Sales Manager - Material Handling Equipment

We are hiring a seasoned Sales Manager to own our Material Handling portfolio for Europe. You will turn complex requirements into compelling solutions, drive order intake, and be the go‑to specialist for powder handling, blending and containment. This role requires proven capital equipment sales experience and fluency in English.

Based in Eastleigh, you will work at the heart of GEA’s global pharma business—engaging with international clients, developing tailored solutions, and collaborating with our regional sales organisation and process engineering teams to drive commercial success. You will thrive as the “spider in the web” connecting sales, engineering, marketing, and operations.

This is a unique opportunity to join a high‑performing, international team with access to advanced technology, world‑class support, and a broad customer base ranging from emerging generic manufacturers to multinational pharmaceutical leaders.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the full sales cycle for material handling enquiries—from lead through to signed order.

• Support the regional sales organisation in positioning material handling solutions, with a focus on the European region.

• Ensure timely and consistent follow‑up on all enquiries, maintaining a high standard of responsiveness.

• Participate in technical discussions and negotiations with customers as required.

• Analyse customer URS documents and define optimal technical solutions in collaboration with process and design specialists.

• Develop & deliver structured, persuasive technical and commercial offers tailored to key decision‑makers.

• Manage pricing, costings, and internal alignment using GEA’s quotation tools and systems.

• Lead the creation and continuous improvement of technical proposals, presentations, and sales documentation.

• Maintain accurate opportunity tracking, status updates, and reporting using SAP CRM.

• Coordinate structured handovers to the project execution team after contract award with clear scope, assumptions, and risks.

• Support & coordinate with Marketing on region‑specific campaigns, product launches, and customer engagement initiatives.

• Represent the Eastleigh Technology Centre as the global point of specialisation for material handling technology; attend customer meetings, trade shows, and internal alignment events.

• Monitor competitors and market trends, feed insights into portfolio positioning and value propositions.

• Continuously develop your understanding of GEA technologies and pharmaceutical manufacturing processes.

• Uphold compliance with company policies, quality standards, and customer/industry requirements.

• Degree in Engineering, or a similar technical or process‑focused discipline.

• 5+ years of experience in bulk material handling equipment technical sales, ideally in pharma, food, or process industries.

• Proven success with multi‑stakeholder deals and long sales cycles.

• Previous experience working with or within international technology providers.

• Fluency in English with demonstrated ability to operate professionally (written and spoken). Additional European language(s) is a plus

• Proficient in SAP CRM and digital sales tools for opportunity tracking and pipeline management.

• Comfortable working in a digital, cloud‑based environment using Microsoft 365 tools for quoting, documentation, and collaboration.

• Independent and self‑organising, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.

• Comfortable managing multiple enquiries, timelines, and internal interfaces.

• Naturally collaborative, able to align technical and commercial teams.

• Willingness to travel internationally (c. 30–50%).

• A desire to grow into a recognised specialist for bulk material handling systems within a global technology organisation.