Global Sales Leader - ELIXIR Strings

About The Role Ready to help guitarists everywhere sound their best? ELIXIR Strings is seeking a Global Sales Leader to accelerate global growth across the guitar string and musical instrument ecosystem. In this role, you’ll lead sales, inside sales, and customer support teams to deliver results that matter—strengthening relationships with retailers, distributors, and strategic partners while ensuring our product and service solutions meet the evolving needs of players and music communities around the world. We’re looking for a sales leader who lives and breathes guitars—someone who understands how tone, feel, and reliability influence what players buy and what stores recommend. You combine vision with practical execution and enjoy leading collaboratively using LEAN principles: setting clear priorities, simplifying what matters most, and motivating teams to hit ambitious goals. Your leadership will be critical to expanding our global footprint, deepening partnerships with key guitar retailers and distributors, and reinforcing ELIXIR’s reputation for performance, consistency, and innovation on stages, in studios, and in practice rooms worldwide. If you’re ready to lead with purpose, influence how guitarists experience our brand, and deliver measurable, profitable growth, join us in shaping the next chapter of ELIXIR Strings, a W.L. Gore & Associates business. This position will be located at our Appleton East facility in Elkton, Maryland, with the possibility of a hybrid work arrangement (4 days in office, 1 work from home day per week). Regular global travel (50%) is required to build deep relationships with customers and partners. Relocation assistance is available for this position. Pay And Benefits $175,000 - $225,000 per year Roles above $150k are eligible for the variable pay program each fiscal year, based on defined business performance metrics. Factors considered in extending an offer within this pay range include (but not limited to) education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. Medical, Dental and Vision benefits effective on Day 1 of employment! We offer a comprehensive total rewards package, including competitive benefits. More details are available at Responsibilities Lead a high-performing team of 10 global sales, inside sales, and customer care associates to deliver substantial, profitable growth. Engage directly with key customers across the guitar value chain—including major retailers, distributors, and strategic accounts—to win share, strengthen execution, and elevate the ELIXIR Strings experience for guitarists. Dedicate up to 50% of your time working closely with your team to build deep, strategic customer relationships through account reviews, joint business planning, and on-the-floor store/distributor engagement. Identify the highest-impact opportunities across regions and channels, secure new customers, and strengthen existing partnerships—ensuring our value proposition stays relevant to how guitarists choose strings and how partners drive velocity. Ensure guitar OEM partners are well covered and that the sales team drives deep partnership with the partners that you determine. Define and execute a dynamic global sales growth strategy across guitar segments and product families, aligning priorities to our business and product vision. Mobilize the organization to achieve aggressive growth targets by account, geography, channel and product. Partner with the ELIXIR Global Marketing Leader to determine best marketing investments to drive guitar string demand across channels (retail, distribution, eCommerce, consumers), strengthen eCommerce performance, and convert guitarist enthusiasm into sell-through with our channel partners. Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for customer engagement, pipeline health, forecast accuracy, sell-in/sell-through momentum, and attainment of sales targets. Lead lean daily/weekly/monthly management reviews and take decisive action to keep the team focused and accountable for outcomes. Improve data quality and availability in Salesforce by establishing best practices and partnering with IT as needed. Lead Strategy Deployment by building and delivering sales plans that create measurable global impact in the guitar category. Partner across the ELIXIR business for seamless go-to-market execution, elevate channel performance, and capture new business opportunities to exceed market growth benchmarks. Coach, align, and empower associates to build capability, deliver measurable results, and advance new opportunities while championing our organizational culture and values. Determine and improve Sales organization structure, budget, and investments to best meet revenue and profit goals. Additional Responsibilities Champion continuous improvement by embedding the Gore Business System and fostering a culture where daily management, kaizen activities, and revenue-focused problem‑solving are the norm. Encourage every team member to surface and solve challenges, driving operational excellence and sustained growth. Lead kaizens and problem‑solving processes with humility and curiosity to unlock new performance. As a member of the ELIXIR Leadership Team, partner across functions to shape and execute the ELIXIR growth strategy—aligning product, marketing, supply, and commercial execution so we win in the market and serve guitarists better. Engage and guide inside sales and customer support teams to increase meaningful customer‑facing time and improve the end‑to‑end customer experience by championing continuous improvement. Required Qualifications Minimum of 6 years of demonstrated global sales experience in musical instruments or consumer markets with a minimum of 2 years of experience leading people - consistently delivering growth through a customer-focused, externally oriented approach. Active guitar player with credibility and enthusiasm to represent ELIXIR Strings—able to connect authentically with guitarists, artists, retailers, and partners, and excited to lead engaging events that grow demand and spotlight our brand. Proven ability to effectively collaborate with cross‑functional leaders, energize teams and drive substantial market expansion by actively engaging with customers, understanding their needs, and translating insights into accelerated sales and market development. Track record of top‑line growth in both United States and global (established and emerging) markets, achieved by leveraging deep customer empathy and market knowledge to co‑create and execute effective business strategies across functions and regions, with experience improving visibility in funnel and forecasting using Salesforce or similar tool. Inspirational leadership skills with a passion for building accountable, high‑performing teams; adept at coaching, mentoring, and resolving challenges to foster a culture of ownership and results, even in ambiguous situations. Strategic mindset for designing and deploying optimal sales structures and go‑to‑market models that prioritize external customer needs and maximize global impact. Exceptional communication and interpersonal abilities enabling genuine, trust‑based relationships with customers, partners, and internal stakeholders across the globe. Flexibility and enthusiasm to support global teams, with the ability to travel frequently (50%) to meet customers face‑to‑face and proactively cultivate strong external partnerships. Proven experience leading negotiations and managing complex agreements—balancing timelines, risks, and uncertainties—to consistently achieve win‑win business outcomes that support both customer and company goals. Self‑motivated with a growth mindset and entrepreneurial spirit; bring strong execution, analytical, organizational, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills to every challenge, always prioritizing customer success and business growth. Desired Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in music or in business Experience driving growth using continuous improvement tools including Strategy Deployment, Daily Management, Kaizen, and problem solving Experience driving growth in China, Japan, Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia This position offers a hybrid work arrangement in the country from which the Associate is employed. Eligibility is dependent on the responsibilities of the role and business needs, and the Associate must agree to comply with Gore’s work arrangement policies. What We Offer Our success is based on the capability and creativity of our Associates, and we are proud to offer a comprehensive and competitive total rewards program that supports your everyday and helps you build your tomorrow. We provide benefits that offer choice and flexibility and promote overall well‑being. And in keeping with our belief that every Associate should share in the collective success of the enterprise; we provide a distinctive Associate Stock Ownership Plan in each country as well as potential opportunities for profit sharing. Learn more at gore.com/careers/benefits Gore is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, ancestry, age, status as a qualified individual with a disability, genetic information, pregnancy status, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, status as a protected veteran, gender identity and expression, and any other characteristic protected by applicable laws and regulations. Gore is committed to a drug‑free workplace. All employment is contingent upon successful completion of drug and background screening. Gore will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, e.g., arrest and conviction records, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws. Gore requires all applicants to be eligible to work within the United States. Gore generally will not sponsor visas unless otherwise noted on the position description. #J-18808-Ljbffr W. L. Gore & Associates