Area Sales Manager - Intellihot (Mid-South)

Elkay Manufacturing•Field, NM

3d•Remote

About The Position

The Area Manager – IH is the single point of accountability for Intellihot revenue growth in their territory, reporting to the Director of Sales – DHW. This role combines deep technical credibility in commercial condensing tankless water heaters, boilers, and HVAC-adjacent mechanical equipment with the scope to own demand generation for the territory end-to-end — from specification and pipeline development through rep execution. The Area Manager manages the independent rep agency network and serves as the internal orchestration point coordinating Zurn Elkay resources (Engineering, Product Management, Marketing, Customer/Technical Support) that support the Intellihot / DHWL business, ensuring centrally developed programs and product initiatives are effectively localized and executed in-territory. Success in this role is measured by growth in qualified pipeline, specification win rate, and revenue for IH/DHWL products. Territory: Mid-South (Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana) Travel: 50-75%

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience required.
10+ years of experience selling technical/engineered products in the HVAC, commercial boiler, water heating, or plumbing & mechanical industry, including direct experience with commercial condensing or tankless water heating equipment strongly preferred.
Demonstrated experience owning demand generation or marketing-adjacent programs (not just quota/rep management) — e.g., building pipeline through specification influence, trade organizations, or targeted campaigns.
Experience managing an indirect/third-party rep agency network.
Experience operating in a matrixed organization, coordinating across Engineering, Product Management, Marketing, and Support functions without direct authority over those teams.
Knowledge of the commercial construction industry, terminology, and engineered/spec-driven sales cycles.
Ability to lead through influence — both with an indirect rep network and with cross-functional internal partners who do not report to this role.
Strong technical credibility; comfortable in engineering-level conversations on product sizing, selection, and application.
Consistently achieves results, even under tough circumstances; holds self and others accountable to meet commitments.
Ability to build strong customer and internal stakeholder relationships and deliver customer-centric solutions.
Polished presentation and interpersonal skills; ability to communicate and facilitate up and across the organization.
Proficiency in Salesforce.com or a comparable CRM system; intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

Nice To Haves

direct experience with commercial condensing or tankless water heating equipment strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Own the demand generation strategy and execution for Intellihot / DHWL products across the territory — the single point of accountability for pipeline growth, specification penetration, and revenue in-territory.
Set and track demand-gen KPIs for the territory (qualified pipeline, spec win rate, funnel conversion, rep-sourced vs. house-sourced opportunities) and report out regularly against them.
Partner with Marketing to design, localize, and execute demand-gen programs specific to trade shows, ASPE/MCAA chapter engagement, contractor and engineer training events, digital/regional campaigns.
Use market intelligence (competitor activity, code/regulatory changes, incentive programs) to identify and prioritize demand-gen opportunities within the territory.
Develop and maintain an accurate, monthly-updated regional demand forecast.
Manage the independent rep agencies representing Intellihot / DHWL products; set targets, hold regular review and coaching cadences, and drive accountability for rep-side sales performance.
Partner with rep principal(s) on staffing and personnel situations within the agencies. This role does not carry direct hiring authority over rep agency personnel — sales staffing decisions remain with the rep principal.
Own key account and market channel management for major customer relationships at the territory level.
Assist with recruiting and onboarding qualified contractors into the Intellipro commissioning network within territory.
Serve as the integration point for Zurn Elkay resources supporting the Intellihot / DHWL business — coordinating with Engineering, Product Management, Marketing, and Customer/Technical Support so centrally developed initiatives are executed effectively in-territory.
Coordinate with Engineering on technical support for active specification opportunities and escalate product issues affecting the territory's demand-gen pipeline.
Provide territory-level input to Product Management on positioning, competitive dynamics, and roadmap priorities relevant to the territory market.
Work with National Account Managers to optimize the sales and profit impact of national account relationships that touch the territory.
Ensure Customer/Technical Support capacity and responsiveness in-territory supports (rather than undermines) demand-gen and specification credibility — install and commissioning quality is a known driver of reputation for this product line.
Maintain deep technical fluency in commercial condensing tankless water heaters, boilers, and related HVAC/mechanical equipment sufficient to lead technical conversations directly with engineers, design firms, and large accounts.
Support product sizing, selection, energy savings calculations, application review, and pricing for engineered opportunities in coordination with reps and technical staff.
Introduce products to reps, wholesalers, engineers, and contractors; ensure training plans are developed and executed to grow the qualified customer base in territory.
In coordination with Marketing and Technical staff, develop or localize sales support materials (sell sheets, spec sheets, submittal sheets, presentations) as needed for the territory.
Maintain the CRM/sales funnel process (Salesforce.com or comparable system) and report out regularly on pipeline and demand-gen KPIs.
Provide input to regional/national price management processes, balancing market competitiveness with profitability.