Sales Manager

Reporting to the Vice President of Business Development, the Sales Manager will oversee sales strategy, pipeline management, business development, and team performance while helping manufacturers identify opportunities to improve operations, adopt new technologies, develop talent, and accelerate growth. The Sales Manager will serve as both a coach and a strategic partner, ensuring the team delivers consultative solutions that create measurable value for clients while supporting our client's long-term growth objectives.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead, coach, and develop a regional sales team serving manufacturers across assigned Michigan territories in both training and consulting sales. Manage performance against revenue goals, new client targets, and other core KPIs, ensuring accountability and follow-through. Help the team build strategic target lists across current and prospective manufacturing clients to deepen relationships and pursue new opportunities. Improve sales processes, support strategic planning, and connect field activity to organizational goals and market priorities. Conduct regular one‑on‑ones, team meetings, and performance discussions to reinforce priorities, remove obstacles, and maintain momentum. Join client‑facing activities, including ride‑alongs, joint meetings, assessments, and proposal strategy sessions, to strengthen sales effectiveness and assess team capability. Collaborate with Marketing and other internal teams to support the sales process. Partner with state and federal funding sources to secure customer training assistance. Oversee compliance with IACET standards for CEUs and SHRM‑related activities.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Bachelor’s degree in technical or business discipline, such as business administration, operations management, or engineering. 2+ years of sales leadership experience in manufacturing, industrial services, technical consulting, or a similar environment. Strong understanding of manufacturing operations and credibility with plant managers, operations leaders, and other technical decision‑makers. Experience with CRM systems, including pipeline management, reporting, and data quality oversight, ideally in Salesforce. Excellent communication skills, including leading meetings, delivering candid feedback, and representing the organization professionally with clients and internal stakeholders. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite. Ability to travel locally and regionally 50–75% of the time. #J-18808-Ljbffr Purple Squirrel Advisors