Director of Sales and Marketing - Columbia/Okura

At Columbia we come to work every day driven by the belief that innovation can transform industries, empower communities, and create a more efficient, sustainable world.
With operations spanning five continents and a commitment to excellence in service and support, our purpose extends beyond engineering advanced equipment. We are pioneering innovation and paving a better tomorrow with factory automation solutions worldwide.

Summary: The Director of Sales & Marketing is Columbia/Okura's senior commercial leader responsible for all sales, marketing, business development, customer engagement, and market expansion activities. This role leads the development and execution of growth strategies designed to increase revenue, profitability, market share, customer satisfaction, and brand recognition throughout the Western Hemisphere, including Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. 

 

The Director of Sales & Marketing serves as a strategic partner to the President and leadership team, translating corporate objectives into actionable sales and marketing plans. The position is responsible for driving profitable growth through multiple sales channels including direct sales personnel, independent manufacturers' representatives, engineering and design-build firms, OEM partners, systems integrators, and strategic channel relationships. 

Success in this role requires the ability to combine traditional consultative selling and relationship management with modern digital selling methodologies, AI-enabled sales tools, data analytics, marketing automation, and social selling strategies. 

The Director of Sales & Marketing is expected to create a high-performance culture focused on customer success, technical expertise, accountability, continuous improvement, and commercial excellence.

                                   

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership 

• Align sales and marketing strategies with company strategic plans and long-term growth objectives. 
• Translate strategic initiatives into measurable departmental goals and action plans. 
• Develop and maintain annual sales plans, marketing plans, budgets, forecasts, and growth strategies. 
• Identify emerging markets, industries, customer segments, technologies, and partnership opportunities. 
• Monitor competitive activity, industry trends, and market conditions. 
• Participate in company strategic planning and leadership activities. 
• Drive profitable growth while maintaining target margins and business objectives. 

Sales Leadership 

• Establish annual, quarterly, and monthly sales objectives. 
• Lead all commercial activities related to prospecting, account management, pipeline development, forecasting, and customer growth. 
• Develop and execute strategic account plans for key customers and target industries. 
• Establish effective territory assignments and channel coverage plans. 
• Monitor opportunity pipelines and forecast accuracy. 
• Participate directly in major customer pursuits, contract negotiations, and executive-level customer meetings. 
• Review and approve major quotations, proposals, contracts, and supply agreements. 
• Ensure disciplined execution of Columbia/Okura's consultative sales process. 

Marketing Leadership 

• Lead the development and execution of the company's overall marketing strategy. 
• Ensure alignment between marketing initiatives and sales objectives. 
• Oversee: 
  • Branding strategy 
  • Website development and optimization 
  • Digital marketing campaigns 
  • Trade show programs 
  • Industry events 
  • Public relations activities 
  • Content marketing 
  • Product launches 
  • Lead generation programs 
  • Customer engagement campaigns 
• Develop thought leadership programs that position Columbia/Okura as an industry leader in robotic palletizing and automation. 
• Measure and improve marketing effectiveness through analytics and ROI measurement. 

Customer and Market Development 

• Maintain relationships with key customers and strategic accounts. 
• Regularly visit customer facilities to identify opportunities and strengthen executive relationships. 
• Develop new customer relationships and strategic partnerships. 
• Support channel partners, manufacturers' representatives, OEMs, and systems integrators. 
• Actively identify and pursue new market opportunities and emerging applications. 
• Ensure superior customer experience throughout the sales and project lifecycle. 

Cross-Functional Leadership 

• Partner with Engineering, Applications, Service, Operations, Project Management, and Finance to ensure successful customer outcomes. 
• Coordinate internal resources to provide responsive and timely customer support. 
• Ensure effective handoff from sales to project execution. 
• Advocate for customer interests throughout the organization. 
• Promote collaboration and communication across departments. 

Digital Selling & Commercial Excellence 

• Success in this position requires expertise in modern digital selling technologies and data-driven sales management. 
• The Director of Sales & Marketing is expected to champion and actively utilize: 

CRM & Sales Technology 

• Sugar CRM, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, or equivalent systems. 
• Pipeline management and opportunity tracking. 
• Forecasting and performance analytics. 
• Customer lifecycle management. 
• Sales activity reporting and KPI dashboards. 

Social Selling 

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator and related prospecting tools. 
• Executive-level digital networking. 
• Personal and corporate brand development. 
• Customer engagement through social platforms. 
• Digital lead generation and account targeting. 

Marketing Automation