Export Sales Manager - Distribution

Export Sales Manager - Distribution Glasgow (Hybrid) | £58,000-£64,000 basic + bonus (target c.15%)

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THE CLIENT Our client is an established UK manufacturer with a distinctive, technically engineered product that's exported internationally, sold almost entirely through a network of distributors and resale partners across Europe rather than direct to end users. Backed by a larger international group, the business has built a loyal, long-standing customer base over several decades and has real headroom to grow further into markets that aren't yet properly covered.
It's a genuinely different product to sell than most candidates will have come across, and that's a large part of the appeal here: a technical story that sets you apart from the usual commodity conversation, and a customer base built on trust and relationship rather than price alone.
THE ROLE This is a senior, largely autonomous international sales role, taking ownership of an established, multi-million-pound distributor network spanning several European countries. You'll manage and develop existing distributor relationships, some performing well, others needing real attention and a fresh approach, while identifying and developing new distributor relationships in markets that aren't yet properly covered.
It's relationship management at a strategic level rather than day-to-day transactional selling: understanding what makes a distributor partner perform, diagnosing why some don't, and building the kind of two-way relationship that earns you a seat at the table when new opportunities come up. Regular face-to-face contact matters here: you'll be a visible presence at international trade shows and industry events, doing the networking and relationship-building on the ground that keeps you front of mind with distributor partners and surfaces new ones. You'll work closely with the Managing Director, with genuine scope to shape how the international side of the business is run, backed by a structured six-month handover from the outgoing post-holder before you're flying solo. Expect regular European travel, balanced with home working and a couple of office days each week.
ABOUT YOU You'll have solid experience managing international distributor, channel or reseller relationships, comfortable working across multiple countries and cultures, ideally with something more technical or engineered than a straightforward commodity sell. You don't need a technical qualification to do this well, just genuine curiosity and the confidence to get up to speed with a new product quickly.
You're self-motivated and structured, someone who's happy setting your own goals and holding yourself to them rather than waiting to be told what good looks like. You're a natural networker who's comfortable working a room at a trade show or industry event. You're based in Scotland and comfortable with a hybrid pattern that includes regular office time and international travel.
This will suit someone who has worked as an Export Sales Manager, International Sales Manager, Channel Sales Manager or Business Development Manager handling distributor or reseller relationships internationally.
THE REWARDS £58,000-£64,000 basic salary, with a bonus structure targeting around 15% of salary against annual goals. Pool/company car (or allowance) after an initial period, 4% employer pension contribution, and life insurance at 4x salary. xiskglj Hybrid working, with 1-2 days a week in the office.