Sales Director - Aftermarket Channel

Cleveland Wheel and Brake Systems•Avon, OH

About The Position

Cleveland Wheel and Brake Systems (CWBS) is a wheel and brake systems integrator that provides aircraft braking systems and key system components including wheels, brakes, and hydraulic components for the general aviation, turboprop, business jet, rotorcraft and military markets. For over 85 years, airplane manufacturers, landing gear manufacturers, mechanics and pilots have relied on the innovative and reliable Cleveland brand of products, making them one of the world’s most experienced, recognizable, and respected brands in the aircraft industry. Position Purpose We’re looking for a high-energy, results-driven sales leader to take command of our aftermarket growth with distributors, private and commercial operators, flights schools, and MRO networks across the General Aviation (GA) aftermarket segment supporting Light Sport Aircraft/experimental, pistons, turbo-props, business jets, and helicopters. As Director of Sales – Aftermarket Channel (DoS-AC), you own the P&L, lead the go-to-market strategy, and drive aggressive growth in spares, repairs, upgrades, and lifecycle solutions. You’ll develop and manage powerhouse distributor partnerships and win market share with operators who rely on our technology every flight. This is a role for someone who thrives on pursuit-expanding programs, capturing new business, elevating channel performance, and shaping our footprint across the GA aftermarket.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Business, Aviation, or similar (advanced degree a plus).
8 - 10 years of direct Aerospace experience with proven results; General Aviation, Business Aviation, or Aftermarket Aerospace sales a plus.
Experience engaging distributors, MROs, turboprop fleet operations, flight schools, and operator-level customers.
Strong negotiation and commercial skills—comfortable closing complex agreements.
Deep understanding of GA market including unique geographical factors, market dynamics, and the variety of aircraft (ex: experimental, Pilatus, Textron, Cirrus, Piper, Airbus Helicopter, Diamond, etc..).
Background in channel strategy or aftermarket capture management.
Strong financial acumen and P&L experience.
Ability to travel 50%.

Nice To Haves

Experience with GA distributors, MRO networks, or STC/retrofit businesses.
Technical familiarity with aircraft systems, brake systems, or mechanical components.

Responsibilities

Deliver revenue, margin, and profit across assigned channels and aftermarket segments.
Build bold annual sales plans and hit your numbers through disciplined execution.
Track financial performance, identify trends, and take decisive action to stay ahead of targets.
Expand our market share position in General Aviation with distributors, private and commercial operators, flights schools, and MRO networks.
Push aggressive pipeline creation—from first contact to closed-won.
Lead everything from opportunity shaping to contract execution.
Accelerate growth through distribution partners, dealers, and MRO channels.
Build capture strategies for spares programs, upgrade kits, exchanges, and long-term support packages.
Own the pulse of the GA aftermarket ecosystem—fleet trends, operator behavior, distributor performance, competitive threats, and pricing intelligence.
Identify winning opportunities in reliability upgrades, retrofit/STC markets, and lifecycle support.
Shape go-to-market strategies that beat the competition.
In conjunction with Contracts, negotiating pricing frameworks, distributor agreements, service programs, and multi-year support deals.
Ensure compliance with ITAR, EAR, FAR/DFARS, and aerospace standards.
Structure deals that drive rapid growth.
Build strong relationships with operators, MRO leaders, maintenance directors, chief pilots, service centers, and distribution partners.
Lead high-impact business reviews and customer engagements.
Represent the voice of the customer internally and push the organization to deliver best-in-class reliability, support, and value.
Partner with Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, and Program Management to support product readiness, reliability improvements, inventory availability, and new offerings.
Bring data driven operator insights to guide future product development and aftermarket strategies.