Head of Sales in England

Our client is a market leader in the design and manufacture of innovative, high performance products and solutions for global aerospace and defence markets. This is a profitable business heading into a period of substantial growth.

This is a critical appointment with responsibilities for providing leadership for a multi-functional sales team with a focus on driving new business, product development, business expansion and the achievement of demanding financial targets. Reporting to the Managing Director, you will be an influential member of the executive leadership team and will play a key role in the overall running of the business and the decision making process.

You will take ownership of the development of business and strategic planning, customer and programme development, customer pricing agreements, bid management, proposal development, profitability of orders and backlog.

The Role:

• Establish, implement, and communicate the strategic direction of the organisation’s sales division.
• Collaborate with other leaders to develop and meet company goals whilst supplying expertise, guidance and support decision making on sales projects and procedures.
• Lead by example in growing strong, long-term relationships with high profile global aerospace (military and commercial) and defence customers, including the large, international defence primes.
• Actively promote a companywide culture of innovation, collaborating with other divisions and departments across multi-site operations to meet organisational goals.
• Adopt a “hands on” approach as required: support contract negotiations, bids and proposals, commercial management, pricing, value proposition & marketing strategy.
• Determine, communicate, and implement sales policies, practices, standards, and security measures to ensure effective and consistent support and execution.
• Oversee the department’s budget, review and approve cost-control reports, cost estimates, and staffing requirements for projects.
• Maintain knowledge of emerging trends in the sector.
• Ensure that departmental decisions and project plans meet annual budgetary plans and are in line with the organisation’s business plan and vision.

The Person:

• Educated to a degree level or equivalent is preferred but is not essential; personal drive and aspiration is also important.
• In depth knowledge and experience of working in Military or Commercial Aerospace and Defence markets and operating environments at a senior level in a sales or business development context.
• Demonstrate technical credibility within an electronics led, aerospace environment.
• Business minded, able to understand the wider commercial picture and the pressures on other functions as the business embarks on a period of high growth and rapid transformation.
• A credible leader, influencer and motivator of others, people orientated.
• Naturally inquisitive with the ability to ask the right questions.
• Provide insight, challenge the team and all those around to embrace change, new ideas and improvements to “make it better.”
• Highly experienced in negotiating and concluding long terms multi-faceted contracts with key customers in the Defence and Commercial Aerospace sectors.
• Proven leadership in both line and matrix management contexts.
• A good understanding of business accounting processes and procedures including budgetary control measures, bid generation, product costing, commercial management, IP issues, price point variations, and cost benefit analysis.
• Able to become involved in managing multiple customer product development programmes with varying life cycles and gestation periods.
• Proven management abilities in coaching, team performance and development.
• Strong finance, commercial and analytical skills for performance reporting and presentations.
• Ability to work within an agile, responsive project orientated manufacturing environment, that also involves UOR’s.
• Be respectful and sensitive to cultural differences but be capable of having robust conversations in a non-confrontational way.
• Ambitious and results orientated; a good team player who is able to develop strong working relationships with peers, across the business as well as with key customers.
• An open communicator with a drive and determination to provide exceptional value to customers.
• IT literate in Microsoft office suite, ERP systems, etc.
• A valid driving licence and a willingness / ability to travel extensively is a requirement of the role.
• Hold or be able to hold UK Security Clearance.