Head of Sales Europe

We are looking for a driven, experienced and dedicated Head of Sales Europe with desire to succeed!

Then you might just be the person we are looking for!

A Head of Sales Europe is responsible for leading, planning, and managing the sales activities of the company. He/she develops and implements sales strategies, mentors and guides the whole sales teams, and monitors performance to achieve revenue goals and organizational objectives. He/she is responsible for the full P&L of the company and achieving defined objectives. Build up and develop a profitable sales team.

Job Context

• Member of the Opple Lighting B.V. Management Team
• Direct report to the Head of Opple Lighting B.V.
• Manager of the local OPPLE Country Managers across European countries

Mandatory Qualifications

• University degree in business, marketing, or a related field (master's degree preferred)
• Minimum 10+ years of experience in the lighting industry or electrical sales experience, with a track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets
• Minimum 5+ years of sales management experience within the lighting/building material/B2B industrial sector
• Full professional proficiency in German and English + preferred proficiency in French
• Proven experience navigating matrix structures in multinational corporations, with strong cross-border collaboration skills
• Experience with Microsoft Office and Salesforce

Core Competencies

• In-depth knowledge of European lighting sales experience and regulations, distribution models, and procurement practices
• Track record of negotiating complex deals (minimum € 5M+ project value) with C-suite stakeholders
• Entrepreneurial spirit with persistence
• Strong interpersonal skills and excellent communication and negotiation abilities
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
• Result oriented, determination to over-achieve
• Ability to engage and empower the team with space for responsibility whilst consequently acting on breaches of set guidelines
• Great leadership skills, led by example - play to win
• Decisiveness regarding people and business issues even in an environment of risk and uncertainty
• Practical and hands-on, can-do mentality
• Customer focused / intrinsic passion for excellent customer service
• Ability to understand our business model and strong market, trade and organizational knowledge, strong negotiation skills, strong business acumen
• Ability to analyze the market in the region and identify clear initiatives to take advantage of major growth opportunities

Cultural Fit

• Willingness to travel approximately 50% annually across Europe
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity to bridge Eastern/Western business practices and foster cohesive China-Europe operations

Strategic Leadership & P&L Ownership

• Develop and execute 3-5-year sales strategies for Europe, aligning with global objectives to achieve revenue, profitability, and market penetration targets
• Conduct granular market analysis to identify growth opportunities, competitive threats, and regional product adaptation requirements
• Strengthen distribution networks and establish partnerships with strategic agents, engineering contractors, and enterprise clients (e.g., multinational corporations, government projects)
• Design and implement a Key Account Management framework to enhance client retention, cross-selling and lifetime value

Team Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Lead an around 50-member pan-European sales team, fostering high performance through coaching, KPI-driven incentives, and talent development programs
• Standardize end-to-end sales process (lead generation to contract closure) and optimize CRM utilization for pipeline visibility

Cross-functional cooperation

• Partner with P&D centers in China to align product roadmaps with European regulatory trends and customer needs
• Collaborate with the European marketing team to deploy data-driven campaigns that elevate brand positioning and lead conversion

Compliance & Ethics

• Ensure that the sales team operates within legal and ethical guidelines
• Address any compliance issues promptly and appropriately

We are a leading global lighting company active in over 70 countries. We are always looking for new talents! By becoming part of our energetic team, you can help us reach our goals in an environment that is more than just a company. You are offered a full-time job in a passionate, fast-growing company. We are ready to welcome you to our European Team.

For more information about this job vacancy, please contact our HR department by email: .

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