National Sales Manager
1 day ago
Larbert
Job Overview Following continued business growth and an increasing focus on commercial discipline, James Jones Pallet & Packaging has created the role of National Sales Manager to strengthen its national sales capability and drive improved profitability across the customer base. This position will play a critical role in aligning sales activity with strategic business objectives, ensuring a consistent, margin-focused approach to both existing and new business. The National Sales Manager will be responsible for bringing greater structure, accountability, and performance management to the sales function, while building a high-performing team capable of delivering sustainable, profitable growth. A key internal priority is to enhance visibility of sales performance, improve pricing discipline, and ensure all commercial decisions are aligned with margin expectations and operational capability. Key Deliverables: • Deliver agreed annual revenue and margin targets at a national level, • Improve overall customer profitability through effective pricing and account management strategies, • Build and develop a structured, high-performing national sales team, • Establish consistent sales processes, pipeline management, and performance reporting, • Strengthen key account relationships while ensuring commercial discipline is maintained, • Generate a robust pipeline of profitable new business opportunities, • Provide clear, data-driven reporting and insights to the Sales Director to support strategic decision-making Key Responsibilities 1. Account Management (Margin-Focused) • Develop and execute strategic account plans for key national customers, with clear profitability targets, • Build strong, long-term client relationships while maintaining a disciplined commercial approach, • Regularly review account performance, ensuring all business meets or exceeds agreed margin thresholds, • Identify opportunities for margin improvement through pricing optimisation, product mix, and service efficiencies, • Lead commercial negotiations with a focus on value-based selling rather than volume-driven discounting, • Challenge unprofitable business and implement corrective actions, including repricing or restructuring agreements, • Collaborate with operations and supply chain teams to improve cost-to-serve and enhance margins 1. New Business Development (Profitable Growth) • Identify and secure new business opportunities that align with target margin expectations and strategic goals, • Build a robust sales pipeline focused on high-value, sustainable, and profitable accounts, • Qualify opportunities rigorously to ensure alignment with commercial and operational capabilities, • Lead end-to-end sales cycles, ensuring all new contracts deliver strong margin contribution, • Develop compelling value propositions that emphasise quality, service, and sustainability over price alone, • Monitor market conditions and competitor pricing to maintain a competitive yet profitable position 1. Team Creation & Leadership • Build, structure, and lead a high-performing national sales team with a strong commercial mindset, • Recruit and develop talent with a focus on consultative, value-based selling skills, • Embed a culture of accountability for both revenue and margin performance, • Set clear KPIs that balance sales growth with profitability targets, • Provide coaching and training on pricing strategy, negotiation, and margin management, • Conduct regular pipeline and performance reviews with a strong focus on deal quality and profitability, • Drive adoption of best practices, tools, and reporting to enhance commercial decision-making 1. Strategic & Commercial Leadership • Develop and implement a national sales strategy focused on profitable growth and margin improvement, • Own and deliver sales budgets, forecasts, and margin targets, • Analyse sales data, customer profitability, and market trends to inform decision-making, • Work closely with finance, operations, and procurement teams to align pricing and cost strategies, • Continuously evaluate and refine pricing models, discount structures, and commercial policies, • Provide regular reporting and insights to the Sales Director on revenue, margin, pipeline health, and market performance, • Lead initiatives to improve overall business profitability and commercial effectiveness Key Skills & Experience • Proven track record in a senior sales leadership role with clear accountability for both revenue and margin, • Strong experience in key account management, pricing strategy, and profitable new business acquisition, • Demonstrated success in building and leading high-performing sales teams, • Highly commercially aware, with strong financial acumen and understanding of margin drivers, • Skilled negotiator with experience in value-based selling, • Ability to analyse data and translate insights into actionable strategies, • Experience in pallets, packaging, timber, or related industrial sectors (preferred) Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, Finance, or a related field (preferred), • Professional sales or commercial management qualifications (desirable) Key Competencies • Commercial and financial acumen, • Strategic thinking and execution, • Leadership and people development, • Customer focus with a value-driven mindset, • Results-oriented with strong decision-making capability