Sales Director

We are seeking a dynamic and strategic leader to join our Chemistry and Lab Automation Business Segment in an exciting role focused on driving global business growth within our Applied Markets Portfolio. This portfolio supports critical applications in food and environmental safety testing, serving customers across North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and the Middle East.

In this role, you will oversee and inspire both internal and external sales teams to achieve aggressive sales and profitability goals, driving expansion of a $40M+ portfolio. You will be responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive go-to-market strategy, aligning with regional needs and market trends.

This leadership role operates within a highly regulated, ISO-certified environment (ISO 17043, ISO 17025, ISO 9001, ISO 17034), requiring a strong understanding of quality standards and compliance frameworks.

• Strategic Planning & Execution

  • Develop and implement strategic sales plans to achieve ambitious top-line growth and sales targets.

  • Partner cross-functionally to align commercial objectives with broader business goals.

• Sales Leadership & Communication

  • Establish clear sales goals and regularly communicate progress to senior leadership.

  • Lead a global sales organization, fostering alignment, accountability, and results-driven performance.

• Customer Relationship Management

  • Build and maintain strong, long-lasting customer relationships by deeply understanding client needs and business objectives.

  • Act as a trusted partner to key accounts, delivering customized solutions and driving mutual value.

• Market Intelligence & Value Proposition

  • Monitor and analyze industry-specific trends and market dynamics to anticipate shifts and identify new opportunities.

  • Articulate and deliver compelling value propositions through impactful presentations and proposals.

• Sales Operations & Forecasting

  • Report on key market drivers and competitive forces influencing customer strategies and budgets.

  • Develop accurate sales forecasts and maintain a healthy, sales-driven pipeline and funnel.

• Stakeholder & Regulatory Engagement

  • Cultivate strategic relationships with key regulatory bodies and regional opinion leaders across global markets.

  • Ensure compliance and alignment with global standards in highly regulated environments (ISO 17043, 17025, 9001, 17034).

• Compensation & Target Setting

  • Collaborate with Finance to set sales targets and develop commission structures that align with business objectives and incentivize performance.

• Commercial Optimization

  • Lead pricing, freight, and logistics cost management strategies to enhance win rates and enforce pricing governance.

  • Ensure commercial processes drive both profitability and customer satisfaction.

• Business Reviews & Alignment

  • Conduct quarterly business reviews and planning sessions with cross-functional leaders to ensure organizational alignment and progress toward strategic objectives.

• Organizational Development & Culture

  • Build and sustain a high-performing, customer-centric sales team with clear priorities, strong morale, and defined career growth pathways.

  • Foster a culture of excellence, innovation, and accountability – cultivating the "Waters of the Future."

• Performance Measurement & Management

  • Track and manage performance against key business KPIs.

• Experience & Track Record

  • Minimum of 10+ years of technical and commercial sales experience, with a proven track record in managing complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles.

  • Demonstrated success in selling to environmental and pharmaceutical laboratories, with strong domain expertise in both sectors.

  • Proven ability to drive international growth using distributor and channel partner models.

• Industry & Market Expertise

  • Deep understanding of environmental and food analytical laboratories, including relevant regulatory frameworks such as ISO 17025.

  • Familiarity with life sciences markets and the unique needs of analytical testing laboratories is a strong plus.

• Sales & Commercial Acumen

  • Skilled in competitive positioning, with a clear ability to differentiate products and solutions in highly competitive markets.

  • Strong negotiation, listening, and presentation skills, with a customer-first approach to solution selling.

  • Experienced in delivering complex global solutions, with an emphasis on customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention.

• Leadership & Communication

  • Demonstrated functional leadership experience, with the ability to inspire, lead, and develop cross-functional or remote teams.

  • Clear communicator capable of conveying strategic value propositions across technical and executive audiences.

• Education

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Chemistry, Life Sciences, or a related scientific or technical discipline.

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) is a global leader in analytical instruments, separations technologies, and software, serving the life, materials, food, and environmental sciences for over 65 years. Our Company helps ensure the efficacy of medicines, the safety of food and the purity of water, and the quality and sustainability of products used every day. In over 100 countries, our 7,600+ passionate employees collaborate with customers in laboratories, manufacturing sites, and hospitals to accelerate the benefits of pioneering science. 

Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our core values at Waters Corporation. It benefits our employees, our products, our customers and our community. Waters complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to sex, race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, marital status (including civil unions), military service, veteran status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, legally recognized disability, domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Waters is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All hiring decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.