Head of Sales, Western US

Leonardo SpA

$130K — $180K *
Aerospace & Defense
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's in Business, Sales/Marketing, or Aerospace Engineering required; Master's preferred.
  • 15+ years in Aviation, minimum 5 years in Helicopter business.
  • 10+ years in commercial/sales experience with revenue responsibility; 15+ years preferred.
  • 5+ years in managing remote sales teams, 7+ years preferred.
  • Proven track record in achieving aviation-specific sales targets with complex campaigns.

Responsibilities

  • Lead regional sales activities to achieve revenue and market share goals.
  • Develop and implement regional business strategies.
  • Build relationships with executive customers and lead major negotiations.
  • Coach and develop the Regional Sales Managers team.
  • Coordinate cross-functional teams to align on sales opportunities.

Benefits

  • Home-based work arrangement with extensive travel opportunities (60-75%).
  • Opportunity to represent the company at industry events and conferences.
  • Engagement in strategic business planning and decision-making.
  • High visibility role interfacing with executive leadership.
Full Job Description
Job Title: Head of Sales, USA West

Department: Sales

Reports to: Head of Macro Area - VP Sales N&C America

Direct Reports: Regional Sales Manager(s)

Location(s): Home Based (ref. LHUSC)

1. Summary of Position:

The Head of Region (HoR) is responsible for leading the commercial activities within the assigned region to achieve Order Intake, revenue, profitability and market share objectives. The role develops and executes the regional business strategy, leads the regional sales organization, builds executive customer relationships, drives complex commercial campaigns, and coordinates cross-functional teams to ensure successful business growth across commercial, government and defense markets. The position serves as the senior company representative within the region and promotes the highest standards of ethics, compliance and customer satisfaction.

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Strategic Responsibilities
  • Develop and execute regional strategy.
  • Drive sustainable profitable growth.
  • Identify new markets and partnerships.
  • Support long-term business planning.
  • Provide market intelligence to executive leadership.

Leadership Responsibilities
  • Lead, coach and develop the team of Regional Sales Managers (RSM).
  • Build a high-performance culture.
  • Conduct succession and talent planning.
  • Set objectives and performance reviews.
  • Champion ethics, inclusion and accountability.

Commercial Responsibilities
  • Own pipeline, Order Intake, revenue.
  • Lead major pursuits and negotiations.
  • Develop executive customer relationships.
  • Oversee promotors and distributors.
  • Improve customer satisfaction and retention.

Cross Functional Leadership
  • Coordinate Marketing, Bid Management, Product Management, Contracts, Legal, Finance and Customer Support.
  • Ensure alignment through the opportunity lifecycle.

Financial Accountability
  • Own regional budget, including but not limited to managing travel and commercial investments
  • Forecast Order Intake and revenue.
  • Improve forecast accuracy.

Decision Authority
  • Regional business planning.
  • Customer engagement priorities.
  • Commercial strategy recommendations.

Negotiation leadership within delegated authority

Internal Interfaces (main)
  • Executive Leadership
  • Marketing
  • Finance
  • Programs
  • Contracts
  • Legal
  • Customer Support

External Interfaces (main)
  • Customers
  • Local Government agencies
  • Industry partners
  • Distributors

Travel & Working Conditions
  • Home based*.
  • 60-75% domestic/international travel.
  • Valid passport and driver's license required.

KPIs
  • Order Intake
  • Revenue
  • Market Share
  • Customer Satisfaction
  • Employee Engagement
  • Forecast Accuracy


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2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities:

% of Time

1.

Achieve Order Intake, revenue, profitability and strategic growth objectives.

25%

2.

Develop and execute the regional business strategy and annual sales plan.

20%

3.

Lead strategic customer engagement, capture campaigns, contract negotiations and executive relationships.

20%

4.

Lead, coach, develop and evaluate Regional Sales Managers and Sales Managers.

15%

5.

Coordinate Marketing, Product Management, Engineering, Contracts, Legal, Finance and Customer Support.

20%

6.

Manage forecasts, budgets, CRM pipeline and business reporting.

10%

7.

Ensure compliance with company policies, export controls and applicable laws while representing the company at industry events.

5%

TOTAL _

100%

3. Qualifications for Position:

A. Education
  • Bachelor's Degree in Business, Sales/Marketing, or Aerospace Engineering required.
  • Master's Degree in Marketing, Business, or Aerospace Engineering preferred.

B. Experience
  • 15+ years' experience in Aviation; minimum 5 years in Helicopter business, 10+ desired.
  • 10+ years of progressive commercial/sales experience, with demonstrated revenue ownership. 15+ years' experience desired.
  • Minimum 5 years directly managing and developing sales teams, including experience leading geographically dispersed or remote teams across a multi-state territory. 7+ years' experience desired.
  • Proven track record of meeting or exceeding Order Intake, revenue, and Market share targets in aviation environment. Direct experience selling in aerospace, aviation, defense, rotorcraft/helicopter, or unmanned systems markets strongly preferred.
  • Demonstrated existing connections in US helicopter business segments (HEMS, VIP/Corporate, Civil Utility, Public Utility) is desired and a plus.
  • Demonstrated success leading capture campaigns and complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles - from opportunity identification through contract award.
  • Experience negotiating and closing high-value, long-cycle contracts, partnering closely with Legal and Contracts teams on terms and risk.
  • Experience managing third-party distributors and promotors (sales agents).
  • Experience operating within an export-controlled environment (ITAR/European) and ensuring compliance with U.S. / EU export regulations.
  • Experience owning regional budgets, sales forecasting, and CRM-based pipeline management/reporting.
  • Experience representing a company publicly at industry trade shows, conferences, and customer events.
  • International or cross-cultural business experience, including working with overseas headquarters or global leadership teams - a plus.

C. Competencies & Attributes
  • Team management: mentoring and coaching.
  • Strong written and oral communication skills.
  • Strong and proven negotiation skills.
  • Capable of developing and delivering presentations to customers.
  • Driven and able to work under pressure, plan, and meet deadlines.
  • Ability to handle critical and emergency situations involving customers.
  • Leadership and ability to motivate others.
  • Intercultural awareness; empathetic, with the ability to create and maintain relationships.
  • Pro-active and self-motivating attitude.
  • Change management approach.
  • Languages: English required. Italian or Spanish, nice to have.
  • IT skills, experience in a digitalized environment.

Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook); knowledge of database management and CRM; social media; capable of managing AI tools.

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