Sales Director Europe

Kalsec Inc.; Wageningen; In loco; EUR 180.000 - 280.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

Kalsec Inc. in Europe seeks a Sales Director to lead the regional sales organization and drive sustainable growth across Taste & Sensory Solutions, Food Protection, and Natural Colors.

You will set strategy, build customer and channel relationships, and ensure strong execution with cross-functional teams. The role requires balancing strategic planning with hands-on leadership, transforming sales toward value-based, solution selling, and optimizing account coverage while partnering with

Descrizione del lavoro

Job Summary:

The Sales Director Europe is accountable for commercial performance across the region, leading the European sales organization and driving sustainable, profitable growth. The role sets the sales strategy, develops key customer and channel partner relationships, and ensures strong execution across Kalsec's Taste & Sensory Solutions, Food Protection, and Natural Colors businesses.

As a member of the Leadership team, the Sales Director builds organizational capability, strengthens commercial discipline, and works cross-functionally to translate market opportunities into business results. Success in this role requires a balance of strategic thinking and hands-on execution, with the ability to lead change, simplify complexity, and maintain focus on the priorities that drive growth.

Job Description:

1. Commercial Strategy & Growth

• Define and lead the European commercial strategy to deliver sustainable, profitable growth
• Translate global and business unit strategies into clear regional priorities, including focus on key segments, applications, customers, and channels
• Drive growth through a balanced approach of customer retention, share of wallet expansion, new customer acquisition, and market development
• Strengthen portfolio performance by improving product mix and value capture, prioritizing high-impact opportunities
• Design and implement pricing and commercial strategies that support competitiveness and margin expansion
• Continuously assess market trends, customer needs, and competitive dynamics to refine strategy and execution

2. Sales Leadership & Transformation

• Lead, coach, and develop the European sales organization and channel partner network to drive performance, accountability, and capability building
• Establish a high-performance culture focused on customer impact, pipeline generation, value selling, and execution discipline
• Drive transformation in sales behaviors, shifting from transactional selling to solution and value-based selling
• Evaluate organizational structure, capabilities, and talent to ensure alignment with growth ambitions
• Set clear objectives, performance expectations, and follow-up routines, including sales incentives, coaching, and development plans
• Travel regularly with teams and partners to drive in-market execution and leadership presence

3. Customer & Channel Development

• Ensure effective regional coverage through an optimized mix of direct sales and channel partners
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers and strategic partners, acting as a senior commercial leader and ambassador for Kalsec
• Support teams in winning new business through customer engagement, solution development, and application-based selling
• Increase focus on priority accounts and decision-makers, improving quality and impact of customer interactions

4. Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Business Units, Marketing, R&D, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Finance, and Customer Experience to deliver integrated customer solutions
• Align regional initiatives with global strategic account plans and business priorities
• Contribute to trade shows, customer workshops, and internal business reviews to support pipeline generation and strategic alignment

5. Commercial Excellence & Execution

• Lead a strong commercial operating rhythm, including regular reviews of:
• Pipeline and opportunity progression
• Sales performance and forecasts
• Conversion rates and hotspots
• Ensure disciplined use of Salesforce.com and commercial tools to improve visibility, decision-making, and accountability
• Collaborate with Finance on planning, budgeting, and forecasting, ensuring alignment with financial targets
• Optimize resource allocation and account coverage to maximize commercial effectiveness and return on investment

6. Values, Quality & Compliance

• Operate in alignment with Kalsec values, quality standards, and food safety requirements
• Ensure completion of all required training related to GMP, HACCP, food safety, and compliance policies

Success Measures

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Delivery of revenue and profit targets across Europe
• Growth in priority customers, applications, and product categories
• Improvement in portfolio mix and value capture
• Strength and quality of sales pipeline and conversion rates
• Sales team performance, engagement, and capability development
• Effectiveness of channel partner strategy and execution
• Quality of cross-functional collaboration and customer outcomes
• Discipline and adoption of Salesforce and commercial processes

The position can be based in the Netherlands (preferred), the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, or Spain. Given the importance of close collaboration with Kalsec's R&D Spice Lab in Wageningen and the manufacturing facility in Mildenhall, candidates located in the Netherlands or the UK are strongly preferred.

This role is ideally suited to an experienced commercial leader who can inspire high-performing teams, build strong customer partnerships, and deliver long-term growth across diverse European markets.