Director of Sales

Inductive Automation

$150K — $180K *
Business Services
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of leadership experience in direct sales for industrial or manufacturing software, SaaS, or complex B2B sales
  • 5+ years managing Sales Managers with a proven track record of developing frontline leaders
  • Strong sales credibility among Account Executives without reliance on hero-selling or exceptions
  • Demonstrated success in establishing repeatable sales cadences and improving forecast discipline
  • Excellent coaching instincts for developing both junior and senior sales personnel
  • Strong leadership style characterized by calmness, fairness, and consistency
  • Ability to navigate a rules-based sales environment while balancing customer-first policies and account ownership expectations
  • Effective communicator capable of aligning diverse teams and stakeholders across the organization.

Responsibilities

  • Lead Account Executives and Sales Managers to achieve or surpass sales targets
  • Establish a structured sales operating rhythm with regular management reviews and performance follow-ups
  • Develop Sales Managers through coaching and performance management
  • Translate annual sales goals into specific targets and actionable plans for the team
  • Monitor and enhance pipeline health, sales forecasts, and performance metrics
  • Collaborate with Sales Operations to optimize sales reporting and tools for productivity
  • Work closely with Business Development to convert leads and drive revenue growth
  • Promote customer-first selling behaviors and adherence to sales policies
  • Support strategic account growth through improved planning and cross-functional coordination
  • Enforce a high-accountability, low-drama sales culture focused on professional growth and clarity.

Benefits

  • 100% Employee Covered Health Care: No cost for medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Paid Time Off: Includes paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave
  • 401k with Match: Contributions matched by the company for retirement savings
  • World-Class Headquarters: On-site perks include complimentary snacks and recreational games
  • Adjacent Nature Reserve: Scenic views and outdoor experiences available to on-site employees.
Full Job Description
Job Description

The Director of Sales is responsible for leading Inductive Automation's Account Executive organization, Sales Managers, and direct sales execution. This role owns the sales floor operating rhythm, rep development, pipeline discipline, forecast accountability, and progress toward company sales goals. The Director of Sales provides one clear point of leadership for the AE teams while partnering closely with Business Development, Sales Operations, Sales Engineering, Marketing, Customer Success, Distributors, Integrators, and Leads Management. This is a full-time, on-site role.

Responsibilities
  • Leading the Account Executive teams and Sales Managers to meet or exceed company sales goals
  • Establishing and maintaining a consistent sales operating cadence, including manager 1:1s, pipeline reviews, forecast reviews, opportunity inspection, account planning, and performance follow-up
  • Developing Sales Managers into strong frontline leaders through coaching, accountability, performance management, and leadership development
  • Ensuring Account Executives are consistently coached, developed, and held accountable according to role level, experience, book of business, and performance expectations
  • Translating annual company sales goals into clear team targets, pipeline expectations, monthly execution priorities, and measurable sales activities
  • Monitoring pipeline health, forecast accuracy, account coverage, opportunity progression, close plans, and sales performance metrics to identify gaps and improve execution
  • Partnering with Sales Operations to ensure sales data, reporting, tools, dashboards, and processes support effective sales leadership and rep productivity
  • Partnering with Business Development to ensure leads, Core Sales transitions, distributor/channel activity, strategic initiatives, and demand-generation efforts are effectively converted into revenue
  • Reinforcing customer-first selling behavior, account stewardship, professional conduct, and adherence to company sales policies
  • Leading the AE organization inside established account assignment, reassignment, extension, distributor, integrator, and credit policies without creating unnecessary escalation or exception-driven behavior
  • Supporting strategic account growth by improving account planning, executive engagement, multi-site expansion, cross-functional coordination, and long-term customer development
  • Maintaining a high-accountability, low-drama sales culture focused on growth, clarity, coaching, fairness, and professional behavior
  • Identifying skill gaps across the AE organization and developing training, coaching, enablement, and performance-improvement plans in partnership with Sales Effectiveness and Sales Managers
  • Participating in hiring, onboarding, development, performance reviews, promotion readiness, and progressive discipline for Sales Managers and Account Executives
  • Collaborating with Sales Engineering, Marketing, Customer Success, Order Processing, Business Development, and other internal teams to improve the customer and rep experience
  • Providing regular reporting to the VP of Sales and senior leadership on sales performance, forecast, pipeline, risks, rep development, team health, and progress toward company goals


Requirements
  • 5+ years of proven experience leading direct sales teams in an industrial software, manufacturing software, SaaS, technical platform or complex B2B sales environment
  • 5+ years of experience managing Sales Managers and demonstrated ability to develop frontline sales leaders
  • Strong sales credibility with Account Executives, including senior reps, without relying on hero-selling or exception-driven leadership
  • Demonstrated ability to build repeatable sales cadences, improve forecast discipline, inspect pipeline, coach opportunities, and drive execution
  • Strong coaching instincts with the ability to develop junior and senior level sellers
  • Calm, direct, fair, and consistent leadership style
  • Comfortable operating in a rules-based sales environment with clear account ownership expectations, customer-first policies, and cross-functional decision processes
  • Strong judgment in balancing revenue growth, customer experience, rep accountability, channel relationships, and long-term account stewardship
  • Ability to lead through change, reduce internal friction, and create clarity during periods of organizational transition
  • Strong communication skills with the ability to align Sales Managers, Account Executives, peer leaders, and executive stakeholders


Benefits and Perks
  • 100% Employee Covered Health Care: Don't pay a dime for your medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Paid Time Off: Receive paid holidays, vacation, and sick time
  • 401k with Match: Save for the future with our company-matching 401k program
  • World-Class Headquarters: While on-site, enjoy complimentary snacks and beverages, then challenge a friend to a game of pool, table tennis, shuffleboard, or foosball
  • Adjacent Nature Reserve: On-site employees enjoy breathtaking views and adventures that energize and inspire


Additional Information

At this time, we are unable to offer employment for individuals located outside of the United States and/or those who require sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B visa status). We know you've got a lot of options when seeking an employer where your skills and talents will shine, so we really appreciate that you considered us.

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