What are the responsibilities and job description for the National Sales Manager, North America (Welding Equipment) position at CK Worldwide?
Job Title: National Sales Manager – North America (Welding Equipment)
Position Summary
The National Sales Manager is responsible for driving revenue growth, market expansion, and channel effectiveness across the United States and Canada within the welding equipment sector. This role leads and manages a network of independent manufacturer sales representatives while developing strategic relationships with welding supply distributors (WSDs), ensuring alignment with company objectives, product positioning, and customer needs.
Key Responsibilities
Sales Leadership & Strategy
- Develop and execute a comprehensive national sales strategy to achieve revenue and market share goals.
- Identify growth opportunities across key segments including industrial, fabrication, shipbuilding, energy, and automotive.
- Establish annual sales targets, forecasts, and KPIs for rep agencies and distribution partners.
Independent Rep Management
- Recruit, onboard, train, and manage independent manufacturer sales representatives across North America.
- Set clear performance expectations and monitor results against sales goals and activity metrics.
- Conduct regular territory reviews, ride-alongs, and performance evaluations.
- Provide product training, sales tools, and ongoing coaching to improve effectiveness in the field.
Distributor Development (Welding Supply Channel)
- Build and maintain strong relationships with welding supply distributors and key accounts.
- Drive pull-through demand by aligning rep activities with distributor inventory, promotions, and sales initiatives.
- Collaborate with distributors on joint business planning, product launches, and marketing programs.
- Support distributor sales teams through training, technical support, and customer engagement.
Market Development & Customer Engagement
- Engage directly with end users, key accounts, and OEMs to support reps and distributors in closing business.
- Gather and communicate market intelligence, competitive insights, and customer feedback to internal teams.
- Represent the company at industry events, trade shows, and customer visits.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with marketing, product management, and operations to align sales initiatives with product strategy and supply chain capabilities.
- Provide input on pricing strategy, promotions, and new product development based on field insights.
Reporting & Analytics
- Maintain accurate sales forecasts, pipeline tracking, and CRM data.
- Analyze sales performance by region, product line, and channel to identify trends and opportunities.
- Report regularly to senior leadership on performance, challenges, and strategic initiatives.
Qualifications
Experience
- 7–10 years of sales experience in the welding, industrial equipment, or related technical field.
- Proven success managing independent manufacturer rep networks.
- Strong experience working with welding supply distributors or similar two-step distribution channels.
- Demonstrated ability to grow revenue and manage large geographic territories.
Skills & Competencies
- Deep understanding of the North American welding market, products, and applications.
- Strong leadership, coaching, and relationship management skills.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation abilities.
- Strategic thinker with hands-on execution capability.
- Ability to travel frequently (50–70%) across North America.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, or related field preferred.
- Welding certifications or technical training are a plus.