Sales Director - UK

Sales Director – UK

Location: Corby/Manchester/London 

Across the industrial design, manufacturing and maintenance worlds, we are the digital destination for product and service solutions to help our customers with the maintenance, repair and operation of their businesses.

We provide global access to an unrivalled range of over 750,000 stocked industrial products. Each day our team of experts deliver solutions to resolve our customers challenges across design, procurement, inventory and maintenance. We consistently strive to deliver the best possible service to all of our customers and challenge ourselves to provide a seamless procurement experience.

We are one team. We deliver brilliantly. We do the right thing. We make every day better.

These are our values. They unite our c.9,000 global colleagues and differentiate us from our competition. They are a mix of how we work today and how we must step up for the future. Most importantly, it is one set of values shaped by our people, for our people.

Together, we can make great things happen. Aim for amazing and beyond. 

RS Group is organised into three regions: EMEA, APAC and the Amercias.

The UK & Ireland is the largest market within the EMEA region and we have created business plans to grow from £750m of revenues to £1.5bn over the next 5 years through both organic and inorganic means.

Role Purpose

In this highly strategic role, the Sales Director for UK is accountable for developing and delivering the sales strategy for the largest commercial market in RS Group and leading a sales force of c150 people in Corporate, Field, Value Added Solutions and Internal Sales.  This role is accountable for delivering sustainable and profitable sales and market share growth along with transforming Sales to become a pioneering function that is fit for the future and differentiates from competitors.

There are some fundamental principles for this role to achieve:

• Embed effective business and commercial acumen throughout the sales organisation to deliver profitable growth
• Evolve the sales organisation to be able to drive value selling to solve customer problems and meet customer needs
• Pioneer modern and future focused sales operating models to be agile and flexible to leverage new technologies and the changing world around us

This role will be responsible for leading and driving sales teams in delivering sustainable and profitable sales and market share growth within the UK&I market.

Placing the customer at the heart of what we do, with our strategic and key suppliers in mind you will create a progressive and forward-thinking team that is focussed on maximising our market relationships with suppliers to drive the best possible outcomes for our customers.

This role will allow the individual to operate in a highly complex, fast-moving, multi-cultural environment and be part of a wider EMEA Sales leadership community. The person will be actively encouraged to seek new and better ways to develop the Sales proposition within the UK&I market.

In addition to operating as a leader of Sales, you will be part of a wider community with broader Marketing, Product, and Operations communities. You will be comfortable working in a matrixed environment and using all the organisational levers available for success, working towards common organisational goals and objectives.

You will be progressive in your thinking, style and ways of working and able to introduce and inspire new generations of talent in a rapidly changing digital world.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for leading an engaged and high performing sales function of c150 people across Corporate, Field, Value Added Solutions and Internal Sales, setting a clear vision, strategy and performance expectations, whilst ensuring high performance & high engagement is maintained.
• A specific accountability of this role is to ensure the transformation of the Sales function is a key element of the strategy. This should include innovation around selling and what is the optimum sales operating model of the future.
• Work closely with the Marketing Director to develop the go-to-market strategy and ongoing campaign activity for the market.
• Lead by example and work with the Heads of Sales to embed a high performing, progressive and professional culture that enables the shift to value-based selling that will ultimately differentiate RS from competitors. 
• Accountable for leading on the Sales Coaching culture initiative in the market, working closely with the Heads of Sales to ensure this is embedded. 
• Ensure a continuous focus on talent management and mobilisation, having regular dialogue with the Heads of Sales to maintain focus on this.
• Accountable for setting immediate expectations and delivering on Salesforce adoption and utilisation in the market.
• To ensure the Head of Corporate, Head of Field Sales, Head of Value Added Solutions Sales and Head of Internal Sales are leading high performing teams that are aligned in approach and work collaboratively.
• Accountable for all escalated Sales matters in the UK&I, including managing senior stakeholders outside of the market and only involving the MD where necessary
• Accountable for ensuring the Heads of Sales are delivering the strategy in their respective areas, which includes:
  • embeds a culture of utilising Salesforce to maximum benefit
  • wins, manages, develops and retains profitable business
  • drives organic growth in line with the priority matrix
  • executes the sales pipeline across corporate and non-corporate customers using Salesforce
  • deploys sales resources accordingly in order to maximise market penetration in a most effective way
  • ensures consistency and alignment of performance and approach across Corporate, Field and Internal sales
  • Sets clear performance expectations and targets 
  • Develops the capability and skills of the salesforce to be more solutions focussed
• Ensure the Heads of Sales have a close working partnership with the Customer Service, VAS and Technical teams ensuring the end to end sales process and customer experience is executed seamlessly.
• Have clear key performance measures in place that align with the UK & Ireland strategy and clearly evaluate and monitor sales performance
• Provide regular forecasts, updates and recommendations to Managing Director of UK & Ireland, including sales strategy execution, Voice of the Customer and risk management
• Be a visible thought leader in external networks within customer organisations and encourage the Heads of Sales to take part in these too.
• Manage and develop the relationships with key stakeholders including customers and suppliers and other leaders / executives across the business

How I make a difference in this role

• Understand the market potential and competitive landscape
• Proven track record of executing sales strategies and growth in a large business environment
• Thorough understanding of customer behaviours and purchasing patterns and appropriate Marketing principles
• High level of knowledge / relationships with end user customers to help accelerate growth and build reputation particularly at corporate customer interface level
• High level of sales experience to range of customer personas, industry sectors and value propositions
• Knowledge and understanding for the development and implementation of a wide range of Value Propositions relevant to the Electronics and Industrial market place
• Strong negotiation skills
• Demonstrated ability to serve as a successful participant on a Leadership team that provides Sales/Service leadership and direction
• An enthusiastic leader, driving high performance and a culture of accountability
• Exceptional skills in communication, both written and verbal, with the ability to deliver effective presentations
• Demonstrate the ability to challenge, build credibility and work with integrity at all levels within the organisation to influence behavioural changes and development of skill sets for the future business needs
• Ability to be a successful mentor, coach and manager for a high-performing sales Partnering with our suppliers to deliver innovative products and services to our customers
• Constantly monitoring progress, quality and costs
• Establishing norms and standards of company performance.
• Monitoring staff performance and organisational processes.
• Collaborating with other stakeholders to enhance productivity and staff satisfaction.
• Communicating ideas and opinions to other members of management.
• Managing staff cohorts and teams of various sizes.
• Training, mentoring, and guiding team members in new processes.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Extensive experience in leading a large dispersed sales organisation
• B2B Industrial Distribution experience
• A strategic and analytical mindset.
• An excellent communicator with top-notch presentation skills.
• Dynamic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Leadership and mentoring skills.
• Developing and implementing strategies and performance goals
• Setting and monitoring budgets and workflows

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Empowers people to deliver excellence
• Communicates to engage
• Develops high performing teams
• Builds lasting, value added relationships
• Performs under pressure
• Strives for self-improvement

Essential Qualifications 

• A bachelor's degree in business administration, process management, or operations.