Sales Manager – Global Specialty Chemicals (Confidential)
Location: Hybrid (North West England)
Travel: International travel c.25%
Contract: Permanent, Full Time
We are working with a well-established, internationally operating specialty chemicals business that has built a global reputation for delivering high-integrity technical solutions to governments and regulated industries worldwide.
Operating across 70+ countries, this organisation supports customers in areas including fuel marking, compliance, brand protection and speciality chemical technologies. The business combines deep technical expertise with long-standing customer relationships and is now looking to strengthen its commercial leadership capability.
The Opportunity
This is a Sales Manager role with real leadership responsibility. You will lead and develop a small, experienced commercial team, translating business unit strategy into clear, actionable sales plans and ensuring consistent execution across accounts, markets and regions.
The role is both strategic and hands-on: overseeing account management, driving pipeline growth, improving forecasting accuracy, and ensuring sales performance aligns with longer-term commercial objectives.
You will also play a key role in shaping processes, reporting and market insight, helping the business maintain control, visibility and momentum as it continues to grow internationally.
Key Responsibilities
Planning & Execution
* Translate business unit commercial strategy into clear team plans, priorities and resource allocation
* Develop short- and medium-term sales plans aligned to budget (volume, revenue and profit)
* Ensure robust forecasting and pipeline management to support accurate reporting and decision-making
* Drive visibility of commercial plans across the wider organisation
Relationships
* Act as the internal voice of the customer, ensuring customer needs inform business decisions
* Build and maintain strong external customer relationships and internal stakeholder alignment
* Work closely with Marketing to develop market understanding and structured customer feedback
Operational & Leadership
* Full accountability for business unit sales objectives, targets and budgets
* Build, manage and convert a strong pipeline of new business opportunities
* Oversee sales administration, reporting and performance tracking
* Manage day-to-day operations of the commercial team
* Mentor, coach and develop team members to strengthen capability, engagement and retention
* Implement and maintain commercial processes, ensuring consistency and competence across the team
* Represent the business unit commercially, internally and externally
About You
You will be a commercially mature sales leader, comfortable operating in an international, technically complex environment.
Required:
* Degree educated (Business, Marketing, Chemistry or related discipline)
* Extensive international sales management experience, within chemicals IS A MUST HAVE
* Proven experience managing a sales team and influencing cross-functional stakeholders
* Strong customer relationship and key account management capability
* Willingness to travel internationally (c.25%)
Desirable:
* Additional business-level language skills
* Project management experience
Personal attributes:
* Strategic and conceptual thinker
* Calm, credible and persuasive communicator
* Adaptable, resilient and commercially disciplined
* Motivated to develop people and build sustainable performance
What’s on Offer
* Hybrid working model
* Competitive salary and profit-sharing scheme
* Strong pension and enhanced family benefits
* Health & wellbeing support
* A stable, values-led organisation with long-term global customers
* Opportunity to shape and lead a commercial function with real influence
This role is being handled on a strictly confidential basis. Further details about the organisation will be shared with shortlisted candidates. If you are a sales leader who values structure, integrity and long-term customer relationships, this is a compelling opportunity to make a meaningful impact.
For more information, please send your CV to this advert or email Abid Kanji on a.kanji@nonstopconsulting.com for further information.