Head of Sales MEA (m/f/d) Building Materials

Departer - The German Headhunter; Dubai; On-site; AED 440,690 - 661,035; Full time

Job summary

Trades Workforce Solutions seeks a Head of Sales MEA to drive commercial growth across the GCC and Africa. This leadership role demands strategic vision and hands-on management of multicultural teams, aiming to enhance market positioning and customer relationships.

The ideal candidate will have 10-15 years of experience, strong negotiation skills, and a background in the building materials sector. An MBA is preferred, and fluency in English is required.

Qualifications

• 10–15 years of commercial leadership experience in MEA markets.
• Experience leading multicultural sales teams (25+ employees).
• Background in building materials or related industries preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a regional sales organization across multiple markets.
• Drive revenue growth, market share expansion, and profitability.
• Coach and develop sales leaders and team members.

Skills

Commercial leadership experience

People leadership skills

Negotiation skills

Market growth experience

Fluent English

Arabic and regional languages

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, or Engineering

MBA preferred

Job description

ABOUT DEPARTER - THE KNOW-WHO PEOPLE

Departer is a leading German Executive Search firm with over 20 years of experience in global leadership recruitment. We specialize in placing executives in medium-sized enterprises and private equity portfolio firms across DACH, MEAI, ASIA, and ANZ regions. With a deep understanding of the DACH economy, we facilitate successful placements within global management teams across corporate headquarters and entities abroad.

Our client is a leading international organization operating across the Middle East and Africa region, with a strong market presence in the building materials sector. The company is recognized for its commitment to innovation, customer excellence, and sustainable growth across multiple markets.

They are currently seeking a Head of Sales MEA to lead and accelerate commercial growth across the GCC, Africa (and South-East Asia) regions. As a key member of the Senior Management Team, this role will be responsible for shaping and executing the regional sales strategy, driving profitable growth, leading high-performing commercial teams, and strengthening strategic partnerships with customers, distributors, consultants, developers, and contractors.

The successful candidate will be a transformational commercial leader with the ability to inspire teams, build a high‑performance culture, develop future leaders, and drive sustainable business growth. This role requires a strong balance of strategic vision and hands‑on leadership, with the ability to empower teams, create accountability, and align a multicultural organization around common business objectives. This position offers the opportunity to significantly influence regional expansion, build market leadership, and contribute to the long‑term success of a globally recognized organization.

Your duties and responsibilities will include:

• Lead and develop a regional sales organization across multiple markets
• Supervise project and retail sales, specifications, and technical team members in MEA
• Build a high‑performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and customer excellence
• Coach and develop sales leaders and team members to strengthen organizational capability
• Define and execute regional sales strategy aligned with business objectives
• Drive revenue growth, market share expansion, and profitability across MEA markets
• Own sales planning, budgeting, forecasting, and commercial performance management
• Establish clear sales targets, KPIs, and performance expectations
• Manage key accounts, contractors, distributors, developers, consultants, and strategic partners
• Strengthen customer relationships and market positioning
• Identify new business opportunities, markets, and routes to growth
• Lead strategic negotiations with major customers and partners
• Collaborate with Marketing, Technical, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations teams
• Provide market insights, forecasts, and recommendations to senior leadership
• Ensure compliance with company policies, governance standards, and ethical practices

To be successful in this role, you should have the following skills and experiences:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, Engineering, or related field (MBA preferred)
• 10–15 years of commercial leadership experience in Middle East and Africa markets
• Proven experience leading multicultural sales teams (25+ employees)
• Strong people leadership skills with experience coaching and developing teams
• Track record of growing markets and delivering profitable business results
• Experience managing contractors, developers, distributors, key accounts, and strategic partnerships
• Background in building materials, or related industries preferred
• Strong commercial, financial, and strategic planning capabilities
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to lead across cultures and complex regional environments
• Results‑driven mindset with strong execution capabilities
• Fluent English; Arabic and additional regional languages are an advantage
• Willingness to travel mainly within the MEA region