To direct and manage market segment, territory, or global solutions (POS, E Commerce, Industries) sales growth via channel specialist, account dedicated or geographic sales teams at division, region, country or cluster level.

To lead and support the day to day activities of account managers and sales team(s) to achieve KPIs while maintaining a full and active new business pipeline and existing account portfolio. To maintain and develop strong and lasting relationships with existing and new customers, using the DSS sales tools and in line with policy.

Job Description

Manage Accounts within a specific Business Unit within North America by building emotional connection with customers to drive profitable growth and increase loyalty.

Deliver profitable market share growth that incorporates key aspects such as innovation, ecommerce and POS (measured on revenue, volume, profit, customer satisfaction by building capable teams to drive and deliver growth across multiple geographies through creating Value Selling Plans with customers using the full gamut of resources and leverage Value pricing.

Fostering excellent working relationships at all levels with a clear focus on driving and supporting the delivery of sales strategies and customer engagement within sales and commercial teams to deliver the customer experience in close collaboration with the Sales and Operations organizations.

Key Accountabilities 

Revenue Growth

Meet or exceed KPI of Revenue. Meet or exceed KPI of Volume. Meet or exceed KPI of Profit.

Margin Management & Growth

Drive growth of the region / segment business, aligning resources to drive sales and ensuring commercial value is realised to meet targeted sales and margin development. Responsible for delivering the overall targeted business results for the territory or segment. Develop a process to engage and drive sales plans, strategy development/deployment and build on the “DS Smith Way of Selling” to maximize the value that the sales function delivers to the business. Aligning across the division to drive growth through complex offerings in multi-materials, service and consultancy. Build, promote and contribute to the development of long term partnerships and relationships with customers and prospects – often at C-Suite level. Works closely with the divisional design & innovation teams to secure added value on existing services and products with new and existing customers. Drives/ facilitates results through creating a culture of collaboration and accountability across teams. Encourages a results driven mind set focused on winning business, driving growth and improving the customer experience.

Execute DSS strategy into market

Ensure the development of long-term client and prospect partnerships building and prioritizing relationships that instil consumer and supplier confidence at that these relationships are expertly managed. Work with SMI and Operations teams to deliver customer retention strategies and build plans to drive value selling and added value propositions to partner client businesses for the relevant territory or segment. Monitoring and actively managing the sales pipeline and forecasting such that the rest of the business can be effectively aligned with incoming opportunities or reductions. Proactively managing the segment / territory to keep incumbent business and avoid sales leakage. Partner with the customer and DS Smith resources to drive innovation. Collaborate with the appropriate teams to support execution of Marketing Strategies to support pricing strategies and tools for index pricing, value added pricing and tender strategy to optimize winning business. Mobilize the organization to build strong relationships with the right contacts at the appropriate level across the organization by creating contact maps to engage at the right level within these organizations and execute appropriate Account Based plans. Building customer specific offers, coordinating offer development delivered with external partners and internal businesses. Represent strategic accounts in the Tender Management Process to ensure tender strategies are aligned, agreed, profitable. Represent strategic accounts in the S&OP process (Consolidate the sales pipeline for the account across the division). Negotiate and manage complex regional or global commercial agreements with the legal team.

Leadership

Lead, coach and develop a diverse team to build and embed the necessary capabilities, and resources to deliver on the territory or market segment strategy, customer demands and business requirements. Ensure the continuous excellent execution of - ‘the way we sell in this market segment. Responsible for collaborating to attract, retain and develop top talent. Building a new team dynamic across the region fostering engaging behaviors to drive high performance.

Account planning and strategies 

Develops 3 year account plans for the top 20 customers and gains approval from the stakeholders. Develop the right global sales solutions, services and strategies for the territory / segment and its customers, by focusing on customer’s strategies and orienting to provide value against future need. Lead the continuous development and execution of the long/medium-term territory or market segment strategies across the division. Works with Design, Innovation, Sourcing & Supply Chain teams to draft our specific innovation & differentiation strategy (business models, products, services, materials, specific website, case studies, social media, exhibitions, press releases, advertising, customer appraisal videos. Monitors performance against agreed targets and objectives and decides on appropriate interventions to deliver performance. Owns the plan, profitability and reporting for the relevant part of the business and drives action to improve profitability. Must be an ambassador for the DS Smith brand for their territory or specific market segment, positioning DS Smith as the experts in the field of global multi-material packaging solutions for this part of the market. Be the Voice of the market and its customers, leading the business in developing actions to improve and execute externally on our value proposition promise and implement actions to deliver on that proposition.

Job Dimensions 

Manage team of Account Managers and Project Managers.

Provide accurate sales forecast to SIOP process.

Through team of Key Account Managers, improve the level of sales, profitability and engagement between DSS NAP and customer.

Direct relationships include Account Managers and Project Managers.

Ad hoc customer or market strategy team on request.

Be a trustworthy partner and acts with the highest levels of integrity continuously building the strongest relationships between DS Smith and our customers.

Education & certifications 

Bachelor’s Degree required. 10+ years Sales experience.

Job specific technical requirements 

Ability to rapidly develop knowledge of all sites within the Business Unit – capabilities; customer base; people skills and experience. General change management awareness to drive and support the change of focus to clusters - Awareness of potential competing priorities between cluster and site. Consumer Insight knowledge for the relevant market. Excellent stakeholder management skills and a strong commercial mindset built from significant experience in senior roles and particularly executive sales leadership roles. Must possess excellent influencing skills, cultural awareness and appreciation of others. Strong business acumen and commercial experience at the relevant level Experience implementing sales models and organizational structures in relevant segment or geographies. Business development mind-set with the ability to identify areas of business opportunity and growth by providing optimum solutions to key customer business issues. High credibility and results driven with experience driving and managing sales growth and sales P&L through successful development and execution of account strategy.

Experience, Skills and Behaviors 

Excellent ability to deal with ambiguity & network inside the business to achieve coordinated response to customer requirements will be needed. Strong business acumen and commercial experience at senior level with proven ability to grasp, analyze and initiate actions based on strong financial insights and understanding. A natural leader who coaches and mentors others to build capability of the business unit team, within a matrix organization. Business leader, who can effectively inspire, manage, motivate & develop a high-performing business unit team, setting performance targets and standards. A self-starter, confident communicator, responsive  and excellent negotiator.