At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic sales team and drive growth in your territory.
- Company: Join a leading packaging company with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy private medical insurance, life assurance, and up to 33 days holiday.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with wellness programmes and career development support.
- Why this job: Make an impact by developing your team and securing new business opportunities.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in sales, strong people management, and negotiation skills required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
You will be responsible for driving commercial performance within the assigned territory and leading your team who support customer relationships and contribute to sales growth. This role combines people leadership including training and coaching, account management and new business development to ensure excellent customer service, profitable growth, and strong alignment between external and internal account functions.
In summary, your job will be to:
- Strong people management of your team while driving local sales strategy
- Training and coaching your team in best practice sales, business growth development plans and negotiation skills
- Work with team to actively prospect and engage new clients, turning leads into long-term commercial relationships
- Sales and business development of mainly middle‑tier to lower value local accounts
- Identifying new business opportunities, ensuring the team are driving for results through a “hunter” mindset
- Pushing for the best performance possible, pricing and contracts, translating customer needs into operational execution
- Leveraging market intelligence to inform strategy
- Collaborating cross‑functionally to ensure seamless delivery
- Maintaining strong commercial governance, forecasting accuracy, CRM discipline, and compliance
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead, coach, train and develop your team who are responsible for sales growth within defined accounts.
- Set clear performance goals, pipelines, and activity targets for the team.
- Guide your team in identifying upselling and cross‑selling opportunities.
- Conduct regular performance reviews, support career development, and provide structured feedback.
- Foster a high‑performance culture.
Sales & Business Development
- Develop and execute a territory sales strategy aligned with regional and corporate objectives.
- Grow revenue and market share in allocated customer base.
- Prospect, then identify and secure new business opportunities.
- Lead pricing negotiations, contract discussions, and annual commercial reviews.
Country Account Management
- Oversee customer relationships and support your team in managing day‑to‑day commercial interactions.
- Conduct joint customer visits with your team to strengthen customer engagement and develop account plans.
- Ensure customer needs and forecasts are communicated effectively to production, quality, and supply‑chain teams.
- Maintain oversight of service levels, delivery performance, and issue resolution.
- Monitor market developments, competitive activity, pricing trends, and regulatory changes impacting the glass packaging industry.
- Contribute to annual budgeting and sales forecasting.
Cross Functional Collaboration
- Partner with production, quality, supply chain, and logistics to ensure seamless order fulfilment and customer satisfaction.
- Support technical trials, product development initiatives, and quality investigations.
- Work closely with sustainability to communicate the benefits of glass packaging and promote company‑led innovations.
Reporting & Commercial Governance
- Monitor team activities, sales performance, customer pipelines, and forecast accuracy.
- Ensure CRM systems are updated and used effectively.
- Maintain compliance with internal controls, ethical guidelines, and health & safety standards.
Qualifications
- Minimum 5 years in sales roles within the packaging sector (preferably glass, but applications from B2B and FMCG are also accepted) with proven experience in account management.
- Degree in Business, Commercial, Engineering, or a related discipline.
- Proven experience in B2B sales, account management, and new business development.
- Strong people management skills – training, mentoring, performance management.
- Excellent negotiation and commercial acumen (pricing, contracts, deals).
- Ability to develop and execute sales strategies and territory plans.
- Experience using CRM systems and managing pipelines/forecasts.
- Customer‑focused with strong relationship‑building skills.
- Results‑driven with a proactive “hunter” mindset.
Benefits
- Private Medical Insurance
- Life Assurance benefit
- Company Sick Pay
- Performance based Bonus plan
- Attractive Holiday Allowance – up to 33 per year inclusive of statutory days
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Supportive teams to help you grow and learn new skills
- Wellness Programmes
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
Country Sales Manager employer: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
As a Country Sales Manager, you will thrive in a dynamic and supportive work environment that prioritises employee growth and development. With a strong emphasis on training and coaching, our company fosters a high-performance culture where your leadership skills can shine while driving sales success. Enjoy competitive benefits such as private medical insurance, generous holiday allowances, and wellness programmes, all within a collaborative team that values your contributions and encourages innovation in the glass packaging industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Country Sales Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, or even hit up LinkedIn. The more people you know, the better your chances of landing that Country Sales Manager role.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, highlight your experience in sales and account management. Share specific examples of how you've driven growth and built strong customer relationships.
✨Tip Number 3
Be proactive! Don’t just wait for job openings to pop up. Reach out to companies you admire and express your interest in working with them. You never know when they might have an opportunity that fits your skills.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! We’ve got loads of resources to help you prepare for interviews and showcase your talents. Plus, applying directly can give you a leg up in the hiring process.
We think you need these skills to ace Country Sales Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Country Sales Manager role. Highlight your experience in sales, account management, and team leadership. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of your achievements in sales and how you’ve led teams to success.
Showcase Your People Skills:Since this role involves strong people management, don’t forget to showcase your coaching and mentoring experiences. We love seeing how you've developed others and fostered a high-performance culture!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from us!
How to prepare for a job interview at Owens-Illinois, Inc.
✨Know Your Numbers
Before the interview, brush up on your sales metrics and achievements. Be ready to discuss specific figures related to revenue growth, client acquisition, and market share increases. This will show that you’re results-driven and understand the importance of performance in a sales role.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
As a Country Sales Manager, people management is key. Prepare examples of how you've successfully led teams, trained staff, and fostered a high-performance culture. Highlight your coaching techniques and how they’ve contributed to team success.
✨Demonstrate Your Market Knowledge
Research the glass packaging industry and be prepared to discuss current trends, competitive activity, and regulatory changes. Showing that you’re informed about the market will demonstrate your commitment and strategic thinking.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect questions that ask how you would handle specific situations, such as negotiating contracts or resolving customer issues. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers and illustrate your problem-solving skills effectively.
