Area Sales Manager France
Introduction
As Area Sales Manager France at Holland Colours, your goal is to turn long technical cycles into predictable revenue. You are the momentum-keeper who transforms early lab interest into multi-year supply contracts, leveraging the same disciplined rhythm: visit, sample, quote, proof order. Working from your French home base, you travel through France, Spain, Portugal and Italy to stay close to converters, extruders and paint makers. Your challenge? Handle four very different value chains while keeping one single revenue goal in sight.
Our Portfolio
Every segment is at a different stage of maturity, each with its own players and timelines…
Coated Fabrics – France, Spain, Portugal & Italy
This is priority #1. You inherit about ten relationships, ranging from façade-mesh producers to automotive-leather and roofing-membrane specialists. Your target is the converters: the company that coats fabric rolls before selling to OEMs. Your mission? Fill the pipeline with several million euros of new projects and convert the first of them to recurring business within three years. Your technical sales include infrared-stealth greens for defence tents, stadium-roof whites and high-UV façades.
Building & Construction – France
PVC pipes, window profiles and resilient flooring are on our order books, but relationships haven’t had the attention they deserve. Here you play trusted advisor: visit plants and analyse extrusion pain points to reclaim share at tier A & B customers. Because the extrusion process resembles coated fabrics, your technical learning curve should be short.
Coatings & Sealants – France, Spain & Portugal
In architectural paints, PU sealants and hybrid MS polymers the heavy lifting is done by segment specialists. They need disciplined follow-up. When a French paint maker requests a lab match, you brief technical sales support, chase sample feedback, craft the quotation and defend the price.
Packaging Additives – Spain & Portugal
A strategic initiative that starts at zero, apart from one subsidiary handled via Belgium. Together with a dedicated BDM and an agent, you will pioneer Holland Colours’ additive carriers for PET preforms and other rigid packaging. Expect to map the converter landscape, pilot first trials and feed lab data back to Apeldoorn R&D.
What will you be doing?
As Area Sales Manager France at Holland Colours, you blend technical curiosity with commercial drive. Your instinct is to open doors: you research, target and engage fresh prospects daily, never afraid of cold calling or knocking on factory doors. What will keep you busy:
- You grow the existing customer base in Coated Fabrics and Building & Construction;
- You hunt new Coated Fabric converters across France, Spain, Portugal and Italy;
- You launch Technical Inquiries, coordinate lab matches and chase sample feedback so no colour test stalls in the pipeline;
- You prepare quotations, negotiate pricing and secure proof orders;
- You track every lead in the CRM, maintaining a transparent, multi-million-euro funnel;
- You collaborate daily with Business Developers, Technical Sales Support and Inside Sales to ensure fast turnaround on samples, logistics and customer questions.
The Team
Working within the broader EMEA sales team of 18, you collaborate with both commercial and technical colleagues, reporting directly to the Sales Leader Specialties. While working remotely, no one operates on an island. There are weekly team meetings and virtual roundtables to discuss challenges and share insights.
And to keep things efficient, each Sales Manager is paired with a dedicated Customer Service Representative. While you lead the commercial relationship, the CSR handles the operational flow: processing orders, tracking production timelines, and communicating updates.
The culture? Transparent and collaborative, built on trust, not titles. We may be publicly listed, but our culture is anything but corporate. We value open dialogue and collaboration across all levels. If you bring initiative and forward-thinking ideas, you’ll find autonomy and support waiting for you.
What you'll be doing
Your Talent
- You bring proven experience in B2B sales in Coated Fabrics, Industrial Coatings, Building & Construction or a related materials sector;
- You speak French fluently and English confidently; Spanish or Italian is an appreciated plus;
- You have a strong hunter mentality and enjoy building relationships from the ground up;
- You thrive in a remote environment, managing your own time, and taking full responsibility for results;
- You show up with enthusiasm, drive, and a strong commitment to delivering outcomes;
- You’re comfortable being on the road regularly, with up to 60% travel across Southern Europe.
Our Offer
As Area Sales Manager France at Holland Colours you will shape our Southern-European growth agenda. With a clear strategy and a proven product line, the growth potential is wide open. You’ll be trusted to run your market like it’s your own, with support when you need it, and space when you don’t. In return, you’ll be rewarded with excellent benefits:
- You receive a salary that reflects your experience, up to €6.300;
- You share in the company’s success with a profit bonus of up to 1.5 months’ salary per year;
- You also receive a year-end bonus of up to €1,349;
- You have 25 vacation days;
- You drive a fully equipped company lease car, and receive a laptop and smartphone;
- You start with a one-year contract, with the prospect of a permanent position.
Celebrating Excellence: A World-Class Workplace
We've won the prestigious "World Class Workplace" award. This shows our commitment to fostering a supportive, inclusive, and dynamic work environment.
This award, was given to us by Effectory, an independent firm specializing in employee feedback research. This underscores the success of our efforts in creating a workplace where innovation thrives, and every team member feels valued and empowered.
