International Sales Director
International Sales Director
Job Outline
Solarcentury is the UK’s leading solar energy company specialising in the design and supply of building integrated solar technology. Solarcentury was founded in 1998 to design and supply solar energy solutions for the built environment. We are building a strong business which has a vision for solar systems on the roof of every building, supplying clean power and achieving deep cuts in carbon emissions. We design innovative products, work with architects and developers to incorporate solar technology into the built environment and offer support and guidance throughout the entire planning and development process.
We are expanding beyond the UK and have recently established offices in France, Spain and Italy. We are now looking for a brilliant International Sales Director to join our team, to act as leader for our international sales expansion. You need to be highly motivated, passionate about our industry and the idea of playing a key part in creating something new, someone with the enthusiasm, confidence and the drive to make it happen. With a strong track record of business development gained in the renewable energy, construction or hi-tech industries, the Sales Director will be responsible for delivering the results to achieve our business plan, taking Solarcentury into new markets, developing new customers, identifying and establishing business partners and surveying the local environment for possible M&A opportunities. The Director will also deliver significant revenue growth from new and existing markets which we expect to achieve in a rapidly growing industry.
The Director will develop a team to focus on creating and converting sales opportunities into delivered projects. He/she will lead the team to build a pipeline of business through direct selling and strategic partnering or distribution channels.
KEY SKILLS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to the CEO, you must have experience working at executive level and enjoy leading and motivating international teams. You'll have our country sales directors working for you with lots of expertise gained in their respective territories.
You will be responsible for all sales into existing markets and develop plans and actions to identify and enter countries and markets which will provide attractive business opportunities for the company.
You must have an impressive track record in driving sales from start to finish.
You will lead the development and implementation of the sales strategy to maintain and drive business growth by creating sales & distribution channels for Solarcentury products.
Specifically to manage the introduction of Solarcentury’s proprietary solar roofing products into the house building sector in each country, this will require developing relationships with house builders, constructors and developing a network of supporting contractors. Similarly introduce solarcentury commercial solutions products into the commercial building sector.
Through your network you will gather and analyze market data to aid in guiding prioritization of product development toward meeting market opportunities and identify product development needs to grow revenues.
You will develop the international Solarcentury team and you will help build the Solarcentury brand image in the marketplace.
REQUIREMENTS
We want someone who has lots of experience in launching new products and services into markets, built through direct experience in Europe, Asia or America. We've got aggressive sales targets so we need someone who'll be able to really drive sales. You'll need to know the sales process inside out and be able to identify ways to improve it. You'll be able to analyse market trends and behaviour to uncover new business and sales opportunities.
You'll relish the opportunity of being closely involved in the business planning with the rest of the team. We are after a leader who is always thinking about business opportunities. As a smaller company, one of our strengths is our ability to move fast. We need someone who will thrive in this environment. Whilst renewable energy industry experience is highly desirable, we're more interested in the right type of person with a passion for what we want to achieve.
You'll be the type who can make things happen without the huge resources of a multi national. Whilst this is a senior management position, it is also ‘hands-on’ involved. We are more interested in performance and commitment than hierarchy and strict working guidelines. As a result there is a great collective team spirit.
This is a highly commercial role so you'll need to understand and be comfortable with the impact your decisions will make to the P&L. You will have a 'Make it happen' mentality with experience in identifying and achieving success in new markets. We need clear sales team leadership skills and capability in recognizing market trends and building the channels necessary to win new market positions.
Ideally you will be MBA qualified and hold a good first degree.
You will be able to show a strong track record in business development achieved over at least ten years with demonstrable achievements in revenue increase in a comparable industry.
Fluent written and spoken English essential. Other European languages are a significant benefit.
The role is London-based. International travel is a natural part of the job although we do employ state of the art remote working tools and expect you to make full use of them to develop effective communications to your teams and keep travel to an acceptable level.
We are offering a competitive package with a significant performance related bonus and attractive stock options for the right candidate.
