Dezeen Jobs

Parla is seeking a sales and BD manager to join its team in London.

About Parla

An established Turkish furniture designer and manufacturer. Parla is an Istanbul based family business, with a crafts heritage spanning four generations.

The history of Parla began in 1910 with the great grandfather of the current owners crafting furniture for the Ottoman Empire. over time and generations, we developed the Parla brand, which is a modern operation with a showroom and 15,000 sqm factory in Istanbul, plus presence in London, New York, Miami and Dubai.

Parla specializes in manufacturing sophisticated, high quality loose and fixed furniture + joinery for commercial interiors.

Alongside a very comprehensive bespoke FF&E service, Parla also has its own portfolio of products designed by both in house and internationally renowned designers, some of whom are award winning. Parla Collection is now achieving consistent growth in the UK, Europe, the USA and the GCC with a great network of dealers, distributors and collaborators.

At our Istanbul based manufacturing operation, an in house team of 15 young, dynamic designers collaborates with a factory of highly skilled craftsmen in areas such as wood, metal, glass and upholstery; as a whole, over 200 employees are working tirelessly to continue the legacy.

With our young and dynamic team, we strive to create an atmosphere of happy and content employees who grow day by day, while we also enable them to freely share their ideas, display their creativity and provide an excellent work experience. our high retention levels prove that we stand behind what we believe in.

The role

We are seeking a sales manager based in London, to join our UK team and report directly to the Head of Sales and Business Development – UK/EU.

this position combines proactive business development with day to day sales execution across a defined account and project portfolio – from identifying and generating new opportunities, through first client contact, quotation and order conversion, to delivery – while supporting the wider growth of Parla’s bespoke and Collection business in the region.

Key responsibilities:

• execute the regional sales and business development strategy and account plans set by the Head of Sales, and report progress against targets and forecasts
• proactively identify, prospect and generate new business leads across the UK hospitality sector, including owners, operators, contractors, designers and consultants
• build, nurture and expand a network of industry contacts to create a healthy pipeline of target hospitality bespoke projects
• convert new relationships into qualified opportunities and manage them through to project award
• build and manage relationships with owners, contractors, operators and designers within an assigned account portfolio to convert target hospitality bespoke projects
• coordinate with HQ functions (Project Management, Finance, Logistics) to ensure smooth handling of sales processes from quotation to final delivery and payment
• support the development and day to day servicing of the dealer network for Parla Collection sales in the region
• prepare quotations, proposals and sales presentations tailored to client and project requirements
• track and follow up on payment collection for accounts within the assigned portfolio
• represent Parla at trade fairs, industry events, networking functions and client/site visits to build brand presence and support pipeline growth
• maintain accurate and up to date records of activities in Salesforce and Canias ERP

What we’re looking for:

• bachelor’s degree in a relevant department
• minimum eight years of experience in sales and business development, ideally within hospitality, FF&E or interior contracting
• good understanding of the UK hospitality and interiors market
• demonstrated track record of generating new business and building a professional network from scratch
• experience working with hospitality projects, developers, contractors or designers is a plus
• proven ability to manage a client/account portfolio and meet sales targets
• excellent command of English
• proficiency in CRM systems (preferably Salesforce) and MS Office
• residing in London, or willing to relocate

Bonus points if you have:

• an existing network in the UK hospitality sector
• experience selling bespoke FF&E or luxury furniture into hospitality projects

Compensation and benefits:

• competitive base salary
• bonus up to 15 per cent of base
• basic Insurance

www.parladesign.com