At a Glance
- Tasks: Drive sales growth in the UK & Ireland by generating new business and building partnerships.
- Company: Join Visual Components, a leader in 3D manufacturing simulation software backed by KUKA Group.
- Benefits: Enjoy remote work flexibility, autonomy, and the chance to influence the future of manufacturing.
- Other info: Opportunity for significant career growth in a supportive global business environment.
- Why this job: Be part of a dynamic team shaping the automation industry with innovative technology.
- Qualifications: 8+ years in B2B sales, strong strategic thinking, and experience in the industrial sector.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Get to know Visual Components. Visual Components is a key technology partner to many of the world’s most ambitious manufacturers, system integrators, and machine builders. Our mission is to help them design, optimise, and deliver production systems faster, more efficiently, and with less risk in an industry evolving at an unprecedented pace.
Our software enables the design, testing, and optimisation of production lines with a level of speed and accuracy that is difficult to match, covering factory simulation, virtual commissioning, and offline programming. Manufacturers using Visual Components significantly reduce both time and risk in critical investment decisions. System integrators gain a clear competitive advantage by designing and delivering better systems, faster, and with stronger visualisation to support their sales process.
As part of the KUKA Group, one of the world’s leading industrial robotics companies, we operate at a scale and level of impact that few in the industry can match. We are trusted by over 2,400 organisations globally and contribute to advancing industrial automation through partnerships with leading academic and research institutions. Headquartered in Espoo, Finland, with offices in Germany, the United States, and Japan.
The role and the team: We are hiring a Sales Manager to drive Visual Components’ growth in the UK & Ireland. This is a senior individual contributor role with broad responsibilities. You will be responsible primarily for generating pipeline and closing new business, but also for helping shape our UK&I go-to-market strategy, building partnership channels, and increasing market awareness for Visual Components.
Your impact: What you'll be responsible for:
- Revenue Generation: Your first priority will be to create and close new business opportunities across UK&I. You will identify and engage manufacturers, system integrators, machine builders, and automation leaders, build pipeline through outbound and network activation, run complex sales cycles, and land high-quality flagship customers.
- UK&I Go-to-Market Strategy: You will help define how Visual Components wins in the UK&I market. This means identifying the highest-potential segments, refining ICP focus, understanding local market dynamics, feeding insight back into the wider EMEA team, and continuously adapting our commercial approach based on what is working in the field.
- Partnership Channel Development: You will build and activate strategic partner channels in the UK&I market. This includes developing strong working relationships with KUKA UK&I, identifying relevant resellers and ecosystem partners, and creating routes to market that expand reach, credibility, and deal flow.
- Market Awareness Building: You will play a key role in increasing Visual Components’ visibility and credibility in UK&I. You will work closely with marketing to create local campaigns, events, content, customer stories, and engagement strategies that help our target market understand the value of factory simulation, virtual commissioning, and offline programming, ultimately driving increased deal flow and size.
- Commercial Discipline: You will maintain strong pipeline hygiene, accurate forecasting, structured qualification, and disciplined deal execution. This is a role for someone who can combine strategic thinking with hands-on selling.
What Success Looks Like in the First 12 Months: You will have:
- Established a strong qualified pipeline in UK&I
- Closed against targets and landed initial flagship customers, creating proof points in the market
- Built active collaboration with KUKA UK&I and other relevant partners
- Increased awareness of Visual Components among priority ICPs
- Helped define a repeatable UK&I go-to-market motion
The skills you will bring: We are looking for someone who has:
- 8+ years of experience in B2B mid-market or enterprise sales selling technology solutions (preferably software) into the industrial sector, ideally within automation, robotics, simulation, or manufacturing engineering environments.
- A proven ability to create pipeline from scratch through outbound motions, close complex deals and compress deal cycles.
- Experience building a territory or market beyond simply inheriting inbound demand.
- Strong strategic thinking and the ability to translate market insight into execution.
- Experience working with marketing to build awareness and demand in a specific market.
- Experience developing partner-led or ecosystem-led routes to market.
- Strong senior stakeholder engagement skills.
- Experience with structured qualification and sales process discipline.
- Fluency in English and willingness to travel frequently across UK&I.
Perks of joining us: This is a rare opportunity to build a strategic market with the support of an established global business. You will have the autonomy of a market-builder, the credibility of a proven product used and respected by over 2,400 organisations, and the backing of KUKA Group, one of the world’s leading industrial robotics and automation companies. You will directly influence how manufacturers and system integrators design, simulate, optimise, and deliver the factories of the future. This is a remote UK-based role, with the ability to work from KUKA’s offices in Wednesbury, UK.
How to apply: Please send your application in English via the form on our career page. We cannot accept applications sent to us via email or private messages due to the GDPR. We will hire a person as soon as we find the right candidate.
Next steps with us: Application screening within 2-4 weeks after the application. Introductory call with our Talent Acquisition Specialist. Teams interview with EMEA Sales Director. Final interview.
About us: With over 20 years in business, Visual Components is one of the pioneers of the 3D manufacturing simulation industry. Visual Components is a leading developer of 3D manufacturing simulation software and solutions. Founded in 1999 by a team of simulation experts, we started with a humble goal – to make manufacturing design and simulation technology easy to use and accessible to manufacturing organisations of all sizes. Today, Visual Components is recognized as a global leader in the manufacturing simulation industry and trusted technology partner to many leading brands. We offer machine builders, system integrators, and manufacturers a simple, quick, and cost-effective solution to design and simulate production lines.
Sales Manager UK & Ireland in Birmingham employer: Visual Components
Contact Detail:
Visual Components Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Sales Manager UK & Ireland in Birmingham
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Attend industry events, webinars, and local meetups to connect with potential employers and partners. The more people you know, the better your chances of landing that Sales Manager role.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your expertise! Create content on LinkedIn or other platforms about trends in manufacturing and automation. This not only showcases your knowledge but also gets you noticed by hiring managers looking for thought leaders.
✨Tip Number 3
Be proactive! Don’t just wait for job postings; reach out directly to companies you admire, like Visual Components. A well-crafted message can open doors and lead to opportunities that aren’t publicly advertised.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare for interviews by researching the company’s products and market position. Tailor your pitch to show how your experience aligns with their goals, especially in driving growth in the UK & Ireland market.
We think you need these skills to ace Sales Manager UK & Ireland in Birmingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Sales Manager role. Highlight your experience in B2B sales, especially in technology solutions, and how it aligns with our mission at Visual Components.
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; share specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to generate pipeline and close deals. Numbers speak volumes, so include metrics where possible!
Research and Reflect: Take some time to understand Visual Components and the UK&I market. Reflect on how your skills can help us grow in this strategic area and mention this in your application to show your enthusiasm.
Apply Through Our Website: Remember, we only accept applications through our career page. It’s super easy, and this way, you ensure your application gets to the right place without any hassle!
How to prepare for a job interview at Visual Components
✨Know Your Product Inside Out
Before the interview, make sure you understand Visual Components' software and its benefits for manufacturers and system integrators. Familiarise yourself with how it helps in factory simulation and virtual commissioning. This knowledge will allow you to speak confidently about how you can contribute to the company's growth.
✨Prepare for Strategic Questions
Given the role's focus on shaping the UK&I go-to-market strategy, be ready to discuss your insights on market dynamics and potential segments. Think about how you would approach building partnerships and increasing market awareness. Having a few strategic ideas up your sleeve will impress the interviewers.
✨Showcase Your Sales Success
Be prepared to share specific examples of how you've generated pipeline and closed complex deals in the past. Highlight your experience in B2B sales within the industrial sector, especially if it involves automation or robotics. Use metrics to demonstrate your success and how you can replicate that at Visual Components.
✨Engage with the Team
During the interview, show your enthusiasm for collaboration. Discuss how you plan to work closely with marketing and KUKA UK&I to build awareness and drive demand. Demonstrating your ability to engage with senior stakeholders and develop strong relationships will be key to showcasing your fit for the role.