Industrial Distribution, Regional Sales Manager

Role Summary

We are seeking an Industrial Distribution Regional Sales manager responsible for developing the strategy, execution, and overall sales performance of our Industrial Distribution partners in the Eastern United States region.

The Regional Sales Manager will develop and execute growth strategies that strengthen distributor partnerships, expand market presence, increase share of wallet, improve sales effectiveness, and deliver sustainable, profitable growth. This leader will establish clear priorities, translate business objectives into actionable sales plans, and create a high-performance culture grounded in accountability, collaboration, customer focus, and continuous improvement.

Success in this position requires a strong combination of strategic thinking, sales leadership, financial discipline, distributor management, and talent development. The Regional Manager will work closely with marketing, product management, operations, supply chain, finance, customer service, and other commercial leaders to ensure alignment between customer needs, organizational capabilities, and growth opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

1.)   Exceed annual Industrial Sales Budgets

• • Own the development and execution of the industrial distribution sales strategy for both Equipment (Industrial & Specialty Gas) and Consumable (Brazing and Welding Alloy) sales.
  • Deliver annual revenue and volume objectives to “Sales Incentive Plan” budgets.
  • Translate company priorities into clear regional, account, and individual sales plans. 
  • Improve sales productivity through disciplined use of Salesforce for opportunity management.
  • Develop contingency plans and corrective actions when performance is below expectations.

2.)   Distributor Relationship Management

• • Build and maintain strong relationships with key industrial distributors, strategic accounts, and influential channel partners.
  • Develop joint business plans with priority distributors that define growth targets, strategic initiatives, product opportunities, and mutual commitments.
  • Strengthen relationships with distributor leadership, branch management, sales teams, category managers, and other key decision makers.
  • Lead executive level customer reviews and business planning sessions with strategic partners.
  • Ensure the sales team understands distributor business models, end-market dynamics, customer economics, and competitive positioning.
  • Resolve complex customer issues while balancing customer satisfaction, company policies, commercial objectives, and long term partnership value.
  • Monitor distributor performance and implement actions to improve engagement, productivity, loyalty, and growth.

Key Responsibilities (Continued)

3.)   Execution of Strategic Corporate Initiatives

• • Drive consistent execution of corporate strategic initiatives including promotional programs, product launches, and growth initiatives.
  • Build alignment across functions to remove barriers, accelerate execution, and deliver commitments to customers by supporting internal Product Management, Elite Customer Growth, Complexity Reduction, and Spotlight teams.
  • Leverage Harris+ Distributor Programs and annual Rebate Programs to maximize sales results.
  • Coordination efforts with Lincoln Electric US10 team to engage and grow our mutual distribution customer base.

4.)   Team Leadership and Talent Development

• • Lead, coach, and develop direct reports, ensuring each team member has clear objectives, defined accountabilities, and measurable performance expectations.
  • Build a high performance sales culture centered on ownership, customer value, teamwork, execution, and continuous improvement.
  • Conduct regular performance reviews, coaching sessions, pipeline reviews, account strategy discussions, and field visits.
  • Identify skill gaps and implement training, coaching, or performance improvement actions as needed.
  • Recognize strong performance while addressing performance concerns promptly, consistently, and constructively.

What Success Looks Like (First 12 Months)

• Achieves or exceeds agreed revenue and growth targets for the industrial distribution channel.
• Demonstrates improvement in sales pipeline, opportunity conversion, and distributor engagement.
• Build a more capable, accountable, and engaged sales team with clear development plans.
• Expands relationships with strategic distributors and increases the company’s relevance across distributor leadership, branches, and sales teams.
• Delivers measurable growth within Elite accounts for both Equipment and Consumable sales.
• Earns credibility as a trusted commercial leader who balances strategic direction with strong operational follow through.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience in industrial sales, distribution, channel management, strategic account management, or a related commercial role.
• Strong knowledge of industrial distribution channels, including distributor economics, branch level execution, channel programs, pricing, and customer relationship management.
• Experience managing complex distributor or customer relationships at multiple organizational levels.
• Strong financial and analytical skills, including experience with forecasting, budgeting, and pricing.
• Strong coaching, performance management, and talent development capabilities.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience using customer relationship management platforms, sales analytics tools, forecasting systems, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability and willingness to travel 50% of the time to regularly to support customers, distributors, sales team members, and industry events.

Preferred: 

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, engineering, supply chain, finance, or a related field.
• 2+ years of experience leading, coaching, and developing sales professionals, including direct people-management responsibility.