Director of Specification Sales

KDS Strategic Search Group; United States; Remote; USD 170,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

KDS Strategic Search Group, the leader in strategic recruitment for industrial lighting, is seeking a Director of Specification Sales. This remote role, with travel across the Americas, focuses on building deep relationships with engineering firms and specifiers, driving product awareness, and positioning LED luminaires as the preferred choice for greenfield, brownfield, and MRO projects.

You will lead a cross-functional team, influence specifications in hazardous-location markets, and

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years in specification sales or leadership in the lighting or industrial equipment sectors.
• Strong knowledge of hazardous location or heavy industrial markets.
• Demonstrated success influencing engineering specifications and winning complex industrial projects.
• Technical aptitude with industrial lighting or related electrical/mechanical products.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a national specification strategy for the Americas region.
• Establish KPIs and reporting metrics for tracking spec wins, project pipelines, and conversion rates.
• Lead and mentor a specification-focused team, aligning efforts with the overall sales organization and manufacturer rep network.

Skills

Specification sales

Leadership

Industrial lighting

Engineering knowledge

Communication

Tools

AGi32

Job description

• Global Leader in Industrial LED Lighting
• Innovation & Sustainability Focus
• Extremely stable with consistent growth

Title: Director of Specification Sales

Location: Remote with travel

Experience level: 7+ years in specification sales/leadership (lighting or industrial equipment)

Salary Expectations: $170K-$190K

Summary

Responsible for developing and leading the company’s specification strategy to increase adoption of LED luminaires in industrial environments. This role focuses on building deep relationships with engineering firms and specifiers; driving product awareness and training; and ensuring solutions are positioned as the preferred choice for greenfield and brownfield projects as well as MRO applications. This is both a strategic and client-facing leadership role requiring strong technical understanding, excellent communication, and proven experience influencing specifications within industrial markets.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a national specification strategy for the Americas region.
• Establish KPIs and reporting metrics for tracking spec wins, project pipelines, and conversion rates.
• Lead and mentor a specification-focused team, aligning efforts with the overall sales organization and manufacturer rep network.

Market Influence & Relationship Building

• Build and manage relationships with engineering firms, EPCs, lighting designers, consultants, and industrial end users.
• Conduct technical presentations, lunch-and-learns, product demonstrations, and training sessions.
• Represent the company at trade shows, industry conferences, standards committees, and engineering associations.
• Identify and influence projects at the earliest design stages; secure company specifications on lighting schedules and basis-of-design positions.
• Track construction projects from concept through installation to ensure successful conversion and revenue realization.
• Support the sales team and rep agencies with project qualification, submittal packages, and technical responses.

Technical Expertise & Product Advocacy

• Maintain expert-level knowledge of hazardous-location classifications (Class I, II, III; Divisions, Zones), industrial applications, and relevant codes/standards (UL, CSA, ATEX/IECEx, NEC, OSHA).
• Collaborate with product management and engineering to provide VOC, industry insights, and specification trends for new product development.
• Participate in competitive analysis, creating tools and collateral to highlight differentiation between key competitors.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with marketing to develop specification-focused content, case studies, submittals, digital tools, and training materials.
• Align with regional sales managers, inside sales, and rep agencies to drive coordinated project engagement.
• Support pricing strategy and project quoting for major opportunities in coordination with sales management.

Qualifications

Required

• 7–10+ years of experience in specification sales, business development, or commercial leadership in the lighting, electrical, or industrial equipment sectors.
• Strong knowledge of hazardous location or heavy industrial markets (oil & gas, chemical, energy, manufacturing).
• Demonstrated success influencing engineering specifications and winning complex industrial projects.
• Technical aptitude with industrial lighting or related electrical/mechanical products.
• Excellent communication, training, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to travel 30–50% as needed.

Preferred

• Experience working within an LED lighting manufacturer or industrial electrical OEM.
• Existing network within EPCs, engineering firms, or industrial electrical contractors.
• Knowledge of lighting layout software (AGi32), photometrics, and relevant certifications (LC, CLS, etc.).
• Experience collaborating with independent rep agencies.