Industrial Combustion Director Sales

Our Client is a private Canadian company, experts in the manufacturing of equipment for the industrial combustion industry. The company supplies superior quality industrial combustion solutions all over the world. Some of the largest companies in the petro-chemical, ethanol, cement, mineral processing, and gypsum sectors (Vale, Gasco, Lafarge, and Exxon) are their clients.

Scope of Position

As Director of Sales, your mandate will be to develop growth of profitable revenue for the company in specific markets or geographies through market penetration and expansion. You will be commercially astute and comfortable operating with autonomy, managing relationships, developing and improving the business portfolio with existing and new clients and key partners. You will be a key contributor to the strategic planning process, analyzing the target market, company’s customer base and capabilities, and executing on a cohesive sales strategy.

Functional Tasks

• Contribute to the overall sales strategy and build the sales funnel by capturing on-the-ground information.
• Qualify and seize appropriate opportunities generating profitable revenue.
• Actively maintain and develop geographic and/or industry sector relationships.
• Provide consistent and regular oversight and follow-through in the bid/spec tendering process and on proposals.
• Negotiate and close contracts, agency agreements, and partnership agreements involving multiple partners.
• Report to and update management regularly on sales activity.
• Participate in marketing activities as required and contribute to the development of an appropriate marketing and business development strategy.
• International travel is required, anticipated at 50%.

Key Performance Deliverables
In light of the identified responsibilities, the following are specific deliverables that the position is designed to achieve:

• Booked revenue (value of contracts closed in a given period).
• Invoice amounts (contract amounts invoiced in a given period).
• Sales funnel (number and estimated value of legitimate active proposals, RFPs, RFQs, from which regular sales forecasts are generated).

Competency Profile
The following competencies define the role of Director Sales:

Results Orientation
Focuses strongly on achieving agreed-upon outcomes and ensures that key objectives are met. Conveys a sense of urgency and drives issues to closure. Aims to improve upon past performance. Establishes aggressive personal targets and strives to achieve them.

Role Expertise
Demonstrates critical technical or professional knowledge/skills related to the role. Has thorough knowledge of relevant products, services, and methods. Expands technical knowledge/skills and keeps up-to-date in own area of expertise.

Customer/Client Orientation
Strives to provide customers/clients with personalized and efficient service. Anticipates customers’/clients’ needs. Quickly follows up on customer/client contacts and complaints. Monitors and acts on measures of customer/client satisfaction.

Industry & Market Awareness
Seeks to anticipate and respond to industry and market changes/challenges by understanding key characteristics, issues, and the factors driving them. Aware of competitors' products, services, and position.

Impact
Makes an immediate positive impression upon others. Has presence and commands respect. Comes across with force and quickly establishes credibility. Accurately predicts the effects of own words and actions.

Planning & Objective Setting
Systematic in approach to work. Produces action plans in which objectives are defined and steps for achieving them are clearly specified. Plans by breaking down large tasks into subtasks. Develops plans that anticipate obstacles. Is realistic about time scales and builds in appropriate checkpoints, milestones, and controls to ensure that desired results are realized.

Boundary-Spanning
Incorporates information about the organization’s structure and protocol into decisions. Attentive to the internal politics and alert to shifting interpersonal dynamics. Establishes the necessary support networks and cross-functional relationships through rapport building. Recognizes, maintains, and effectively balances the interests and needs of one’s own group with those of the broader organization.

Communication
Expresses ideas in a clear, fluent, and concise manner. Written and oral arguments are compelling and responsive to the needs of the audience. Comprehends communications from others and responds appropriately.

Preferred Experience / Education
The following indicates specific industry, academic, and functional experience/qualifications that are important to the successful achievement of the identified responsibilities and performance deliverables:

• Demonstrated ability and track record in negotiating large contracts, agency agreements, and partnership agreements.
• Experience selling through a bid/spec tendering process with equipment valued at $100,000 or greater in large-scale commercial projects involving multiple partners.
• Domestic sales experience and/or experience selling into South America, India, the Middle East, and countries of the former Soviet Union.
• An established (5+ years experience) international sales leader, recognized in the industries/sectors serviced by our client and with contacts in the same.
• Fluency in a second language would be an asset.
• University degree, a P.Eng. designation preferred.
• Where necessary or appropriate, ability to travel extensively internationally.