Manger, Sales Growth & Partnerships

Steele Rubber Products

About The Position

The "Sales Growth & Partnerships" role is a critical addition to Steele Rubber Products' growth strategy and sales evolution. As a leader within the field sales organization, this individual will steward key customer relationships while actively identifying and developing new customers and business partners. This role carries meaningful influence over sales strategy, account prioritization, and the development of new partnerships, while providing a true seat at the table in shaping the ongoing sales business plan. For the right leader, this is an opportunity to help build, refine, and scale a high-performing sales organization while directly impacting the company's next phase of growth. Business Context & Growth Mission Steele Rubber Products has built a strong foundation through quality, reputation, and consistent sales performance. This role represents an intentional next step: appointing the first fully dedicated sales leader with clear ownership of execution, growth strategy, and evolution of the sales function. The opportunity is not to "fix" what isn't broken but to unlock what's possible. By combining disciplined account stewardship with proactive new customer and partner development, this leader will apply best-practice sales principles to create momentum, focus, and repeatability. The role is designed for a hunter-farmer hybrid who can drive near-term results while helping shape the future-state sales model, processes, and direction. This position sits at the intersection of strategy and execution, offering meaningful influence over how Steele Rubber Products grow today and, in the years ahead. Company Snapshot Steele Rubber Products is a second and third-generation, family-owned manufacturer specializing in high-quality rubber components and weatherstripping. Founded in 1958 by Lynn Steele, the company was built on craftsmanship, problem-solving, and a deep connection to the automotive restoration community. What began as a solution to a single restoration challenge evolved into a trusted brand known for engineering precision, product depth, and customer loyalty. By leveraging in-house tool and die expertise, Steele Rubber Products established itself as a leader in reproducing hard-to-source rubber parts for classic and specialty vehicles. Headquartered in Denver, North Carolina since 1975, the company has steadily expanded its product catalog, manufacturing capabilities, and market reach while remaining committed to quality and customer satisfaction. Steele Rubber Products was an early adopter of digital catalogs and vehicle-specific product organization, reinforcing its reputation as an innovator within a traditionally hands-on industry. Today, Steele Rubber Products employs more than 60 team members and is owned and operated by the Steele family's second and third generations. While best known for automotive restoration, the company now serves multiple adjacent markets, including Camper, RV and Trailer, Marine, Service Vehicles, and Street Rod and Custom applications-continuing its legacy of solving complex customer problems with precision-engineered solutions. The mission has not changed and that is to provide superior rubber sealing solutions in an expeditious, customer-focused manner! The First 90 days: Defining Early Success The first 90 days are intentionally structured to set this role up for long-term success. Steele Rubber Products is committed to investing in a thorough onboarding and knowledge-transfer process that builds confidence, clarity, and early momentum. During this period, the focus is on deep learning and immersion gaining a strong understanding of the company's products, services, customers, markets, and value propositions. This includes comprehensive training and onboarding, ensuring success is built on mastery rather than assumption. The role will have full access to the tools and resources needed to perform at a high level, including an established & comprehensive Sales Playbook, CRM, customer and prospect targeting lists, and defined sales processes. Equally important, there is a clear commitment to consistent lead generation and process-driven business development to support sustainable growth. By the end of the first 90 days, success is defined not just by activity, but by readiness: strong internal alignment, prospect and customer engagement, with a clear execution plan to drive retention, expansion, and new business growth moving forward.

Requirements

Expansion & Growth-Oriented Selling Experience (5+years)
Business Acumen & Financial Orientation
Sales Process Discipline & CRM Fluency
Consultative & Insight-Led Selling Skills
Field Execution & Account Planning
Change Resilience & Builder Mentality
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Cultural & Leadership Indicators

Nice To Haves

Industry experience (Auto, RV)
sales management experience with direct reports
experience using HubSpot or SalesForce
work with Ai/Sales intelligence tools
ERP usage or knowledge
prior sales training
experience with starting or adding to a sales team
networking affiliations
trade show experience.

Responsibilities

Serve as a catalyst for the continued evolution of Steele Rubber Products' sales organization, bringing modern sales thinking, disciplined execution, and a growth-oriented mindset to both strategy and day-to-day activity.
Own the retention, expansion, and long-term health of key customer and partner relationships, ensuring consistent value delivery while identifying opportunities for deeper engagement and incremental growth.
Proactively identify, pursue, and nurture new ideal customers and strategic business partners that align with the company's growth priorities and long-term vision. Serve as the point person to guide and assess end-to-end opportunity management from lead stage through approval/contracting.
Leverage existing sales knowledge, tools, systems, and resources to drive performance-while maintaining a continuous improvement lens to optimize processes, account focus, and go-to-market execution.
Act as a key individual contributor in the near term, setting the standard for sales effectiveness, professionalism, and accountability across both field and inside sales efforts.
Partner with leadership to help shape sales strategy, execution plans, and performance expectations as the organization transitions from its current state to a more scalable, future-ready sales model.
Play an active role in building what comes next in supporting, mentoring, and eventually helping lead additional sales team members as the department grows.