Channel Sales Manager - Industrial Automation (CEE & Turkey)

Job brief

Our client is a fast-growing leading industrial automation solution provider, renowned for its cutting-edge servo systems, reliable PLCs, intuitive HMIs, and integrated motion control solutions. Backed by robust R&D investment and consistent market expansion momentum, it has built a growing global footprint with overseas branches across major markets, earning trust worldwide through technical innovation, durable products, and cost-effectiveness.
This role is recruited to strengthen the clients local channel development capabilities and product penetration. As the core link between global headquarters and regional partners, it will build a stable distributor network, drive sales growth, and lay a solid foundation for the clients business expansion in the region.

Responsibilities

• Identify and evaluate potential automation distributors across Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, and Turkey, focusing on partners that serve machine builders, panel manufacturers, and system integrators.
• Provide comprehensive channel enablement support, including conducting product introduction sessions and technical training for distributor engineers, supporting partners in early-stage customer projects, proof-of-concept testing, and demo applications, and guiding them to establish sustainable technical support capabilities.
• Drive business development and market expansion by jointly formulating sales plans and target lists with distributors to accelerate product adoption, supporting local marketing activities such as trade shows, customer workshops, and on-site seminars, and building strong relationships with local key decision-makers and technical influencers.
• Implement effective partner performance management, including conducting regular business reviews, following up on sales pipelines to ensure KPIs are met, and assisting partners in handling large-scale opportunities, making pricing decisions, and enhancing competitive positioning in the market.
• Collect and analyze local market information, provide clear and structured feedback to the global headquarters on local market needs, such as product special features, multilingual translations, necessary certifications, and documentation requirements, to support global product planning and strategy adjustment.

Requirements

• Hold a Bachelors degree in Automation, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, Business, or a related field, with 3-5+ years of proven experience in channel sales within the industrial automation industry, such as drives, PLC/HMI, robotics, or industrial machinery supply chain.
• Possess practical experience in developing distributor ecosystems, with a deep understanding of the market characteristics of growth regions, especially in CEE and Turkey, and a track record of building effective channel partnerships.
• Have a basic technical understanding of industrial automation products (such as PLC, HMI, drives), with the ability to communicate technical information accurately with distributors and provide preliminary technical support for partner projects.
• Be fluent in English (both written and spoken).
• Willing to travel extensively, with the ability to develop new markets from scratch, work independently, and adapt to fast-paced and multicultural work environments.