Country Manager Smart Home Security & Fire Safety

Sales Leader / Country Manager, UK

Location:

Coventry, UK

Reports to:

Global Sales Head / Managing Director

Role type:
Full-time, business-unit-head level

The company designs and manufactures smoke, CO, heat and gas alarms, sensors, thermostats and smart home modules. Its factories are in Ningbo and Vietnam, and it sells in over 100 countries. It holds more than 1,000 product certifications and over 400 patents. It runs an in-house UL fire testing lab and a TÜV-partnered EN lab, and supports Matter, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi‑Fi and RF.

The UK is a combined R&D and sales location, and we are now building a locally led UK business.

You will own the UK P&L and build company’s UK presence from the ground up. That means turning a China‑based manufacturer and OEM/ODM supplier into a trusted local brand and channel partner across retail, trade and professional security. You will recruit and lead the UK sales team and act as the bridge between the UK market and our China and Vietnam operations.

• Assess the UK security and smart home category using industry data, retailer and channel sell‑out/POS data, and trade bodies, and judge where trends are heading.
• Build channel‑specific entry strategies with phased targets and a 3‑year growth plan.
• Develop counter‑strategies against established competitors (Kidde, Fire Angel, Aico, Honeywell, Ei Electronics and others), based on a clear view of their channel positioning.

• Build new channels from 0 to 1, with a clear grasp of buyer decision chains and procurement cycles.
• Manage key accounts at buyer, category director and VP level, and drive joint business plans (JBPs) through to execution.
• Lead the full go‑to‑market process for new product launches, from range review and listing through to sell‑out.
• Manage retailer entry end to end: supplier onboarding and vetting, range reviews, contract and commercial terms, annual trading and marketing plans, and promotional calendars.
• Manage supply, replenishment and shelf standards (planograms, POP/POS, display optimisation) with retailers’ inventory and logistics requirements in mind.

• DIY, trade and home improvement: B&Q, Screwfix, Toolstation, Wickes and electrical wholesalers, including range‑entry standards, display specifications and POP requirements.
• Consumer electronics and general retail:
  Currys, Argos, Tesco, Amazon UK and other online/offline retailers.
• Professional security and fire: security installers, integrators, fire and security distributors, housing associations, social landlords, and monitoring/smart home service providers. This covers equipment selection criteria, technical integration, installer training and after‑sales service.
• Europe: UK‑led development of selected European partners and distributors in cooperation with global sales.

• Build the UK sales, key account and customer support team from scratch, including hiring, onboarding and performance management.
• Lead cross‑cultural collaboration between the UK team and headquarters in China, translating between local market needs and R&D, product and supply chain priorities.

• Define and track a channel KPI framework: distribution/listing rate, sell‑through, inventory turns, channel ROI, market share, gross margin and forecast accuracy.
• Own the UK revenue target, budget and profitability.

• Make decisions from data and use AI tools to improve forecasting, account planning and productivity.
• Connect online and offline channels (e.g., Amazon with retail and trade partners) so pricing, content and promotions are consistent.

• Lead the shift from a Chinese manufacturer to a trusted local…