Head of Sales – DACH

Astro Lighting is a leading designer and producer of contemporary lighting for high-end residential and hospitality markets. Established in 1997, our products are supplied to homeowners and professionals through a network of international partners. Our head office located in the UK is complimented by satellite locations in Italy, Germany, Asia, and the USA.

For 26 years, our Co-Founders John Fearon and James Bassant have been at the heart of the business, sharing a commitment to British lighting design and a passion for quality and precision. Our creative ethos has remained consistent throughout - that good design demands simplicity, delivering products with technical excellence that extend far beyond their design aesthetic.

As a trusted, dynamic, and continually growing supplier, our extensive range complements every aspect of luxury living and hospitality, from bedrooms and bathrooms to living areas, corridors, and exteriors, and can be seen within projects across the globe.

Role overview

As Head of Sales - DACH you will lead shaping the German & Austrian commercial B2B ecosystem and report directly to the Head of Sales Europe. You will be asked to develop the sales strategy within the hospitality, residential & care sectors and to deliver it together with your team. You will focus on building an effective project sales channel, by driving project specifications and managing an effective go-to-market infrastructure. This is done by working with the A&D community to obtain a pipeline for new build & renovation opportunities, achieving preferred partner status with major hotel chains, and establishing agreements with key wholesalers and purchasing consultants.

This challenging role will provide the opportunity to make a real difference. It will appeal to a dynamic and versatile sales leader with extensive experience in the hospitality and specification arenas.

Responsibilities

• Define, agree, and implement the German & Austrian B2B sales strategy.

• Lead the German commercial team, which comprises regional sales managers to ensure that company-wide objectives are met.

• Develop personal relationships at VP/Director with key designers, specifiers, architects, hotel operators, and property developers, to capitalise on opportunities for project sales.

• Develop strategies to effectively develop the national wholesale channel to aid the project go-to-market and drive over-the-counter sales.

• Work with the Marketing team to develop new marketing material and communications where required.

• Be the interface between the specifier, project customer, and contractor. Effectively manage the pricing coordination between all project stakeholders.

• Working closely with the Head of Global Projects, Astro's Head of Europe Sales, GM APAC, VP Sales US, and Astro's export partners, specify and coordinate the successful delivery of international projects specified from or into Germany.

• Act as the CRM champion within the region to ensure accurate, actionable, and timely project data and reporting.

• In coordination with the Global E-commerce Key Account Manager, utilize the e-commerce platforms in Germany to deliver B2B sales where appropriate.

• Participate in major meetings and trade events to develop relationships with top customers: Investors, Designers, Architects, Planners, General Contractors, and other important stakeholders in the Hospitality, Residential, Maritime and Healthcare segments.

• Manage and meet or exceed challenging sales and financial targets.

• Responsible for delivering the annual regional sales budget.

• Responsible for delivering forecasting (weekly, monthly, annually).

• Responsibility for year-on-year double-digit growth.

Why does our Sales team love working at Astro?

"Astro is a great place to work for many reasons, but the main reason is its people! In every department you interact with there are colleagues with knowledge, passion & above all, integrity. People work hard to achieve impressive results day after day." - Project Sales Manager

About you

What you will need…

• Strong communication, organisational, and people skills.
• Friendly, positive, confident and considerate nature.
• Confidence engaging with both internal and external stakeholders at senior levels.
• Focused driven mindset with a genuine desire to succeed.
• Strong analytical and planning skills with excellent attention to detail.

Previous experience…

• 10+ years' experience working in a sales key account role ideally within the hospitality interiors market. Consideration will be given to those with key account management experience in other interior sectors however, experience in developing and managing customer-supplier framework agreements is critical.
• Proven track record in key account management and sales leadership.
• Evidence of engaging with both internal and external stakeholders at all levels to resolve problems.
• Solid IT skills including MS Office and working knowledge of CRM systems.

What we offer

• 25 days' holiday to start
• Flexible working arrangements including flexible start and finish times and working from home (for selected roles)
• Free car (and bike) parking at our office
• Weekly yoga and PT classes, fresh fruit and running club
• Study support
• 24/7 access to our Employee Assistance Programme, support from our Mental Health First Aiders and regular check-ins with your manager
• Generous contributions to your pension
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Discounts on our beautiful products
• Cycle to Work and Eyecare voucher schemes
• Employee Referral Scheme Bonus
• and if you've been with us for two years, enhanced maternity and paternity provisions.