Sales Manager

Opportunity Profile Location: Chicago, Illinois Position Title: Sales Manager The Opportunity: This is not a turnaround role. It is a high-expectation leadership position within one of the organization’s most visible, profitable, and strategically important operations. The Sales Manager will lead the commercial organization for two adjacent Chicago-area facilities that together generate approximately $225 million in annual revenue and more than 2 billion square feet of volume, consistently ranking among the top performers within a large, national manufacturing network. The opportunity is especially compelling because this role is the hiring manager’s former position. After moving into a broader regional leadership role, the hiring manager has continued to carry much of the day-to-day responsibility for the Chicago business. As a result, the incoming Sales Manager will step into a role with real urgency, direct access to decision-makers, and a clear mandate to assume ownership quickly. This is a leadership seat where performance matters, visibility is high, and success is noticed well beyond the local market. In an industry marked by uncertainty and contraction among competitors, this role offers the chance to protect, advance, and help shape a flagship business within an organization that continues to invest, grow, and differentiate itself. The Company: The organization is widely viewed as one of the most stable, well-run, and consistently performing companies in its industry. While many competitors are shrinking, closing facilities, or struggling with balance sheet constraints, this company continues to invest heavily in its assets and grow its footprint. This long-term commitment to capital investment and operational excellence has reinforced its reputation for stability, credibility, and customer trust. The company’s customer-first operating philosophy means sales leaders are empowered to make commitments to customers with confidence that the organization will deliver. This alignment between sales, operations, and leadership allows teams to build trust over time, earn expanded opportunities, and grow accounts without selling around internal friction. For experienced commercial leaders, this is a platform where integrity, execution, and consistency are not slogans but operating principles. The Boss: The Sales Manager will report directly to the Area Sales Leader responsible for a multi-state region—who previously held this exact Sales Manager role overseeing the Chicago operations. This leader knows the scope, complexity, and pressure of the job firsthand and sets expectations based on lived experience rather than theory. Since assuming the broader regional role at the beginning of the year, he has continued to handle much of the day-to-day responsibility for Chicago, reinforcing both the urgency of the hire and the clarity around what success looks like in the role. The Chicago operation is considered a flagship within the organization due to its size, historical performance, and proximity to corporate leadership. As a result, the hiring manager remains deeply embedded in the business and highly motivated to transition full ownership to the incoming Sales Manager. Early on, the relationship will be engaged and hands-on, providing direct access, frequent interaction, and real-time feedback. The intent, however, is not long-term micromanagement, but a thoughtful handoff that enables the new leader to take full accountability while freeing the area leader to focus on broader regional responsibilities. This role also brings regular interaction with senior leadership, including regional general management and senior sales executives. Chicago leadership is often involved in national sales leadership meetings, panels, and discussions due to the operation’s visibility and performance. For the right candidate, this creates a strong mentorship environment, meaningful executive exposure, and a direct line to senior decision-makers within a culture that values autonomy, accountability, and customer-first leadership. The Position: The Sales Manager is the senior commercial leader for the Chicago operations, overseeing a combined sales organization of approximately 12 professionals that operate as a single, integrated team. This role carries full ownership of commercial performance across one of the largest and most complex sales environments within the organization, requiring the ability to lead confidently in a high-volume, high-visibility market. This is not a transactional or purely administrative sales management role. The Sales Manager is a core member of the plant leadership team and actively participates in management meetings alongside the General Manager, Controller, Resource Manager, and operations leadership. The position requires comfort engaging in broader business discussions that extend beyond sales, including capacity considerations, customer commitments, and long-term planning. The Sales Manager is supported by a Field Sales Manager who handles certain administrative responsibilities and provides more frequent guidance to newer sales representatives. This structure allows the Sales Manager to focus on higher-value leadership activities: setting expectations, developing talent, maintaining accountability, and shaping the future of the sales organization. While the Sales Manager conducts regular one-on-one meetings with all team members, particular emphasis is placed on coaching newer talent and ensuring knowledge transfer from senior producers who are approaching retirement. Success in the role requires regular on-site presence and visible leadership. The Chicago sales team is largely local, with multiple representatives in the office on a given day, and the Sales Manager is expected to be accessible, engaged, and present. The position demands the ability to command credibility with experienced, high-performing salespeople while also setting a forward-looking tone that prevents complacency and sustains top-tier performance over time. Essential Functions (Other duties may be assigned): Lead and develop a high-performing sales organization across two major Chicago-area facilities Maintain and advance performance levels within a flagship operation that consistently ranks at the top of the network Coach and develop newer sales talent while sustaining engagement and performance among senior, veteran producers Drive succession planning and knowledge transfer in anticipation of upcoming retirements within the sales team Collaborate with plant leadership, finance, and operations on commercial strategy and decision-making Represent the Chicago business in regional and national sales leadership discussions Qualifications: Proven experience leading sales teams in large, complex, and competitive markets Ability to command credibility with experienced, high-performing sales professionals Strong customer-first mindset aligned with the organization’s operating philosophy Comfort operating in a highly visible role with exposure to senior leadership Education and Experience: Sales leadership background within corrugated packaging or similarly complex industrial markets Experience managing large revenue platforms and diverse sales teams Familiarity with metropolitan markets such as Chicago, or comparable environments Competencies: Strategic commercial leadership Talent development and coaching Executive presence and communication Cross-functional collaboration Ability to perform under high expectations and visibility Work Environment: This role is based in the Chicago area and is not fully remote. While some flexibility exists, consistent on-site engagement with the sales team and plant leadership is critical to success. The environment is fast-paced, highly visible, and performance-driven, reflecting the flagship status of the operation. Compensation: Compensation is structured to reflect the scale, visibility, and leadership impact of the role and is aligned with the organization’s broader sales leadership framework. #J-18808-Ljbffr