly supervises the day-to-day operations and executes talent management programs to attract, train and develop top sales supervisors/professionals and to ensure optimum level of workforce engagement.
• Holds direct reports accountable for actively addressing engagement issues and promotes best practices in sales effectiveness and engagement areas. Champions and deploys the “Sales Effectiveness Framework” and drives team work culture and alignment to goals.
• Responsible for developing sales professionals inclusive of a more diverse workforce by seeking multiple approaches to source/attract diverse talent and resources allocation.
• Has direct accountability for the sales workforce planning and staffing; identifies the critical skills and knowledge required for optimum job performance; champions the recognition of the best contributors; and identifies/removes barriers to performance. Sets and deploys metrics to assess, develop, and promote people. Executes training and on-boarding of new/transferred employees as well as workforce engagement, recognition, development, retention, succession planning, and coaching.
• Administers and completes Performance Measurement Plans (PMP) and establishes development goals aligned with business and sales management strategy. Identifies and develops key talent to support future business needs. Coaches and develops the sales team and defines career growth paths. Identities skills gaps and creates targeted developmental plans. Provides straightforward feedback; addresses performance issues by implementing actionable developmental plans and executes for all employees.
• Executes and monitors total sales compensation plans to ensure best fit of business strategy, sales goals and objectives (i.e. farmer vs. hunter approach; strategic vs. transactional). Ensures compensation communication is delivered timely and appropriately; and is aligned with individual performance factors, country market data, and internal guidelines.
• Responsible for overall sales budget within defined area of scope. Manages resources assigned to the portfolio of products and services to efficiently and effectively deliver all sales operations services.Qualifications
•  Requirements:
• Proven commercial team leadership with direct supervision of front-line sales supervisors and/or customer facing sales professionals
• Proven track record of growing sales within selected customer segments
• Key Account Management skills
• Fluent in English, both written and verbal
• Will be required to travel extensively (upto 50 %), mostly in UK
• Successfully finished an Academic education
• Animal Nutrition experience preferred but not essential
• >10 years of progressive sales leadership experience
• 5+ years of experience leading a team
• Proven track record of delivering business growth in premix/nutritional solutions
• Entrepreneurial self-starter and team player
• Strong commercial and negotiation skills
• Consultative selling and coaching skills
• Ability to operate within a matrix organization
• Can handle tight deadlines and priorities
• Strategic and Results Orientated
• Communication (listening skills)Preferred Requirements:
• Ms. In Animal Nutrition degree (pre) preferred but not essential
• Additional MBA (pre) preferred but not essential
• Key Account Management
• Sales through distribution channels
• Customer SegmentationIdeally deep understanding of local/regional market dynamics