Sales Administration Team Leader Engineering, Production, Manufacture

From the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on earth, to surging shorelines and anywhere in-between, we make the impossible possible through our continuous passion for innovation.

Our people design, engineer and manufacture technologies that are enabling our customers to discover, navigate, measure, detect and communicate in the toughest environment on earth: Our oceans.We've been actively developing the technology to make the oceans accessible for over 50 years and we're only just getting started...At Sonardyne, we value different ways of thinking. Whether you think in code, patterns, systems, or steps, your unique perspective is important to us.

About the role

At Sonardyne, receiving a customer order is just the beginning.

Behind every order is a team making sure the right equipment is built, documented, shipped and delivered to our customers around the world - accurately, compliantly and when we said it would be.

We are looking for an experienced Sales Administration Team Leader to lead our Sales Order Processing team at our Blackbushe headquarters.

This is a busy and varied role sitting at the centre of our Sales operation. You will lead the team responsible for processing orders across the full range of Sonardyne products and bespoke customer projects, from initial order acknowledgement through to delivery, worldwide shipment and invoicing.

You will work closely with customers as well as colleagues across Sales, Engineering, Projects, Production Planning and our regional offices in Aberdeen, Brazil, Houston and Singapore.

Most importantly, you will lead and develop a great team, ensuring they have the support, knowledge and direction they need to provide an excellent service to our customers.

What you'll be doing

You will take ownership of the day-to-day performance of the Sales Order Processing team, ensuring customer orders are handled accurately, efficiently and within agreed timescales.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading, supporting and developing the Sales Order Processing team, coordinating workloads and ensuring the team can respond effectively to changing business priorities.
• Ensuring sales orders are processed accurately and promptly, from receipt of the customer’s purchase order through to acknowledgement, shipment and invoicing.
• Reviewing customer purchase orders and contracts against existing quotations and ensuring information is correctly entered into our ERP system.
• Ensuring appropriate internal vetting and export-control requirements are completed before orders are accepted.
• Working closely with Engineering and Project teams on complex or bespoke customer orders to ensure technical and commercial requirements are accurately reflected throughout the ordering and production process.
• Attending project meetings and keeping customers informed of progress or changes affecting their orders.
• Chairing regular order-review meetings and ensuring customer acknowledgements are issued within agreed timescales.
• Working with Production Planning to coordinate achievable and efficient despatch dates.
• Monitoring production and delivery schedules, identifying potential delays early and communicating sensitively and professionally with customers and internal stakeholders when plans need to change.
• Coordinating worldwide shipments through our internal packing team, couriers and freight-forwarding partners.
• Ensuring shipping documentation is accurate and that export licensing, VAT and hazardous-goods requirements are correctly followed.
• Producing accurate and timely customer invoices and monitoring progress against monthly invoicing targets.
• Coaching and developing team members through regular support, feedback and formal and informal training.
• Continually looking for opportunities to improve processes, team efficiency and the customer experience.
• Ensuring the team works in accordance with Sonardyne’s quality processes and procedures.
• Deputising for the Sales Office Manager on Sales Administration activities when required.

About you

You’ll already have strong experience within sales order processing, sales administration or order management, ideally gained within an engineering, manufacturing or similarly technical environment.

You’ll be comfortable managing multiple priorities and dealing directly with customers, while maintaining the attention to detail needed when handling complex orders and international shipments.

Just as importantly, you’ll be a confident and supportive people leader. We are looking for someone who can motivate a team, provide clear direction, develop individuals and create an environment where people can perform at their best.

You’ll also bring:

• Proven sales order processing or order management experience.
• Previous leadership or team-management experience.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong customer-service skills and the confidence to manage challenging conversations professionally.
• Excellent organisation and prioritisation skills.
• A proactive approach to problem solving.
• Experience using ERP and CRM systems.
• The ability to build effective relationships across Sales, Engineering, Projects, Production and other areas of the business.
• A strong eye for detail and an understanding of the importance of process and compliance.

Experience of international shipping, export documentation or worldwide exporting would be particularly advantageous.

You will ideally be educated to A-level standard or equivalent, with a business-related qualification beneficial.

Why Sonardyne?

For over 50 years, Sonardyne has been developing pioneering technology that helps our customers understand and operate in the world’s oceans.

From underwater positioning and communications to navigation, ocean science and marine technology, our products are used in some of the most challenging environments on the planet.

Behind that technology is a talented team of people across Engineering, Manufacturing, Sales and our wider global business – and our Sales Administration team plays an important part in making sure what we create reaches our customers successfully.

If you're an experienced Sales Administration or Order Processing professional who enjoys leading people, solving problems, working with customers and keeping a lot of moving parts moving in the right direction, we'd love to hear from you.

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