Area Sales Manager / Business Development Manager

AWD Recruitment; Birmingham; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company car

Commission

Enhanced pension

Life assurance

Fuel card

Mobile phone

Laptop and tablet

25 days leave

Job summary

AWD Recruitment is partnering with a Midlands-based specialty coatings and finishing company to recruit an Area Sales Manager / Business Development Manager. You will drive new business, nurture key accounts, and coordinate trials to showcase coating and finishing capabilities.

Travel across the East and West Midlands will be essential. The role requires selling technical consumables and possessing a deep understanding of surface finishing processes, with a strong network in Midlands OEMs or

Qualifications

• Experience selling technical consumables or industrial/technical products.
• Strong knowledge of surface roughness parameters (Ra, Rz, Rt) and grinding/polishing mechanics.
• Established Midlands OEM/Tier 1 contacts or manufacturing hubs.
• Commercial acumen with complex enterprise sales cycles and multi-level stakeholders.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across the Midlands.

Responsibilities

• Identify and secure high-value opportunities across Midlands manufacturing markets.
• Manage existing accounts and uncover cross-sell opportunities across departments and lines.
• Coordinate on-site product trials to demonstrate coated abrasive performance.
• Develop Total Cost of Ownership and Value-in-Use business cases.

Skills

Technical selling

Surface finishing

CRM experience

Negotiation

Communication

Travel willingness

Education

Engineering or business education

Tools

CRM software

MS Office

Job description

Area Sales Manager / Business Development Manager

Take ownership of a high-potential Midlands sales territory, developing key accounts while winning new business. This is an exciting opportunity for a commercially driven sales professional to combine Account Management, Business Development and consultative technical selling. It could also suit a technically minded engineering professional looking to move into sales, or someone with a technical sales background and a strong understanding of surface finishing processes.

If you’ve also worked in the following roles, we’d also like to hear from you: Regional Sales Manager, Territory Sales Manager, Account Manager, Key Account Manager, Field Sales Manager, Technical Sales Manager, Technical Account Manager, Territory Manager, Sales Engineer

Benefits include a company car, commission, enhanced pension contribution and life assurance.

SALARY: Very Competitive Basic Salary + Commission + Benefits

LOCATION: Home-Based with approximately 75% of your time travelling to client sites across the East and West Midlands

JOB TYPE: Full-Time, Permanent

JOB OVERVIEW

An excellent opportunity is available to grow a Midlands territory through consultative selling, new business and account development. The Area Sales Manager / Business Development Manager will help manufacturers improve process efficiency and surface quality.

Working with engineering, quality and procurement teams, the Area Sales Manager / Business Development Manager will coordinate product trials, build proposals and turn technical challenges into commercial opportunities.

Owning established accounts and new prospects, the Area Sales Manager / Business Development Manager will strengthen customer relationships and connect customer needs with internal R&D and manufacturing expertise.

DUTIES

• New Business Development: Identify and secure high‑value opportunities across Midlands manufacturing and precision engineering markets
• Strategic Account Growth: Manage existing accounts and uncover opportunities across additional departments, production lines and applications
• Technical Product Trials: Secure, coordinate and run on‑site product trials to demonstrate coated abrasive performance on demanding materials and applications
• Value‑Based Selling: Develop Total Cost of Ownership and Value‑in‑Use business cases focused on cost per finished part, process efficiency and return on investment
• Technical Consultancy: Advise customers on surface integrity, abrasive applications, grinding and polishing mechanics and appropriate finishing solutions
• Commercial Value and Margin Protection: Demonstrate ongoing value and process efficiencies to support premium positioning and protect commercial margins
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Connect customer production requirements with internal R&D and manufacturing teams to support bespoke finishing solutions where required
• Customer Visit Planning: Plan and carry out visits with industrial, trade and manufacturing customers across the Midlands
• CRM Management: Maintain accurate customer, pipeline and sales activity records within the CRM system
• Sales Reporting: Report regional activity, opportunities and account development to the UK Sales Manager

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

ESSENTIAL

• Experience selling technical consumables, Coated abrasives or other industrial or technical products
• Strong understanding of surface roughness parameters including Ra, Rz and Rt, abrasive mineral characteristics and grinding and polishing mechanics
• Established network of contacts within Midlands OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers or manufacturing innovation hubs
• Commercial acumen with experience managing complex enterprise sales cycles and multi‑level stakeholders
• Understanding of production techniques across varied manufacturing industries
• Strong communication, relationship‑building and negotiation skills \
• Experience using CRM systems and MS Office
• Relevant business or engineering education
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel extensively across the Midlands
• Self‑motivated, results‑focused approach with a high degree of personal responsibility

DESIRABLE

• Sales experience within aerospace, automotive manufacturing or advanced engineering environments
• Practical engineering or manufacturing experience involving surface finishing, grinding, polishing or abrasive applications

BENEFITS

• Very competitive basic salary
• Commission scheme
• Company car
• Fuel card
• Company credit card
• Mobile phone
• Laptop and tablet
• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
• Enhanced pension contribution of 5.75%–6.75%
• Life assurance at 4 x salary

Job Ref: AWDO-P15261