This is a remote position.
Regional Sales Director, APAC
Reports to: Managing Director / Commercial Director | Start date: ASAP
An established international manufacturer of passenger information systems for the public transport industry is seeking a senior sales leader to take ownership of the Asia Pacific region.
Brief Summary
the company has enjoyed a significant increase in sales over the past 3 years which has directly impacted our Sales function. We are therefore looking for a talented Regional Sales Director, APAC to join us at an exciting time of growth and technological change. We now operate through regional sales leadership in the UK and North America and in Europe. The Regional Sales Director, APAC completes this structure, taking ownership of the Asia Pacific region, which includes Hong Kong, China, South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand and the wider Far East. This is a great opportunity for a senior sales leader with a proven track record to join our growing team. We are looking for an individual who is experienced in multitasking, data management, and who possess strong communication skills to ensure collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders. the company’s global sales are now circa £100m / year and our Sales team are integral to the continued success and growth of our business. The successful candidate will be committed to process enhancement, continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.
Requirements
Full ownership of the company’s APAC sales performance, including annual revenue, gross margin and order intake targets, and the regional sales plan that delivers them.
Working closely with the the company Far East office, further develop the relationships with the key Chinese and Asian bus OEMs, including Yutong, BYD, King Long, Golden Dragon, Higer and Zhongtong, at procurement, engineering and senior management level.
Own OEM pricing, rebate and preferred supplier agreements for the region, working within the company’s global OEM framework and in coordination with the UK, North America and Europe Regional Sales Directors so that OEM pricing is consistent across all territories.
Act as communication “bridge” and liaison between the company UK and the company Far East, providing commercial oversight of the company’s Far East and Australia offices as well as the region's other agents and distributors.
Grow the company’s cloud platform subscriptions across the region alongside the core hardware business.
Fluent spoken and written Mandarin, Cantonese and English are essential for this role. Applications without all three will not be progressed.
Willingness and ability to travel extensively across the region, typically 25 to 30 percent of working time, with regular presence in Lewes if based overseas.
Essential Skills
Proven track record as a senior sales leader in the bus or commercial vehicle sector in Asia, with at least eight years of relevant experience and a demonstrable history of winning and growing OEM business.
In-depth, current knowledge of the Asian bus OEM market: who the decision makers are, how their procurement and engineering functions operate, their export strategies and their supplier approval processes.
Fluent Mandarin, Cantonese and English, including the ability to negotiate, present and draft commercial documents in all three.
Strong commercial and financial acumen, including experience of rebate structures, tiered pricing, agent commission and multi-currency quoting
Experience managing a distributed sales team and a third-party agent or distributor network across multiple countries.
Experience of public transport procurement in the region, including tender processes run by authorities and major operators such as Hong Kong's franchised bus operators, Singapore LTA and the Australian and New Zealand state and regional transport authorities.
Disciplined pipeline management and forecasting, with a track record of accurate CRM reporting and monthly commercial reviews.
Able to work autonomously to a clearly defined brief, with the judgement to know when to escalate and when to act.
Keen attention to detail
Exceptional organisational skills with a practical and methodical approach to prioritisation
Proficiency in multitasking under pressure
High standards of professionalism and work ethic with a positive can-do attitude
Demonstrate flexibility in daily tasks and training.
Desired Skills
Experience selling passenger information, telematics, ITS or connected software into the transport sector, and an understanding of SaaS subscription models.
Existing relationships with Chinese OEM importers and dealers in export markets, for example the UK, Norway, Australia and New Zealand.
Familiarity with regional vehicle and electrical standards and requirements that affect on-vehicle equipment.
Strong knowledge and ability aligned to planning.
Willingness to take a hands-on approach as needed.
Demonstrated enthusiasm with a proactive initiative.
Advanced proficiency in MS Office with ability to learn new systems efficiently.
Experience of working within cross functional teams
Tasks & Duties
Prepare, agree and deliver the annual APAC sales plan, budget and forecast, and report monthly against it to the Commercial Director and senior management team.
Own the OEM account plans for the region, including regular visits to OEM factories and headquarters, supplier reviews and specification-in activity for new vehicle platforms.
Negotiate and manage OEM rebate, pricing and preferred supplier agreements within the limits set by the company’s global framework, and ensure they are consistent with equivalent agreements held by the other regions.
Coordinate with the UK, North America and Europe Regional Sales Directors on OEM export business so that vehicles built in Asia and sold into those regions are quoted, priced and supported correctly.
Oversight of the the company Far East operation, helping to set objectives and reviewing performance.
Appoint, contract and manage agents and distributors across the region, including commission structures, territory definition and annual performance reviews.
Lead major tender responses and framework bids in the region, coordinating technical, commercial and marketing input from Lewes.
Drive the company’s cloud platform adoption in APAC, working with the Cloud Product Manager on regional requirements, hosting and localisation.
Maintain accurate pipeline, opportunity and customer records and provide regular pipeline updates.
Build and maintain a regional market map covering OEMs, operators, authorities and competitors, and share intelligence with the global sales team.
Represent the company at regional trade shows and industry events, including Busworld Asia and relevant national exhibitions.
Attend the company global sales meetings and spend agreed periods in Lewes each year for alignment with product, engineering and operations.
To carry out any other duties as deemed necessary by your Department Manager
