Director of Marine Sales
Houston, TX
Full Time
Senior Manager/Supervisor
About ERL:
ERL Inc. designs, manufactures and services safety equipment that keeps liquid tank barges running, from cargo pumps and pressure-vacuum relief valves to gauging, overfill protection, and venting. With manufacturing in New Albany, Indiana, and a repair shop in Houston, we support barge operators, fleets and shipyards across the Gulf Coast and inland rivers.
The Role:
The Director of Marine Sales leads ERL’s outside sales in Houston and owns our customer relationships from start to finish, from crews and port engineers to executives. About 80% of the role is growing existing accounts and 20% is bringing in new customers, including selling New Albany products. This role is fully focused on customers while the Houston shop team runs operations.
What You’ll Do:
1. Own and Grow Accounts:
The President, the Houston shop and field technicians, the Houston sales team, and the New Albany sales and pricing team.
What You Bring:
Must have
ERL Inc. designs, manufactures and services safety equipment that keeps liquid tank barges running, from cargo pumps and pressure-vacuum relief valves to gauging, overfill protection, and venting. With manufacturing in New Albany, Indiana, and a repair shop in Houston, we support barge operators, fleets and shipyards across the Gulf Coast and inland rivers.
The Role:
The Director of Marine Sales leads ERL’s outside sales in Houston and owns our customer relationships from start to finish, from crews and port engineers to executives. About 80% of the role is growing existing accounts and 20% is bringing in new customers, including selling New Albany products. This role is fully focused on customers while the Houston shop team runs operations.
What You’ll Do:
1. Own and Grow Accounts:
- Own key accounts from quote through delivery, close-out and follow-up.
- Grow ERL’s share of work at existing customers and win new customers and fleets.
- Ask directly for renewals, repairs and new product work.
- Be the customer’s first call when something goes wrong and own the resolution.
- Sell brown water pump and valve repair and ERL marine products.
- Sell New Albany manufactured products to new and existing customers.
- Meet with customers at every level, from the field to the executive office.
- Represent ERL at trade shows, AWO* and industry events.
- Write quotes and sales orders.
- Explain ERL pricing in terms of scope and value rather than discounts.
- Work with technicians in the field and the shop to scope repairs correctly.
- Set the Houston sales plan and account coverage with the Houston sales team.
- Coordinate with the shop on capacity and dates before committing to customers.
- Track competitors and market trends and recommend sales strategies.
- Enter opportunities daily in the CRM system.
- Prepare and present sales forecasts to senior management.
- First 90 days: meet every key account, learn our shop, products and pricing, and take full ownership of assigned accounts.
- First 12 months: a higher COI renewal win rate, revenue and margin growth in owned accounts, new accounts won, and faster quote turnaround.
The President, the Houston shop and field technicians, the Houston sales team, and the New Albany sales and pricing team.
What You Bring:
Must have
- A proven track record of owning and growing accounts in outside sales for marine, pump, valve or rotating equipment.
- Relationships built and preserved at every level of a customer, from the field to executives.
- Comfort asking for work and explaining pricing in terms of scope and value.
- Ownership of the work from start to finish, with disciplined CRM habits.
- A service mindset: proactive, responsive, and follows through.
- A technical background in pumps, valves and rotating equipment, with the ability to follow a diagnosis on a barge.
- Existing relationships with Gulf Coast and inland barge operators.
- Inland or offshore marine experience.
- Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering or a related field.
- Field-based role with frequent travel to customer sites, barges, shipyards and fleeting areas, plus time in the Houston office and shop. Periodic travel to New Albany, IN.
- Able to board and walk barges and work sites safely and wear required PPE.
- Valid driver’s license and holds or can obtain a TWIC card.
Apply for this position
Required*