Regional Sales Manager – Middle East & Africa

Location: UK-based, home working with extensive international travel across the Middle East and Africa. Territory excludes South Africa and Israel.

To be based ideally within one hour of Aylesbury, however, they are flexible for the right person with good access to a major international airport.

Product: Premium surgical power tools and associated technology used across orthopaedic and other bone surgery applications.

Who you’ll be working for:

• A privately owned, family-run medical device manufacturer with a global presence and more than a century of heritage.
• This is a newly created position resulting from continued growth within the international business. You’ll inherit an established region generating approximately £2.3m in annual sales, with existing distributor relationships, account history and internal knowledge already in place.
• The company has a strong reputation for product quality, responsive customer service and long-term relationships. Long service is common, and people are given considerable autonomy once trust has been established.

What you’ll enjoy:

• Taking ownership of an established multimillion-pound international region rather than starting with a blank sheet of paper.
• A clear growth opportunity, with a target of approximately £2.7m compared with £2.3m in sales during the previous year.
• Developing sales through an established network of distributors and agents across a diverse range of international markets.
• Considerable autonomy over your diary, travel and commercial priorities.
• Working for a privately owned business with a long-term approach to growth and product development.
• An uncapped commission scheme paid on actual sales, with no minimum threshold before you start earning commission.
• A structured handover from the experienced Regional Managers who currently manage these markets.

What you’ll be doing:

• Managing and developing an existing network of distributors and agents across the Middle East and Africa.
• Identifying opportunities to increase market penetration and grow sales across the region.
• Assessing distributor performance and helping partners improve their product knowledge, sales capability and commercial activity.
• Identifying gaps in market coverage and, where necessary, evaluating, recruiting and onboarding new or replacement distributors.
• Supporting distributors with important opportunities, product demonstrations, trials and customer meetings.
• Building relationships with hospitals, surgeons and other end users alongside local partners.
• Managing capital equipment opportunities with sales cycles ranging from a matter of weeks to 6–12 months.
• Planning and undertaking international trips involving multiple countries, distributors and customer meetings.
• Preparing quotations, following up opportunities and maintaining momentum across the territory between visits.

You should expect to tour the region approximately three to four times per year, with individual trips potentially lasting two to three weeks. Overall, you’re likely to spend around a quarter to a third of the year away from home.

Here’s what you need:

• Medical device sales experience, ideally involving surgical or technically complex products.
• International sales or distributor/channel management experience would be advantageous, but isn't essential.
• Strong commercial drive and the ability to develop sales through other people.
• Excellent organisation and the ability to manage multiple countries, partners, opportunities and travel plans.
• The confidence and self-sufficiency to work independently from home and while travelling internationally.
• Sound commercial judgement and a calm, constructive approach when plans change or problems arise.
• The ability and willingness to develop sufficient technical and clinical knowledge to credibly support product demonstrations, trials and customer discussions.
• A genuine appetite for extensive international travel.

Salary: Up to approximately £50,000, dependent on experience.

Bonus: 1.2% commission on sales, paid monthly in arrears. No threshold and no commission cap. Indicative first-year OTE approximately £77,800–£82,800, dependent on territory sales performance.

Car policy: £7,200 annual car allowance.

Benefits: 25 days' holiday, 6% employer pension contribution, company-funded flights, accommodation and reasonable meals/expenses, company credit card for appropriate travel expenditure, travel insurance and time off in lieu for bank holidays spent travelling.