People Strategy, Equity, and Culture

CLIMB Center Sales Director

  • Title: CLIMB Center Sales Director
  • Class: Management
  • Exempt Status: Exempt
  • Grade: M

Nature and Scope of Work

Under the direction of the CLIMB Executive Director, the CLIMB Sales Director develops a strategic marketing plan to generate revenue through outreach activities and promotes Portland Community College’s Business-to-Business services to area employers.  Targeted clients include business, industry, government, labor and other appropriate groups and agencies interested in workforce training, customized educational services, contract education and economic development activities.  The Sales Director develops prospects and builds a potential client base through cold calls, referrals, inquiries, sales visits, presentations and appointments. Internal work is accomplished in collaboration with deans, directors, faculty and staff. External work will focus on initiating contacts and cultivating relationships with the appropriate individuals within a company/business, with the objective of selling PCC’s services.

The CLIMB Sales Director will lead and manage the performance of the sales staff as well as the fulfillment responsibilities of the clerical/service support personnel ensuring the delivery and coordination of customer service.

Activities undertaken will be directed at developing customized training opportunities for PCC departments to meet the unique needs of employers.

Principal Accountabilities

  1. Responsible for the sales performance for contracts for training and development in the marketplace for the CLIMB Center.
  2. Initiates opportunities for sales and marketing to business and industry, government, labor and other appropriate groups and agencies interested in customized educational services, contract training, workforce development training and economic development activities. Generates interest in CLIMB training resources to augment clients’ in-house staff.  Strives for long-term consulting relationships by revisiting past clients periodically to stay abreast of their current and future training needs and opportunities.  Works toward a preferred vendor status.
  3. Develops and implements revenue generating sales and strategic marketing plan to promote PCC’s Business-to-Business services.  Develops the strategic sales plan in collaboration with the CLIMB Executive Director. The strategic sales plan will include quarterly revenue goals that will be a part of the incumbent’s performance measures.
  4. Develops sales prospects and builds a client base through cold calls, referrals, inquiries, sales visits, presentations and other appropriate methods.  Initiates follow-up calls to further PCC’s visibility with potential clients.
  5. Prepares and presents education/training proposals that address clients’ needs. Secures agreements/contracts with clients.
  6. Develops and maintains strong partnerships with internal and external customers.  Develops and promotes district business and industry priorities. Actively networks, develops contacts, and elevates the visibility of CLIMB through engagement in business and relevant professional associations.
  7. Hires, orients, supervises, and evaluates administrative staff for the Sales Department. Acts as a single point of contact for business and industry at the college. Establishes sales priorities for CLIMB work assignments, monitors progress, reviews work, and ensures services to businesses are delivered in a timely manner. Formulates and recommends annual sales a budget for CLIMB.
  8. Monitors changes/trends in the business and industry environment and determines resulting implications for the college.  Serves as an internal resource/expert regarding business and industry trends, models and best practices; applies relevant information to college efforts; anticipates business and industry needs and positions the college to respond.
  9. In collaboration with the Executive Director, develops and maintains standardized measurement metrics for sales, marketing, financial performance, and client satisfaction across all business services programs.
  10. Develops and prepares reports on the college’s business and industry activities as required/requested by CLIMB’s Executive Director.
  11. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

Work is performed in the field, meeting with businesses, and other organizations/associations interested in PCC’s customized education and training services, making presentations, writing proposals and securing contracts.  Extensive travel within the metropolitan area is required. Work pressure, disturbances in work flow, and/or irregularities in work schedule are expected and occur frequently due to the deadline-driven nature of business and industry services. This is a sales position with sales targets and goals that will need to be met on a quarterly basis.  No special coordination beyond that used for normal mobility and handling of everyday objects and materials is needed to perform the job satisfactorily.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Marketing, Communication or related field.  Relevant experience may substitute for the degree requirement on a year-for-year basis. Three years of related experience with a successful track record in developing an active client base, closing sales contracts, and generating new and repeat business.  Experience working in an educational environment and familiarity with adult education and training preferred.  Extensive business contacts with the potential to turn into contracts (or ability to analyze the market to determine this) in the Portland area preferred.

Knowledge of:
  • Leadership principles;
  • Advanced principles and practices in assigned area of responsibility;
  • Public relations principles;
  • Budgeting principles;
  • Strategic planning principles;
  • Financial management principles.
Skills in:
  • Working with business community building and sustaining credible, productive relationships;
  • Working with public-private partnerships, collaborating successfully cross-sector and cross-organization;
  • Working in a Business-to-Business marketing and sales environment;
  • Developing and delivering persuasive sales presentations, negotiating sales of education contracts, facilitating client partnership meetings, and problem solving to ensure successful implementation;
  • Distilling from discussions with potential clients their “needs” which PCC could satisfy through its customized programs and presenting a compelling case for PCC to be their vendor of choice;
  • Analyzing and using client management database to extract data, interpret impact of sales activity, and develop strategies for action to meet sales goals;
  • Reading and analyzing the politics and dynamics of human interaction in large and small group meetings and quickly adopting an effective course of action;
  • Motivating team members and delegating results-oriented projects to a skilled team.

Reviewed: 12/2018
Revised: 10/2010 (Replaces Center for Business and Industry Sales Manager)