Sales Support Operations Manager - Kistler Group

Position Summary:

This role is pivotal to ensuring the efficiency & effectiveness of sales processes. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, an analytical mindset, & a passion for delivering an exceptional customer experience while driving process improvement & sales growth. The role combines strategy & insights, considering market research, data analytics & competitive intelligence to provide strategic recommendations that support business growth, product launches & long-term planning. The role will work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure strategic alignment & informed decision making.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Team Management:

• Lead, mentor, & motivate Sales Operations team across several US locations & serving multiple industries to achieve performance goals.
• Recruit, hire, & train sales representatives to build a high-performing & customer-focused team.
• Ensure an elite customer experience by embedding a “customer first” mindset within the team.
• Proactively address customer needs & resolve challenges to build long-lasting relationships.
• Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the effectiveness of changes & initiatives, using data to make recommendations for continuous improvement across the business.
• Prepare & present strategic insights, market trends, & competitive intelligence reports to senior leadership, influencing decisions across the NA region.

Sales Process Optimization:

• Serve as first point-of-contact for customers in supporting sales quotations, orders, and service support for designated customer pool.
• Develop and implement efficient sales processes and best practices for inside sales and service support functions utilizing a CRM system and other resources as needed.
• Identify bottlenecks in the sales process and propose strategies to enhance operational efficiency, creating a cohesive and seamless flow of sales orders through the organization.
• Lead development of contract review process with standard work, DOA, and document storage.
• Utilize advanced analytics (CRM, FP&A, 3rd party data) to transform complex data set into actionable insights, supporting product strategy, marketing initiatives and sales optimization.
• Support deployment of e-commerce & automation tools into the sales process. Work closely with global sales excellence team to support global initiatives.

Market Analysis & Forecasting:

• Oversee the collection, analysis, and interpretation of market data and industry trends, identifying trends, opportunities, and challenges to inform strategic initiatives across the business.
• Provide actionable insights to improve decision-making and capitalize on sales opportunities.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives to continuously improve the customer journey & experience.
• Lead forecasting process, support order confirmation & S&OP with Production & Supply Chain.
• Develop a robust competitive intelligence framework across the portfolio, monitoring competitor activities, industry developments and market dynamics to identify risks & opportunities.
• Support VP sales with development of MTP, quarterly forecast updates, R&O tracking, etc. Align business goals with market opportunities and company capabilities across the portfolio.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or related field. Master’s degree beneficial but not compulsory.
• 7+ years of experience in sales operations, inside sales, or related roles, preferably in a technical or custom-engineered product environment.
• Experience leading / supporting strategy development with associated KPI monitoring & reporting, ability to complete market research & generate actionable business intelligence reports.
• Proven track record of leading & developing successful sales ops or inside sales teams.
• Experience working with and integrating e-commerce and digital marketing initiatives into a sales organization and selling process.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data & translate into actionable insights.
• Proficiency in CRM systems and sales automation tools, Salesforce, or SAP C4C.
• Excellent communication and presentation (storytelling) skills. Professional to expert level Excel, PPT, Power BI, SharePoint, etc. required.

About Kistler:

Kistler is the global leader in dynamic measurement technology for measuring pressure, force, torque, and acceleration. Our cutting-edge technologies form the foundation of Kistler's modular solutions, enabling customers in industry and science to optimize their products and processes, securing a sustainable competitive edge. As a pioneering Swiss company, we drive the evolution of automobile development, industrial automation, electrified drive technology, automated and connected driving, emission reduction, and smart factories with our unique sensor technology.

Why Kistler?

At Kistler, your expertise is valued and nurtured. We offer exciting career opportunities in a global environment, providing a generous benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability coverage, a 401k plan with a 4% company match, and generous personal and vacation time allowances. Join us and be part of a team that shapes the future of measurement technology. Kistler Instrument Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.