Director of Distribution Sales

Mazzella is seeking a Director of Distribution Sales to build and lead a centralized distribution sales team serving our Lifting Center service network and external commercial customers. This leader will establish a consistent sales and order-management process for standard distributed products, including wire rope, rigging items, hoists, and hoist parts.

The Director will own commercial distribution performance, lead inside sales and product specialists, and coordinate with manufacturing, supply chain, finance, and quality teams. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution: building the team, strengthening branch support, developing external channels, and managing sales, margin, inventory, and service performance.

Key Responsibilities

· Lead the launch, development, and ongoing management of the commercial distribution business and its profit-and-loss performance.

· Recruit, develop, and lead a centralized inside sales team and technical product specialists; establish clear ownership, coaching, and performance expectations.

· Create one consistent workflow for internal and external requests, covering product identification, technical validation, quoting, order entry, fulfillment coordination, and follow-up.

· Establish shared request queues and effective CRM and order-management practices to improve visibility, responsiveness, and quotation follow-up.

· Partner with Lifting Center and Service leaders to define inventory support, replenishment processes, internal pricing, service commitments, and escalation procedures.

· Clarify account ownership and coordinate mixed product-and-service opportunities to prevent channel conflict.

· Develop external business through industrial and rigging distributors, OEM accounts, end-users, and eCommerce channels.

· Manage pricing, discount authority, supplier incentives, and value-added service opportunities while protecting commercial and enterprise profitability.

· Coordinate with manufacturing and the distribution network on product availability, stock and custom requirements, sourcing, capacity, and fulfillment.

· Work with Finance on fully burdened manufacturing cost transfers, operating budgets, and reporting controls that avoid double-counting enterprise margin.

· Partner with Supply Chain and Quality & Compliance on supplier performance, critical-product sourcing, inventory controls, documentation, and appropriate technical escalation.

· Use customer feedback, lost-quote analysis, and performance reporting to improve product assortment, sales execution, and service delivery.

Performance Expectations

The role will be evaluated against approved commercial and operational measures. The proposed distribution model includes the following targets, subject to final leadership approval:

· Commercial gross margin: 28%–35%.

· Inventory turns: 8–12 times annually.

· On-time delivery: 98% or higher against agreed customer service levels.

· Revenue diversification: approximately 60% internal / 40% external initially, progressing toward a 50/50 mix by Month 36.

· Customer and team performance: quotation responsiveness, order accuracy, quote conversion, issue resolution, branch satisfaction, and employee development.

Qualifications

· Progressive commercial leadership experience in industrial distribution, lifting and rigging, industrial parts, or a related technical business.

· Experience leading inside sales, customer operations, or distribution sales teams with P&L or gross-margin accountability.

· Demonstrated ability to build consistent sales processes, develop employees, and manage performance using operating metrics.

· Experience balancing internal branch or affiliate requirements with external commercial sales and account relationships.

· Working knowledge of pricing, inventory management, sourcing, fulfillment, and ERP/CRM systems.

· Ability to collaborate effectively with branch leadership, manufacturing, finance, supply chain, and quality teams.

· Strong communication, analytical, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.

· Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain, industrial distribution, engineering, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.