Director of Commercial Operations & Customer Strategy

About the role

This position will serve as a key member of the site leadership team and act as the primary strategic bridge between our technical sales, application engineering, and corporate leadership. This role is responsible for driving commercial growth, elevating technical sales capabilities, improving the execution and quality of project bids, and ensuring consistent, professional communication with the Richards Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

Responsibilities

• Leverage extensive executive commercial experience to guide the Applications Engineering and Sales teams to sharpen customer engagement, investigate value propositions to improve bid competitiveness, and enhance operational discipline.
• Provide executive-level interface in negotiations, pricing strategy, and contract discussions.
• Oversee the Application Engineering team with a focus on improving technical solution quality, bid accuracy, and on-time delivery of customer proposals.
• Implement structured project review, risk assessment, and cross-functional handoff processes to improve downstream execution.
• Ensure engineering specifications and customer requirements are translated accurately into deliverables for internal teams.
• Improve collaboration between engineering, operations, and sales to streamline execution and reduce rework.
• Drive strategic initiatives that support site growth, operational effectiveness, and alignment with the broader corporate commercial strategy.
• Prepare executive-level presentations, performance dashboards, and strategic updates for the SLT.
• Serve as the primary commercial and technical liaison to the Richards SLT, ensuring consistent communication of site performance, sales pipeline, and project execution status.

Requirements

• Executive experience in commercial leadership roles such as Vice President – Commercial, Senior Vice President, General Manager, or CEO (small or mid-sized business).
• Demonstrated experience improving technical sales processes, guiding application engineering teams, and driving commercial growth.
• Strong understanding of engineered products, customized manufacturing, or technical solution development.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, manage complex customer relationships, and implement structured business processes.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and executive-level presentation skills.
• Strong strategic planning and organizational leadership capabilities.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or related field; advanced degree preferred.

Qualifications

• Experience in commercial leadership roles.
• Experience in improving technical sales processes.
• Experience in guiding application engineering teams.
• Experience in driving commercial growth.
• Understanding of engineered products, customized manufacturing, or technical solution development.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams.
• Ability to manage complex customer relationships.
• Ability to implement structured business processes.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and executive-level presentation skills.
• Strategic planning and organizational leadership capabilities.
• Education background in engineering, business, or related field.

Skills

• Commercial leadership experience.
• Technical sales process improvement.
• Application engineering team guidance.
• Commercial growth driving.
• Engineered products understanding.
• Team leadership.
• Customer relationship management.
• Structured business process implementation.
• Communication and negotiation skills.
• Strategic planning and organizational leadership.
• Education in engineering, business, or related field.

Benefits

• Profitable, thriving company investing for growth.
• Career development important for employees.
• Talented, hard-working team pushing to be the best.
• Philanthropic and community service support.

Pay

N/A

Schedule

N/A