Senior Director, Sales - Automotive Segment

Overview:

The Regional Auto Segment Leader is responsible for leading all commercial activities for the Americas Automotive Segment. This role is accountable for delivering against the Annual Operating Plan (AOP), driving execution of the automotive segment strategy, and partnering closely with Global Auto Segment leadership and key stakeholders. The leader ensures the Americas Auto team achieves or exceeds commercial and business objectives while building a high-performing organization focused on growth, profitability, and customer success.

This position is located in Auburn Hills, Michigan.  

Responsibilities:

Segment Strategy and Business Performance

• Own delivery of the Americas Auto Segment strategy and commercial objectives.
• Achieve AOP commitments, including revenue growth and variable margin targets.
• Translate strategic priorities into actionable plans with clear accountability and measurable outcomes.
• Build and sustain customer momentum across priority growth areas and market opportunities.
• Monitor performance against objectives and take corrective action as required.

Global Alignment and Market Leadership

• Influence and align regional and global segment priorities, KPIs, and growth initiatives.
• Establish and maintain management routines that support global commercial operating rhythms.
• Collaborate with regional and global stakeholders to drive consistent execution and best-practice sharing.
• Facilitate integration and engagement of regional Automotive Development Engineers (ADEs) and commercial teams across EMEA, China, Korea, India, Japan, and the Americas.
• Communicate segment performance, insights, and opportunities through structured and effective reporting.

Commercial Execution and Growth

• Lead rigorous resource planning and execution to ensure delivery of growth objectives.
• Develop and coach teams to close capability gaps and strengthen organizational performance.
• Redirect and prioritize resources quickly to address changing business needs and opportunities.
• Foster deeper collaboration between ADEs and Account Managers to operate as an integrated segment team.
• Partner closely with Strategic Marketing to identify and develop future growth segments.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key OEMs, customers, and influencers across the automotive value chain.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Ensure alignment and effective partnership across commercial, technical, supply chain, and support functions.
• Address operational challenges quickly and escalate systemic issues when necessary.
• Establish clear performance expectations and accountability across supporting organizations.
• Drive collaboration to deliver both customer and business value.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Delivery of Regional Segment Strategy Plan.
• Revenue Growth and Variable Margin Performance against AOP.
• Mix improvement through participation in high-growth segments.
• Pipeline creation, project conversion, and revenue realization.
• Execution of account plans for key customers.
• Sales forecast accuracy.
• Talent development and organizational capability growth.
• Customer engagement and strategic account performance.

Leadership Expectations

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strategic mindset with disciplined execution.
• Strong accountability for business results.
• Sound judgment and timely decision-making.
• Effective communication and influencing skills.
• Ability to inspire, engage, and develop teams.
• Strong commercial and business acumen.
• Results orientation and continuous improvement mindset.
• Commitment to coaching, talent development, and succession planning.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced business or technical degree preferred.
• 10 + years of commercial leadership experience within the automotive industry and its value chain.
• 5+ years of people leadership experience, including building, developing, and leading high-performing sales, business development, and commercial strategy teams.
• Demonstrated success leading across organizational boundaries and matrixed environments.
• Proven track record of developing high-performing teams and leaders.
• Experience leading complex customer negotiations and strategic business discussions.
• Strong ability to prioritize opportunities that align with business strategy and long-term value creation.
• Experience managing regional business performance, growth initiatives, and customer relationships.