Merck Group - Director - Digital Sales

Purpose

Responsible for achieving sales goals. Manages, coaches, and develops a team of Digital Sales enabling achievement of assigned goals and career progression. Provides line of sight into business performance through forecasting, reporting and pipeline management. Operates with fiscal responsibility. Develops strategic plans and drives execution.

1. Lead and direct the Sales organization of Digital Sales

- Responsible for achieving assigned sales goals and execution of strategic commercial initiatives.

- Translate SMI, Product and Regional growth strategy to field execution

- Develop long-term growth strategy and business plans for assigned markets and product areas

- Maintain executive relationships at accounts in the Region or Commercial Area

- Lead the development of multi-year account plans for assigned accounts

- Ensure region and Commercial area resources are effectively enabled to execute business plans and growth strategy

- Maintains a deep understanding of the Applications and Areas of Science where Millipore/ Supelco/ Sigma-Aldrich products are used

- Encourage and involve in successful designing, testing and implementation of all sales process improvement and marketing initiatives in the region

- Directly manage major and critical developing client accounts, and coordinate the management of all other accounts

- Regular interaction along with digital sales representatives to existing customers and new accounts/ customers. Continuously encouraging sales team to expand business.

- Resolve internal sales process related issues (e.g. pricing approvals)

- Recruit and maintain a talent pipeline

- Manage and coach a team of direct reports including managers, individual contributors and overlay support

- Disseminate winning practices across sales teams

- Resolve team-oriented escalations (e.g. sales credit, pay discrepancies and others)

- Manages a regular cadence of internal meetings and processes to ensure effective execution of growth strategy

- Captures VOC and identifies local market trends and communicates internally

- Engages in special projects as assigned

2. Budgeting and Operating Plans

- Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of sales, methods, costs, and results

- Develop and manage sales and marketing budgets, and oversee the development and management of internal operating budgets

- Ensuring and encouraging regular visits and training by product managers for the sales team in region

3. Recommend and administer policies and procedures to enhance sales and business operations

- Participate in the development of new project proposals

- Support the planning and development of marketing and communications materials

- Oversee the preparation, issuance, and delivery of sales materials, exhibits, and promotion programs

- Promote positive relations with partners, vendors, and distributors

- Plan and coordinate public affairs, and communications efforts, to include public relations and community outreach

4. Compliance to Internal Controls and Integrated Management System

- Comply with all Internal Control processes and audits in the Business as well as Company

- Understand and follow process & procedures laid down in IMS

Basic Qualifications:

Masters in Life science, Chemistry or any similar allied science is essential.

- Degree or diploma in management

- At least 12-14 years of progressive experience within a large establishment with proven experience of handling > 15 Mil Euro business and a large team in last 3-5 years.

Knowledge and Skills:

- Deep understanding and knowledge of Digital sales principles and account management

- Knowledge of market dynamics in Life Science and Pharma industry, including growth drivers for business

- Ability to analyze and resolve or assist personnel in solving complex sales problems, oversee root cause investigations and the preparation of written report of findings

- Persuasion and negotiation ability in a global environment

- Experience with working within matrix organizations, networking across multiple functional teams, and at all levels

- Effective leadership and communication skills (written, oral, listening, presentation)

- Learning agility