DIRECTOR OF SALES - SOUTH REGIONPosition SummaryWe are seeking an experienced, results-driven
Director of Sales - South Region to lead revenue growth, market expansion, and strategic account development for a manufacturer of industrial LED lighting solutions. This role is responsible for developing and executing the regional sales strategy across the Southern United States, with a focus on heavy industrial, petrochemical, refinery, manufacturing, utility, infrastructure, and energy-related markets.
The Director of Sales will lead and support regional sales efforts, build strong customer and channel relationships, drive specification and project-based selling, and ensure the company's industrial LED lighting solutions are positioned effectively with end users, EPC firms, electrical contractors, distributors, engineering firms, and key decision-makers.
The ideal candidate is a strategic sales leader with deep experience in industrial sales, strong knowledge of complex B2B sales cycles, and a demonstrated ability to grow revenue in specification-driven markets.
Key ResponsibilitiesSales Leadership & Regional Strategy- Develop and execute a comprehensive sales strategy for the South Region to achieve revenue, gross-margin, and market-share objectives.
- Lead regional sales planning, forecasting, pipeline development, and territory prioritization.
- Identify high-growth industries, accounts, and geographic markets within the region.
- Establish clear performance expectations, sales goals, and account development priorities.
- Partner with executive leadership to align regional strategy with overall company growth objectives.
- Monitor regional sales performance and implement corrective actions as needed to meet or exceed targets.
Business Development & Strategic Accounts- Develop new business opportunities with industrial facilities, refineries, petrochemical and chemical plants, manufacturing facilities, terminals, utilities, and other heavy-industrial customers.
- Build and maintain executive-level relationships with key customers, channel partners, and industry influencers.
- Lead strategic account planning for major regional customers and high-value opportunities.
- Pursue retrofit, new construction, maintenance, capital-project, and energy-efficiency opportunities.
- Position industrial LED lighting solutions as replacements for HID, fluorescent, and other legacy lighting systems.
- Support major proposals, quotations, ROI analyses, and project-specific sales strategies.
Channel, EPC & Contractor Development- Develop and strengthen relationships with EPC firms, engineering firms, electrical contractors, industrial distributors, and specification influencers.
- Drive efforts to have company products specified into industrial projects at the design and engineering stage.
- Evaluate, develop, and manage regional channel partners to maximize market coverage and sales effectiveness.
- Collaborate with distributors and contractors to identify project opportunities and support customer needs.
- Monitor competitor activity, pricing trends, customer requirements, and market dynamics across the region.
Team Leadership & Sales Execution- Lead, coach, and develop regional sales professionals to improve performance, accountability, and sales effectiveness.
- Support sales team members in complex account negotiations, customer presentations, and strategic opportunity development.
- Ensure consistent use of CRM tools, pipeline management processes, forecasting practices, and sales reporting standards.
- Promote a consultative, solution-based selling approach focused on customer value, safety, productivity, and total cost of ownership.
- Foster collaboration between sales, customer service, engineering, operations, product management, and leadership teams.
Customer & Market Management- Serve as a senior regional point of contact for major customers, distributors, contractors, and strategic partners.
- Maintain strong awareness of customer priorities, capital spending plans, maintenance needs, and operational challenges.
- Gather and communicate customer feedback, competitive intelligence, and market opportunities to internal stakeholders.
- Represent the company at customer meetings, industry events, trade shows, and regional business development activities.
- Ensure successful project handoff, execution, and customer satisfaction in partnership with internal teams.
Ideal Candidate- 8+ years of progressive B2B industrial sales experience, including sales leadership or regional management responsibility.
- Proven success selling electrical, lighting, automation, MRO, industrial equipment, or related technical products into heavy-industrial markets.
- Experience selling into refineries, petrochemical plants, chemical facilities, manufacturing plants, terminals, utilities, infrastructure, or energy-related environments.
- Strong understanding of complex, specification-driven sales cycles involving multiple stakeholders.
- Established relationships with industrial end users, EPCs, electrical contractors, engineering firms, distributors, or channel partners in the South Region preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to build and manage sales pipelines, forecasts, strategic account plans, and regional growth strategies.
- Strong leadership, coaching, communication, negotiation, presentation, and closing skills.
- Ability to understand technical product specifications and communicate value to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Experience managing long sales cycles, competitive bids, capital projects, and retrofit opportunities.
- Proficiency with CRM systems, Microsoft Office, sales reporting tools, and pipeline management processes.
- Willingness to travel throughout the South Region as needed.
Preferred ExperienceExperience with one or more of the following is a strong advantage:
- Industrial LED lighting
- Hazardous-location lighting
- Explosion-proof lighting
- High-bay and low-bay lighting
- Petrochemical, refinery, and chemical plant environments
- Electrical products and electrical distribution
- MRO products and industrial maintenance solutions
- Industrial automation or process industries
- EPC project sales
- Electrical contracting and industrial construction
- Lighting controls and energy-efficiency solutions
- Regional sales leadership in heavy-industrial markets
