Now Hiring - Douglas Manufacturing - Regional Sales Manager in Rockford, IL

Full description of the position

Department: Sales Reports To: National Sales Manager FLSA Status: Exempt Location: TX, LA, AR, OK, MO, KS, IA, NE, and Southern Illinois Residency Requirement: Must reside within the region Classification: Full-Time / Sales Date: June 2026

Position Summary

The Regional Sales Manager is responsible for profitable sales growth, account development, and market expansion within the assigned region. This role manages relationships with manufacturer representatives, distributors, OEMs, engineering firms, contractors, and end users while promoting reliable conveyor component solutions for industrial applications.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a regional sales plan focused on revenue growth, gross margin performance, market share, and strategic account development.
• Identify, qualify, and advance opportunities with distributors, OEMs, engineering firms, contractors, plant operators, maintenance teams, and end users.
• Support and strengthen manufacturer representatives and distribution partners through field visits, product training, opportunity reviews, and regular follow-up.
• Build strong customer relationships through consistent contact, professional communication, site visits, and timely response to customer needs.
• Communicate product value, quality, reliability, technical support, delivery capability, and total cost of ownership advantages.
• Work with Inside Sales, Engineering, Customer Service, Operations, and Leadership on quotations, applications, pricing, delivery expectations, and project follow-up.
• Maintain accurate CRM / ERP records, including contacts, opportunities, call notes, forecasts, pipeline activity, sales reports, and regional updates.
• Monitor market conditions, competitor activity, customer needs, pricing trends, and project activity to identify opportunities and risks.
• Represent the company professionally at customer meetings, plant visits, trade shows, distributor meetings, training sessions, and industry events.
• Manage travel, expenses, company resources, confidential information, and customer commitments responsibly and in accordance with company policy.

Qualifications

Required qualifications include: Education

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, engineering, industrial distribution, or a related field; equivalent practical experience may be considered. Experience
• Experience in regional sales, regional management, account management, business development, technical sales, industrial sales, or a related commercial role.
• Five or more years of successful industrial, manufacturing, technical product, conveyor component, mining, aggregate, cement, steel, recycling, port, grain, power, or heavy industrial sales experience.
• Proven ability to grow sales, develop accounts, manage a pipeline, follow up on quotations, and convert opportunities into orders.
• Strong understanding of industrial customers, manufacturing environments, distribution channels, OEM relationships, and project-based sales.
• Experience selling through manufacturer representatives, independent sales agencies, distributors, OEMs, engineering firms, contractors, and direct end-user relationships.
• Experience with idlers, rollers, pulleys, take-ups, impact beds, magnetic separators, bearings, power transmission products, or engineered material handling equipment. Skills and Abilities
• Mechanical aptitude and the ability to learn, explain, and promote technical products used in conveyor systems and bulk material handling applications.
• Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, listening, organization, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to work independently in a regional role while maintaining regular communication with the National Sales Manager and internal teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, CRM tools, and other business systems. Microsoft Dynamics 365 experience is preferred.
• Ability to travel frequently, including overnight travel. Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record required. Key Competencies Successful performance requires regional ownership, customer focus, sales urgency, technical curiosity, disciplined follow-through, pipeline management, negotiation skill, commercial judgment, professional communication, resilience, and commitment to profitable growth. Success Measures Success will be measured by regional sales growth, gross margin performance, pipeline quality, forecast accuracy, account development, representative and distributor effectiveness, customer satisfaction, timely follow-up, and progress with strategic accounts. Work Schedule, Travel, and Environment This is a full-time, regional position requiring regular availability during normal business hours and flexibility for travel, customer meetings, trade shows, training, and company meetings. Frequent regional travel and overnight travel are expected. Periodic travel to Pell City, Alabama may be required. The position may involve office, home-office, customer, trade show, manufacturing, and industrial jobsite environments. The employee may occasionally stand, walk, climb stairs, bend, crouch, or lift up to 50 pounds. Required PPE may include safety glasses, steel toe shoes or boots, hearing protection, hard hat, high-visibility apparel, gloves, and other site-specific safety equipment. Conditions of Employment Employment may be subject to background checks, motor vehicle record checks, post-offer physicals, drug screening, confidentiality agreements, and other employment-related requirements, consistent with company policy and applicable law. Employment is at-will.