Director of Sales - California

Description

About Us

Established in 2001, MES is the nation’s largest provider of PPE, fire apparatus, uniforms, and services to first responders. With over 25 locations, MES is the most trusted source of equipment and service for firefighters, law enforcement, and EMTs. Our dedicated team of over 300 sales representatives and certified service technicians allows us to bring unparalleled quality and service to our industry. MES supports its customers with innovative digital commerce solutions and a nationwide warehousing system with three strategically located hubs that carry thousands of products representing the best brands on the market.

MES offers a great work environment, professional development, challenging careers, and competitive compensation. MES is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.

MES will only employ those legally authorized to work in the United States for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a pre-employment screening.

Position Summary 

MES Life Safety is seeking an experienced and results-oriented Director of Sales to lead and expand the Fire Business Unit's sales activities throughout California. Reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer Marvin Riley, this individual will develop and execute the regional sales strategy, strengthen relationships with fire departments and other first responder agencies, lead the California sales team, and deliver profitable, sustainable growth. 

The ideal candidate will bring significant experience in the firefighter, fire-service, or broader first responder market, along with a strong understanding of how fire departments and public-sector agencies evaluate, procure, and use mission-critical equipment. This position requires a credible, hands-on leader who can build trusted relationships with fire chiefs, purchasing officials, end users, manufacturers, and other industry stakeholders. 

Key Responsibilities 

Sales Strategy and Growth 

• Develop and execute a comprehensive sales strategy for the Fire Business Unit throughout California. 
• Establish annual revenue, gross-margin, market-share, and customer-development objectives in partnership with executive leadership. 
• Identify opportunities to expand MES Life Safety's presence with municipal, county, state, federal, industrial, and other fire-service customers. 
• Develop strategies to grow existing accounts and establish new customer relationships. 
• Maintain a strong understanding of market conditions, customer needs, competitors, procurement trends, and emerging opportunities. 
• Build and manage a reliable sales pipeline and provide accurate forecasts to company leadership. 
• Support the introduction and growth of new products, manufacturers, and service offerings in the California market. 
• Coordinate sales efforts across MES product categories to provide customers with comprehensive life-safety solutions. 

Sales Leadership 

• Lead, coach, and develop the California Fire sales organization. 
• Establish clear performance expectations and hold team members accountable for revenue, margin, activity, and customer-service objectives. 
• Conduct regular pipeline, forecasting, account-planning, and performance reviews. 
• Recruit, onboard, train, and retain high-performing sales professionals as the business grows. 
• Promote disciplined use of the company's CRM and other sales-management systems. 
• Foster a collaborative, customer-focused culture consistent with MES Life Safety's values. 
• Lead by example through active participation in customer meetings, field demonstrations, major proposals, and strategic opportunities. 

Customer and Industry Relationships 

• Develop and maintain trusted relationships with fire chiefs, command staff, firefighters, purchasing officials, municipal leaders, and other key decision-makers. 
• Serve as a senior point of contact for strategic customers and significant sales opportunities. 
• Maintain a visible presence in the California fire-service community through customer visits, conferences, trade associations, demonstrations, and industry events. 
• Work closely with customers to understand operational requirements and recommend appropriate equipment, products, and services. 
• Ensure that customer commitments are understood internally and delivered with a high level of responsiveness and professionalism. 
• Monitor customer satisfaction and promptly address significant service, product, or relationship issues. 

Manufacturer and Internal Collaboration 

• Build productive relationships with MES Life Safety's manufacturer partners and represent the company effectively in joint sales and market-development efforts. 
• Coordinate with product management, operations, customer service, contracting, finance, marketing, and service teams to support the complete customer experience. 
• Partner with operational leaders to align sales commitments with product availability, delivery capabilities, installation, training, and service requirements. 
• Support public-sector bids, requests for proposals, cooperative purchasing arrangements, demonstrations, evaluations, and contract negotiations. 
• Communicate customer feedback and market intelligence to executive leadership and relevant internal teams. 
• Participate in broader company planning and growth initiatives as requested by the CEO. 

Financial and Operational Management 

• Take ownership of the region's sales performance, including revenue, gross margin, expense management, and overall profitability. 
• Prepare and manage the California sales budget. 
• Evaluate pricing, discounts, and deal structures to support profitable growth and compliance with company policies. 
• Monitor sales performance against established goals and implement corrective action when necessary. 
• Provide executive leadership with timely and accurate reporting regarding sales results, forecasts, competitive developments, and business risks. 
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, public-procurement requirements, manufacturer policies, company standards, and ethical business practices. 

Requirements

 Qualifications Required Qualifications 

• At least 8 years of progressively responsible sales, business development, or commercial leadership experience. 
• Strong experience serving the firefighter, fire-service, emergency-response, public-safety, or first responder market. 
• Demonstrated success leading a sales team and achieving revenue and profitability objectives. 
• Established understanding of fire-department operations, customer needs, purchasing processes, and decision-making structures. 
• Experience selling equipment, products, technology, or services to municipal or other public-sector customers. 
• Proven ability to develop senior-level customer relationships and manage complex, long-cycle sales opportunities. 
• Strong leadership, coaching, negotiation, presentation, and communication skills. 
• Ability to analyze financial and sales information and translate it into effective business decisions. 
• Proficiency with CRM systems, Microsoft Office applications, and other sales-management tools. 
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively throughout California and periodically to other company or industry locations. 
• Valid driver's license and ability to satisfy applicable company driving requirements. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, public administration, fire science, or a related field. 
• Prior experience as a firefighter, fire officer, emergency responder, or professional working directly with fire departments or first responder agencies. 
• Existing relationships within the California fire-service community. 
• Experience selling firefighter personal protective equipment, self-contained breathing apparatus, rescue tools, fire apparatus, emergency equipment, uniforms, communications products, or related life-safety solutions. 
• Experience managing manufacturer relationships or working within a distribution-based business. 
• Knowledge of California public-sector procurement, bidding, contracting, and cooperative purchasing processes. 
• Experience leading a geographically dispersed sales team. 
• Experience working in a private-equity-backed or rapidly growing organization. 

Leadership Attributes 

• Credible and comfortable engaging with firefighters, fire chiefs, public officials, manufacturers, and business executives. 
• Commercially driven while maintaining a strong commitment to customer service and ethical business practices. 
• A visible, hands-on leader who enjoys working alongside the sales team and spending time with customers. 
• Accountable, organized, and disciplined in managing forecasts, pipelines, priorities, and performance. 
• Collaborative and capable of working effectively across sales, operations, service, contracting, finance, and product teams. 
• Adaptable and comfortable operating in a growing, fast-paced organization. 
• Passionate about supporting the safety and effectiveness of firefighters and other first responders. 

Compensation and Benefits MES Life Safety offers a competitive compensation package, including base salary, performance-based incentive compensation, and a comprehensive benefits program. 

California Base Salary Range:  Actual compensation will depend on the selected candidate's experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors. Additional compensation may include an annual performance-based bonus or sales incentive. 

Equal Employment Opportunity MES Life Safety is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other status protected by applicable law. MES Life Safety is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process.  

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