Global Sales Director

The Role:
Drive sustainable global sales growth by supporting and challenging Business Unit Directors (BUDs) to achieve or exceed budgeted sales, profit, and market share objectives. Lead global sales excellence, customer development, market intelligence, opportunity identification, and cross-functional coordination to maximize profitable growth and customer satisfaction.

The Global Sales Director has no direct regional P&L ownership but is accountable for ensuring that all regions consistently deliver against approved budgets and strategic growth plans and the company’s quality standards and customer expectations.

The role requires regular international travel to support regional teams, develop strategic customer relationships and represent the company globally. As the business operates internationally, excellent written and spoken English communication skills are essential.

• Support, review, and challenge regional sales plans and forecasts.
• Ensure each BUD has a documented action plan to achieve or exceed budget.
• Conduct monthly performance reviews with all BUDs.
• Identify risks and opportunities and implement corrective actions.
• Drive sales best practices, key account management, and commercial discipline globally.

Market & Growth Development

• Monitor global and regional market conditions, trends, customer developments, and competitor activity.
• Identify new customers, markets, products, applications, and business opportunities.
• Develop and maintain a rolling 24-month global opportunity pipeline.
• Recommend strategic growth initiatives to the CEO and Board.
• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the company’s global marketing activities, ensuring alignment with commercial objectives and business strategy.
• Work with the marketing team to develop and implement global marketing plans, digital marketing initiatives, exhibitions, product promotions, and lead generation programmes.
• Ensure marketing activity supports new product launches, market expansion, customer acquisition, and brand development.
• Measure and report on marketing effectiveness, return on marketing investment (ROMI), and lead generation performance.

Customer Relationship Management

• Establish and maintain executive-level relationships with strategic global and regional customers.
• Conduct regular customer visits and business reviews.
• Ensure customer satisfaction, retention, and long-term partnership development.

Commercial Management

• Work closely with the Commercial manager/Director to:
• Protect margins.
• Ensure timely communication of price changes.
• Support contract negotiations and major tenders.

Operations & Supply Chain Coordination

• Work closely with the Supply Chain Director to improve service levels, delivery performance, and customer satisfaction.
• Escalate and resolve major customer service issues.

Product Development

• Coordinate with the Group Manufacturing Director and relevant teams regarding:
  • New product development.
  • Product introductions.
  • Customer-driven innovation opportunities.
• Actively participate in New Product Development (NPD) projects, representing the voice of the customer and ensuring commercial requirements are incorporated throughout the product development process.
• Work with Engineering, Manufacturing, Marketing and Sales teams to ensure successful market introduction of new products and achievement of launch objectives.

Reporting & Governance

• Provide weekly sales and opportunity updates to the CEO.
• Prepare and present monthly Board reports covering performance, forecasts, risks, opportunities, and strategic initiatives.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Financial Performance:

• ≥100% of approved annual sales budget
• Target: 102–105% of budget.
• Gross Margin Achievement:
  • Maintain or exceed approved budgeted gross margin percentage.
    No more than…