VP, Sales and Business Development

The Vice President of Sales and Business Development at ELLWOOD City Forge Group (ECFG) will play a crucial role in driving the company's growth strategy, focusing on expanding market share and developing strategic partnerships. This role requires engineering expertise and sales acumen to effectively position our open-die forging capabilities in the marketplace, identify new business opportunities, and lead the development of long-term client relationships. This is an exempt, full-time position and reports to the President of ECFG.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Work with senior team members to develop and implement a comprehensive business development strategy to drive growth in current markets.
• Identify and evaluate new market opportunities, including emerging industries and geographic regions.
• Collaborate with the sales team to enhance brand visibility and market presence.
• Collaborate with sales and operations leaders to set obtainable sales targets and to create actionable plans to achieve them.
• Demonstrate the values and capabilities of ELLWOOD in all business interactions.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers, industry stakeholders, and decision-makers.
• Lead negotiations and close high-value contracts with new and existing customers.
• Ensure high levels of customer satisfaction and repeat business through exceptional service and support.
• Conduct thorough market research to understand industry trends, competitive landscape, and customer needs.
• Analyze market data to make informed decisions and adjust strategies as necessary.
• Keep abreast of technological advancements and innovations in open-die forging.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performance work environment.
• Manage budgets and resources for business development activities.
• Work closely with engineering, operations, sales and product development teams to align business development efforts with operational capabilities and customer requirements.
• Provide input on product development and innovation based on market feedback and client needs.
• Support the ECF positive team member relations (PER) efforts to maintain a union-free status.
• Perform work in accordance with ECFG's ISO 9001 Quality Management System.

OTHER DUTIES

• Participate on safety team administration and support as needed.
• Assist in development and administration of lean initiatives
• Develop and implement best work practices to support reliability
• Maintain working area in a clean, orderly and safe condition.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Metallurgical, Industrial, or related field) required.
• Advanced degree (MBA or Master's) is a plus.

Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in business development, sales, or a related role within the open-die forging industry, with increasing responsibilities. Oil & Gas related forging or heavy metal sales is preferred.
• Proven track record of successfully developing and executing business development strategies and achieving sales targets.
• Experience in managing large-scale contracts and high-value client relationships.
• Experience using Theory of Constraints (TOC), Lean Manufacturing, or similar other management approaches.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong technical understanding of open-die forging processes and capabilities.
• Ability to manage multiple, projects, vendors, and customer requirements.
• Excellent sales and negotiation skills with the ability to close complex deals.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to lead and motivate a team, manage multiple priorities, and work effectively under pressure.
• Ability to work outside of normal work hours to meet business needs and tight deadlines, including international and domestic travel (approx. 50%) and have reliable transportation.

Personal Attributes:

• Integrity and ethics; ability to build trust; and maintain confidentiality.
• Results-driven and proactive with a passion for driving business growth.
• High level of integrity and professionalism.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Meet attendance requirements; abide by all Company policies and procedures.