Sales Director – Middle East, Turkey, Africa & India

Published 09.01.2026 Company : Safran Aerosystems Services Job field : Sales & Marketing Location : Dubai , United Arab Emirates Contract type : Permanent Contract duration : Full-time Required degree : Master Degree Required experience : More than 8 years Professional status : Professional, Engineer & Manager Spoken language(s) : English Fluent French Fluent

Published 09.01.2026 Job Description

Job Purpose

The Sales Director is responsible for driving commercial growth, securing aftermarket business, BFE/SSFE/SPE Selections and leading sales activities across the Middle East, Turkey, Africa, and India region. The role is accountable for achieving and exceeding Order Intake, MRO Sales, and overall sales objectives while leading a team of Sales Managers and managing strategic customer accounts directly.

The Sales Director develops and executes regional sales strategies, manages key customer relationships, oversees major bid opportunities, and ensures alignment with company objectives and processes of the full sales department.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Sales Performance

• Meet and exceed Spares Order Intake, MRO Sales, and overall Sales targets within the assigned region.
• Define, adjust, sharpen, and execute the regional sales strategy to address evolving market conditions and customer requirements.
• Identify and develop new business opportunities while strengthening existing customer relationships.
• Ensure achievement of success-rate objectives on strategic "Must Win" opportunities.
• Develop and maintain a robust sales pipeline and accurately manage opportunities through the CRM system.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activities, and customer developments to identify growth opportunities.

Sales Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Sales Managers.
• Set clear sales priorities, objectives, and action plans for the sales team.
• Drive sales excellence and accountability throughout the organization.
• Manage selected key customer accounts directly and support high-value commercial negotiations.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on customer satisfaction and business results.

Customer & Market Management

• Coordinate and expand the regional sales network, including distributors, consultants, maintenance centers, and customer representatives.
• Maintain strong engagement with customers, prospects, and industry stakeholders.
• Influence customer decision-making processes by identifying key internal and external influencers.
• Understand customer organizations, key stakeholders, procurement processes, and decision criteria.
• Develop and maintain long-term strategic relationships with major accounts.

Bid & Contract Management

• Monitor and identify relevant Requests for Proposals (RFPs), tenders, and commercial opportunities.
• Lead the preparation of bid packages by mobilizing and coordinating the relevant internal stakeholders.
• Ensure proposals comply with company and Group requirements.
• Submit bids and business cases for the appropriate validation process.
• Lead commercial negotiations and support contract closure activities.
• Analyze lost opportunities and implement corrective actions to improve future win rates.

Job Requirements

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years' experience in Sales, Business Development, Key Account Management, or Commercial Management.
• Demonstrated success in leading multicultural and geographically dispersed teams.
• Proven experience in aerospace, aviation aftermarket, MRO, or a comparable technical industry.
• Experience managing complex sales campaigns and strategic customer accounts.

Key Competencies

Commercial Skills

• Strong customer-focused and results-oriented mindset.
• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills.
• Proven track record of achieving ambitious sales targets.
• Strong business acumen, solution approach and strategic thinking.

Leadership Skills

• Ability to lead, motivate, and develop teams.
• Strong stakeholder management capabilities.
• Ability to drive cross-functional collaboration.

Personal Attributes

• Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for challenges and field activities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational and prioritization abilities.
• Autonomous, resilient, and persistent.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure.
• Strong analytical, synthesis, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to build and maintain long-term business relationships.

But what else? (advantages, specific features, etc.)

Forecasting, Reporting & Performance Management

• Develop dashboards and performance indicators to monitor sales effectiveness.
• Track and report key performance metrics.
• Contribute to demand reviews and business forecasting processes, including:

o Medium-Term Plan (MTP)

o Budget

o Actuals

o Rolling Forecast (ROFO)

• Provide accurate sales forecasts and market intelligence to support business planning.
• Lead the demand planning process and actively contribute to the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) cycle by coordinating customer demand inputs, ensuring forecast accuracy, aligning sales forecasts with operational capabilities, and supporting effective supply-demand balancing across the business.

Financial & Process Management

• Ensure timely customer payments in coordination with Finance and Accounting teams.
• Lead the SEL process within the Legal Entity
• Contribute to Budget, Actualization and MTP
• Ensure compliance with company Sales Excellence (SEL) processes and procedures.
• Lead and contribute to special projects aimed at improving commercial performance and process maturity.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives across the sales organization.

Marketing & Business Promotion

• Contribute to regional marketing initiatives, trade exhibitions, customer events, and promotional campaigns.
• Support the development and implementation of market penetration strategies.
• Promote the company's products, services, and capabilities across Company Information

Safran is an international high-technology group operating in the fields of aerospace (propulsion, equipment and interiors), space and defense. Its mission is to contribute sustainably to a safer world, where air transport becomes ever more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Present on every continent, the Group employs 110,000 people and generated €31.3 billion in revenue in 2025. Safran holds, either independently or through partnerships, leading global or European positions in its markets.

Safran was ranked second in the Aerospace & Defense sector in TIME magazine's ""World's Best Companies 2025"" ranking.

Join Safran Aerosystems: an international leader in aviation safety, fluid management and fuel systems. Our strength? Innovating to enhance flight safety (oxygen systems, evacuation systems, flotation systems) and driving the transition toward decarbonized aviation through sustainable fuels. 6,200 employees, operations in 7 countries, and one shared objective: a safer sky.