Sales Leader for Industrial First Fit, Korea

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

A. Strategic OEM Engagement (35%)

• Develop and execute Gates’ First Fit sales strategy for Korea, focusing on top-tier OE customers in automotive and industrial sectors.
• Lead specification-in initiatives with R&D and design teams at OEMs.
• Negotiate commercial agreements, pricing models, and long-term supply contracts.
• Represent Gates at technical reviews, customer audits, and sourcing councils.

B. Sales Pipeline & Program Management (25%)

• Drive aggressive hands-on sales activity with OE accounts, ensuring pipelines are actively managed and opportunities progressed.
• Build ROI models and technical-commercial proposals for PT + FP solutions.
• Coordinate trials, pilot installations, and qualification testing with application engineers.
• Shorten time-to-specification by working closely with customer engineering and procurement teams.

C. Cross-Functional & Distributor Collaboration (20%)

• Work with regional/global product teams to localize solution offerings for Korean OEMs.
• Align with supply chain and operations to ensure on-time, cost-effective fulfillment.
• Support local distributors engaged in OE-related projects and joint initiatives.

D. Market Intelligence & Competitive Strategy (10%)

• Track competitor OE wins, product introductions, and pricing strategies.
• Provide regular insights on OE market dynamics, platform launches, and sourcing shifts.
• Use market gut feeling and intuition to anticipate customer moves and act decisively.

E. Leadership & Talent Development (10%)

• Mentor 2–3 junior sales engineers or coordinators to strengthen OE customer support capability.
• Promote solution-selling discipline, CRM usage, and best-practice deal management.
• Build a culture of resilience, technical credibility, and collaborative growth.

Keys to Success

Beyond the core responsibilities, the successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Engineering Credibility: Able to engage OEM R&D and technical teams confidently.
• Hands-On Sales Intensity: Frequent field visits, technical reviews, and direct negotiations.
• Interpersonal Leadership: Trusted by customers, partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Commercial Agility: Blend of data-driven analysis and gut feeling for market decisions.
• Cross-Cultural Exposure: Experience working in multinational environments with global alignment.
• Persistence in Long Sales Cycles: Comfortable with multi-year OE program timelines.
• Fluid Power (FP) Exposure: Strong advantage for candidates with FP/ hydraulics experience.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Requirements and Preferred Skills

Must-Have:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Automotive, or related).
• 8+ years’ experience in OEM/First Fit sales or key account management.
• Proven track record with Korean big OE customers (e.g., Hyundai Motors/ CE, Kia Motors / CE, Doosan, Volvo CE, Bobcat).
• Experience in a multinational company environment.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills (Korean & English).
• Hands-on sales experience with ability to manage complex, technical deals.

Preferred:

• Exposure to Fluid Power (FP) solutions alongside PT.
• Experience leading specification-in projects and program launches.
• Ability to mentor junior talent and strengthen sales team capability.

LEADERSHIP/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: N/A

TRAVEL: Not Required

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Office