Senior Sales Manager United Kingdom and Ireland (m|f|d)

Your Responsibilities

K+S is a world leading mineral mining company with a multi-billion turnover, over 10,000 employees and a presence in over 40 countries worldwide. The core business is the production and supply of Potassium, Magnesium and Sodium salts globally to a wide range of industry sectors and for agricultural production.

Due to recent internal restructuring, K+S is looking to appoint a sales and marketing professional to represent the companies interests in the UK and Ireland specifically for the supply of mineral products to all non-agricultural sectors including human and animal nutrition, chemical engineering, industrial processes, water treatment and oil and gas exploration.

The company already has a long established subsidiary in the UK that has been successfully trading for almost 80 years in all sectors above plus agricultural production (fertilisers). The business will now be split with the new role reporting directly to, and employed by K+S Head Office in Kassel, Germany, whilst fertiliser supply will continue to be undertaken by K+S UK & Eire Ltd.

The candidate should be a natural self-starter and should have a proven record of successfully working largely autonomously with high levels of self motivation in the chemical distribution or chemical engineering sector. A highly tuned commercial awareness is essential as is a strong working knowledge of the structure of one or more chemical supply sectors for the territory.

This is a high profile appointment and as such, comes with naturally high expectation of professional performance. The rewards and opportunities for the right candidate are also attractive and a package is available to attract the best.

Key responsibilities

• Responsibility for the sales and marketing of the industry product portfolio (food, animal nutrition, water treatment, industrial applications) of K+S in the UK & Ireland
• Closely driving and supporting the development and implementation of a national sales, marketing and distribution strategy
• Representing the company at industry functions, associations and trade shows and building strong relationships with relevant stakeholders
• Strengthening existing market position:

- Providing close and highly professional support to the existing customers with a view to identifying opportunities to expand and increase the business level

- Intelligent negotiation on pricing strategy, adoption of sales contracts and close quantity planning for production

Developing new markets:

• Promoting and developing further market presence for K+S products including market analysis, direct and indirect customer support and end user initiatives
• Identifying, reporting and nurturing new business opportunities for new product offerings or novel industry sectors which have development potential

Monitoring sales:

• Developing and implementing performance tracking metrics to monitor, control and support all sales, business development and customer service activities
• Development, implementation and monitoring of account specific plans in conjunction with the internal planning process as well as developing and tracking initiatives to drive sales growth and EBIT contribution
• Closely assisting with the design and execution of marketing plans developed in conjunction with the account plan to achieve company-specific strategic goals

Your Profile

Essential requirements

• Minimum 5 years experience in at least two of above mentioned industry sub segments within a commercial setting in the chemical supply, or manufacturing / chemical engineering industry
• Proven ability to develop and drive sales growth and to maintain the highest professional standards of service
• Ability to travel freely both within the whole of the territory and also to Germany when required
• Excellent analytical skills and a good assessment of business opportunities
• A strategic and operational person with good problem-solving skills
• Entrepreneurial spirit with respect for hierarchy; ambition for professional growth; passion and high level of personal integrity in the work environment
• Excellent communication skills at all levels
• Proactive and naturally gregarious character with can-do attitude

Desirable additional skills / experience

• Bachelor degree in business administration or chemical engineering / similar subject
• German language
• Experience of working successfully from a home-based office

Your Benefits • An attractive realistic salary to attract the best candidates
• Fully expensed company car
• Eligibility for participation in a performance-related company bonus scheme
• Provision of 7% of salary into a pension scheme of choice
• Eligibility for company private healthcare and life assurance schemes This is Us We enrich life through the sustainable extraction and refinement of minerals to indispensable products and through our working environment, which is unique. Because it stands for everything that really matters in life: Trust, team spirit and meaningfulness for 11,000 employees at 50 locations on five continents. Welcome to K + S.