Regional Director of New Business Development

The Regional Director of New Business Development (NBD) is a specialized leadership role designed to institutionalize new business acquisition as an unencumbered strategic mandate. This leader will move the organization from a generalized management philosophy to a specialized architecture, providing a singular, vertical line of sight on acquisition ROI. The Director is responsible for the tactical management of NBD actions, allowing Area Vice Presidents (AVPs) to maintain strategic oversight while focusing on broader P&L health. Additionally, the RDNBD is responsible for ensuring a successful transition from NBDs to dedicated Account Managers within a prescribed period of time. The transfer is intended to create capacity for the NBD to further seek out new business development opportunities.

• Lead the NBD team with a specific focus on pipeline velocity and acquisition, serving as the primary driver of tactical sales management.
• Conduct a mandatory, rigorous weekly cadence with AVPs to drive collaborative action and ensure alignment on growth targets.
• Enforce specific pipeline protocols, including the “bucketing” of prospects (A, B, C, D accounts) based on signing timelines (30 to 180+ days)
• Ensure NBDs hand off signed accounts to AMs between 120- 180 days to maintain prospecting momentum and review/approve any deviations.
• Ensure NBDs remain “unencumbered” by operational fire-fighting (i.e. covering branch absences, resolving service errors, etc.) by enforcing boundaries and removing all obstacles.
• Ensure new sales growth targets are met- no exceptions.
• Develop and execute sales plans utilizing Airgas’ sales directives and guidelines in order to attain new customers to maximize sales growth.
• Identify and mobilize key customer stakeholders at all levels within targeted customers to execute profitable sales growth by signing new customer business accounts.
• Identify and mobilize key customer stakeholders at all levels within targeted customers when executing sales growth within existing accounts.
• Qualify and pursue new sales leads in both existing and new customers but primarily target new Airgas customers to achieve sustainable growth
• Utilizes all available resources to accomplish growth objectives. Qualify and pursue new sales leads in both existing and new customers but primarily target new Airgas customers to achieve sustainable competitive business growth
• Establishes and maintains clear and consistent lines of communication with internal departments relative to new customer developments, customer successes, customer opportunities and other customer specific information related to sales execution.
• Able to delineate among the Airgas Channels (e.g., Outside-Sales, Total Access, eBusiness) available to serve our customers and demonstrate the ability to identify the best channel to serve the customer based upon their needs.
• Negotiates and closes sales agreements including signing PSA’s.
• Keeps current with industry insights, current Airgas product offerings, monitors competition by gathering current relevant marketplace information on pricing, products, delivery schedules, and marketing strategies.
• Interacts with Area Vice President (AVP) through maintenance and submission of required reports (e.g. daily call reports, weekly work plans, and monthly, quarterly and annual territory analyses, customer updates; etc.)
• Actively reviews and assists in the management of existing customer Accounts Receivable balances to help minimize Airgas working capital investment and financial risk.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications / Experience

• A minimum of 5-10 years of outside business-to-business sales experience to include proven experience and success in solution-selling concepts and a demonstrated history of adding new customers throughout a defined sales territory.
• Prior direct business development sales experience building a sustainable and profitable book of business.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of customer segmentation and ability to prioritize the targeting of customers delivering the highest value to Airgas.
• Capability to lead customer interactions with Industry insights versus listing Airgas capabilities and engage the customer by linking their business priorities to the Airgas value proposition.
• Proven success of using their deep knowledge of customer's business, current macro- and microeconomic trends, industry trends, and potential new business opportunities.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the customer’s buying process (i.e., or Sales Process) and can proactively advance the purchase decision.
• Able to make Data-Driven decisions to frame next steps with customers. Qualifies and quantifies the impact of maintaining the status quo or pursuing a competitors' solutions.
• Must have excellent organizational, written and oral communication, listening and presentation skills.
• Experience using a Smartphone and/or Tablet and its functionality to enhance productivity and better interact with our customers is a plus. Strong PC skills (e.g., Google applications including Gmail, Sheets, Docs and Slides; or MS Office applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) with ability to acclimate to a PC based order entry system and wireless, handheld scanning device.
• Self-starter; self-motivated, operates with a sense of urgency; ability to work and succeed independently.
• Strong analytical and planning skills.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Demonstrate the ability to consistently achieve assigned financial goals.
• Familiarity with industrial and specialty gases, industrial gas / welding supply sales and safety supplies preferred.

Physical Demands

• The Associate may be required to remain stationary for extended periods of time including driving.
• The Associate may occasionally be required to traverse through office and/or manufacturing or construction site locations.
• Requires frequent use of computer, telephone and operation of motor vehicle and may be required to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

Work Environment

• Frequent local travel (75% of work time).
• Minimal overnight travel.
• Must have reliable, appropriate transportation, current driver’s license, minimum liability insurance as required by state of vehicle registration.
• Job requires visitation of customer sites, which have varying environments/conditions, layouts, and accessibility.

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