Vice President of Sales - Non‑Automotive Growth

Job Description

Job Description

Vice President of Sales – Non‑Automotive Growth
Location: Remote – Michigan (travel to customers and HQ as required)
Industry: Precision Injection Molding / Complex Assemblies (Non‑Automotive Only)

• Base salary: $150,000 – $200,000
• Bonus: 50% of base as target

I've been retained by a precision injection molding and complex assemblies manufacturer to recruit a Vice President of Sales with a purely non‑automotive growth mandate. This role reports directly to the CEO and is responsible for driving profitable expansion exclusively in the markets the business has targeted for growth:

• Power generation
• Data centers
• Medical (non‑invasive components / devices)
• Construction
• Consumer products / consumer appliances
• Mobility and adjacent industrial markets (non‑automotive OEMs)

The company is private‑equity‑owned on a long‑term hold ; the goal is to build a durable, scaled platform, not prepare for a short‑term sale.

The Company

My client is a U.S.‑based precision injection molding business with strong engineering and post‑mold capabilities, including:

• Light assembly
• Friction and sonic welding
• Gasket insertion
• Insert molding
• 2‑shot molding
• Robotic‑assisted handling

They supply complex components and assemblies where quality, reliability, and engineering support are critical. The strategic emphasis now is to grow in non‑automotive end markets only , using these capabilities to win higher‑value work.

Compensation Framework

The CEO has defined the following structure:

• Base salary: $150,000 – $200,000
• Bonus: 50% of base as target
• Bonus design:
  • Tied to overall company revenue
  • With a margin threshold for the entire business
  • Uncapped for over‑performance

Final base positioning will reflect your track record and fit; the upside is geared toward someone who can materially grow non‑automotive revenue at acceptable margins.

Role Mandate (Non‑Automotive Only)

Market & Revenue Growth – Target Sectors

You will own growth into the defined non‑automotive markets:

• Build and execute a commercial strategy for:
  • Power generation
  • Data centers
  • Non‑invasive medical
  • Construction
  • Consumer products / consumer appliances
  • Non‑automotive mobility / industrial OEMs and Tier suppliers
• Develop and manage a pipeline that is 100% aligned to these sectors.
• Prioritize opportunities that leverage the company's more complex capabilities (insert molding, 2‑shot, assemblies, secondary operations) to secure longer‑term, higher‑margin programs.
• Personally lead key pursuits with strategic accounts in these verticals, from first contact through award.

Team Leadership

• Manage and develop a team consisting of manufacturer's reps and direct salespeople.
• Shift the team's activity mix and mindset to focus exclusively on non‑automotive target markets.
• Set and manage clear KPIs tied directly to growth in the specified sectors (pipeline, wins, revenue, and margin by target vertical).
• Coach and upskill the team to sell effectively into power gen, data center, medical, construction, consumer, and mobility/industrial accounts.

Data‑Driven Sales Management

• Implement and manage digital KPIs across the sales function.
• Use tools such as Power BI (or similar BI platforms) to track:
  • Funnel health by target market
  • Forecast accuracy
  • Win rates and margin by segment
• Work closely with estimating/quoting on complex RFQs to ensure disciplined pricing and margin protection in these non‑automotive programs.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with engineering, operations, and finance to:
  • Qualify the right non‑automotive opportunities
  • Ensure they fit capacity, technical capabilities, and margin requirements
• Provide structured market feedback from the target sectors (e.g., investment trends in data centers, product evolution in consumer appliances, specification changes in medical, etc.) to inform strategic decisions.
• Ensure a robust handoff from quote/award into launch so that non‑automotive programs are implemented smoothly.

Candidate Profile

The CEO is less focused on a fixed number of years and more on whether you've grown non‑automotive markets in complex manufacturing and led teams to do the same.

Required Background

• Leadership experience managing both reps and direct salespeople in complex manufacturing , ideally:
  • Injection molding
  • Engineered plastics
  • Or closely related engineered / industrial components and assemblies
• A proven track record of revenue growth in non‑automotive sectors , preferably including at least two of:
  • Power generation
  • Data centers
  • Medical (non‑invasive)
  • Construction
  • Consumer products / consumer appliances
  • Mobility / industrial (non‑automotive)
• Experience leading a team through a commercial shift (e.g., diversifying into new sectors, building out new verticals, or re‑weighting a portfolio toward non‑automotive).

Skills & Attributes

• Demonstrated success managing and developing a sales team, not just performing as an individual contributor.
• Comfort with digital KPIs , structured pipeline management, and BI tools such as Power BI.
• Experience partnering with estimating on complex RFQs and program cost structures, ensuring margin thresholds are met.
• Ability to translate technical capabilities in molding and assemblies into compelling value propositions tailored to each target sector.
• Familiarity with leveraging digital/social media within a broader commercial strategy is a plus.
• Straightforward, commercially sharp, and credible with both customer executives and internal stakeholders (CEO, CFO, PE sponsors).

Ownership & Cultural Context

• Private equity–owned company on a long‑term hold ; focus on sustained value creation, not a short‑term exit.
• Performance‑driven environment where success is measured in revenue and margin growth in the defined non‑automotive markets.
• High visibility: this is the senior commercial role, working closely with the CEO and reporting performance at the company level