Regional Vice President of Sales to serve as the primary architect of growth across all Solais product lines within the Eastern US. This role operates through our network of independent agents, distributors, and contractors - while also personally cultivating direct, high-value relationships with lighting designers, architects, and specifiers to influence and secure Solais specifications from the earliest stages of project design. The Regional VP is accountable for aligning sales strategy, expanding market share, and delivering measurable revenue growth, while acting as a trusted, senior voice between the field and Solais' executive and operations teams.
Essential Functions and ResponsibilitiesSpecification & Design Community Leadership - Direct Specifier Relationships: Personally build and maintain a book of relationships with key lighting designers, architects, interior designers, and engineers within the territory, calling on them independently and jointly with the agency network to secure early-stage specification of Solais product
- Specification Development: Manage the specification process end-to-end - from initial design influence through bid, value engineering, and award - defending Solais specifications against substitution and re-specification by competitors
- A&D Outreach and Education: Deliver AIA-accredited continuing education (CEU) presentations, lunch-and-learns, and product training sessions directly to architecture and design firms to build technical credibility and product preference ahead of project need
- Joint Field Calls: Make joint sales calls with agency specification teams on architects, lighting designers, interior designers, and engineers to reinforce Solais's technical expertise and presence in the design community
- Technical Fluency: Move fluidly between technical, data-heavy conversations with engineering and design firms and relationship-driven conversations with distributors, contractors, and agents, serving as a credible technical resource on color, controls, and application
Channel & Territory Management - Strategic Growth: Develop and execute a regional sales plan to exceed annual revenue targets and expand Solais's market share across the territory
- Channel Management: Recruit, train, and manage a high-performing network of independent agents and distributors
- Project Oversight: Drive the full sales cycle - from specification through bid - to ensure winning outcomes and seamless project delivery
- Resource Optimization: Evaluate agent and territory performance; reallocate focus to the highest-ROI opportunities and highest-value specifier relationships
Market & Business Leadership - Market Intelligence: Serve as the eyes and ears of the region - reporting on competitor activity, regional construction and design trends, and economic shifts
- Competitive Defense: Monitor competitor pricing and positioning within the A&D community; build strategies that protect existing specifications while capturing new ones
- Customer Advocacy: Act as the voice of the customer internally, ensuring specifier and market feedback inform Solais's product and service evolution
- Integrity & Transparency: Maintain accurate pipeline reporting and realistic lead-time expectations with executive leadership at all times
- Factory & Operations Partnership: Build a collaborative relationship with Solais operations and production teams; understand manufacturing constraints and work jointly to resolve delivery or quality issues
- Cross-Functional Leadership: Break down silos between field sales, engineering, and customer service to win projects as a unified team
- Data-Driven Decisions: Analyze regional sales data and KPIs to identify trends, shifts, and under-penetrated opportunities
QualificationsEducation and Experience - Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or related field preferred
- 10+ years of experience in technical, specification-driven sales or business development in lighting, electrical, or a closely related industry
- Existing, active relationships with lighting designers, architects, and the specification community within the territory strongly preferred
- Proven ability to influence independent rep, distributor, and contractor networks at scale
- Demonstrated success achieving growth targets, developing direct A&D and specifier relationships, and supporting new product launches
- Experience delivering AIA CEU presentations or comparable lunch-and-learn / product education sessions to architecture and design audiences preferred
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities - Working knowledge of lighting fundamentals - color, CRI, controls, vision science, and application - sufficient to hold expert-level conversations with lighting designers and engineers
- Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with close attention to detail
- Excellent verbal and written communication and negotiation skills, with polish appropriate for senior A&D and executive audiences
- Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, CRM systems, and Google Workspace for data analysis, presentations, and pipeline reporting
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines under pressure
- Ability to travel up to 80%, including overnight and air travel
Physical Requirements - Ability to lift, carry, push, and/or pull up to 50 pounds (product samples, displays, marketing materials)
- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods during customer visits, trade shows, and team meetings
- Ability to sit for extended periods while traveling or working on a computer
- Valid driver's license and active automobile insurance
