Director of Sales,
Houston, TX
A Fast-Growing Industrial Distributor Needs Its Next Commercial Leader
Our client is a well-established industrial distributor serving the oil and gas upstream and midstream markets in Houston. They are privately backed by a large North American industrial group with broad national distribution infrastructure. The business has been on a strong growth trajectory since acquisition, with a defined plan to roughly double revenue over the next three years.
The company operates across two segments: an upstream OEM segment serving oil field equipment manufacturers that has been the core of the business for years, and a newer, rapidly growing midstream PVF segment serving distributors and operators across the midstream sector. Both are active and growing. This is not a turnaround. This is a scale-up, and they need a commercial leader who can help them get there.
This search is being conducted confidentially by Precision Sales Recruiting, a firm specializing in sales leadership recruiting for manufacturing and industrial B2B businesses.
You Are a Key Hire in a Real Growth Story
A funded growth trajectoryRevenue has already grown significantly under new leadership, with a defined multi-year plan backed by a large North American industrial group and established distribution infrastructure.
Entrepreneurial, zero bureaucracySingle private owner. Fast decisions, short feedback loops. No committees, no layers. The VP of Sales reports directly to ownership and wants a commercial leader who moves at the same pace.
Real path to VPThis role is explicitly designed to grow. As the company scales, the expectation is that the right Director grows into a VP-level strategic role over the next two to three years, either within this division or across the broader group.
Backed by industrial scaleThe parent group is one of the largest private industrial distributors in North America. Distribution relationships and midstream market access are already in place. You walk in with infrastructure behind you.
The VP of Sales has been personally carrying the commercial load and needs a strong director to lead the team and build the business. You step in with an active book, a growing team, and a company that is already winning.
Player-Coach With a Hunter Edge
This is a hybrid role. The Director of Sales leads the inside and outside sales team while also personally driving new business development. The inside team handles day-to-day order management and account coverage across the OEM and midstream segments. The outside team is currently one rep, recent and developing, who needs mentoring and direction.
The right candidate is someone who genuinely wants to be out in front of customers, building relationships, and closing new accounts, while also maintaining visibility over the team's KPIs and driving accountability. Once the inside team's activity standards are set and running, the expectation is that this person spends most of their time in the field.
Average deal sizes run approximately $50,000, with PVF transactions moving quickly and OEM project cycles running two to three months.
What You Will Own
- Personally hunt and close new accounts in the upstream OEM and midstream PVF segments
- Leverage the parent group's existing midstream relationships to accelerate new account penetration
- Develop and manage a personal pipeline of strategic opportunities alongside team-level revenue accountability
- Build relationships with OEM decision makers, procurement teams, and PVF distributor contacts across the Houston market
- Manage, coach, and develop a team of six inside salespeople and one outside sales representative
- Mentor the junior outside rep through hands-on ride-alongs, joint calls, and structured coaching
- Set clear KPIs for the inside team across both the OEM and midstream segments and hold the team accountable to them
- Identify up-talent opportunities as the team grows and the business scales
- Maintain visibility into inside team activity without needing to manage from the office full-time
- Run consistent one-on-ones, pipeline reviews, and team meetings with a defined cadence
- Report commercial activity and forecast to the VP of Sales with reliable accuracy
- Identify and correct patterns of passive order-taking behavior across the inside team
- Build and implement a repeatable outbound prospecting process for both inside and outside channels, working from a clean slate on a newly implemented HubSpot CRM
- Partner with the VP of Sales on go-to-market strategy as the company pursues its growth plan
- Provide input on role structure, KPI design, and compensation as the team scales
- Think strategically about how the sales organization needs to evolve as the business scales
What We Are Looking For
- Proven track record in industrial B2B sales, ideally in fastener distribution, PVF, oil field equipment, or an adjacent industrial segment serving upstream or midstream oil and gas customers
- Direct sales leadership experience managing inside and outside sales teams
- Personal new business development experience with demonstrated ability to open and close new accounts
- Comfortable managing a short-cycle, high-transactional business alongside longer project-based sales cycles of two to three months
- Minimum three years in specialty fasteners or PVF / industrial distribution strongly preferred
- Hunter identity. Genuinely enjoys prospecting and winning new business. This is not a pure management seat
- Player-coach mindset. Leads from the front. Comfortable doing the work alongside the team, not just directing from behind it
- Structured and accountable. Sets clear expectations, enforces KPIs, and coaches to improvement
- Entrepreneurial and fast-moving. Thrives without bureaucracy. Does not need a large support infrastructure to be effective
- Appetite to grow into a VP-level strategic role as the business scales over the next two to three years
- Oil and gas upstream and midstream familiarity preferred; OEM equipment manufacturer relationships a strong plus
- Fastener or industrial distribution experience helpful but not required for the right candidate
- Comfort selling to procurement teams, plant engineers, and operations leadership at OEM accounts and midstream operators
How Performance Is Measured
- New accounts opened and revenue generating within the first six months
- Inside team operating with defined KPIs, consistent activity, and visible accountability
- Junior outside rep progressing through clear coaching milestones with documented development
- Consistent pipeline visibility and accurate forecasting delivered to the VP of Sales
- Midstream PVF segment growing through leveraged relationships with the parent group's distribution network
- A commercial infrastructure that can support the company's continued multi-year growth
Where and How You Will Work
Based in Houston, TX, on-site at the company's northwest Houston facility. Candidates within approximately 50 to 60 miles of the northwest Houston area are preferred. Relocation candidates will only be considered for exceptional fits.
- Field travel is expected at approximately 30 to 50 percent of the time, covering customer visits, joint calls with the outside rep, and account reviews
- Inside team management can be handled remotely with the right cadence and systems in place
- Reports directly to the President, with regular engagement with company ownership on commercial strategy
What You Can Expect
This role carries a base salary of $175,000 to $200,000, with an annual performance bonus of 20 to 30 percent of base tied to new business production and team revenue. There is no traditional commission structure. Total compensation for a strong performer in year one is expected in the $210,000 to $260,000 range.
- Base salary: $175,000 to $200,000
- Annual performance bonus: 20 to 30 percent of base
- Monthly car allowance: $700 to $800
- Monthly phone allowance: $80 to $100
- Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision
- Retirement: 401(k), no employer match
- PTO: Approximately four weeks
- Career runway: Tied directly to the company's growth plan
What to Expect During the Search
Every candidate presented for this search is evaluated through The PRECISION Method, Precision Sales Recruiting's proprietary 9-dimension framework for manufacturing and industrial B2B sales professionals. Expect a 15-minute discovery call by phone, a 45-minute structured pre-screen interview over Zoom with role-specific scenarios, and a sales behavioral assessment before any introduction is made to the client.
The interview process with the client includes an initial conversation with the VP of Sales, a follow-up with the General Manager, and an informal meeting with the company owner before any offer is extended. The process is designed to move quickly.
Given the urgency of this search, qualified candidates can expect to move from discovery call to submission in a matter of days, not weeks. To learn more about how Precision Sales Recruiting runs searches, visit the hiring process page.
A Key Seat at a Company on Its Way to Somewhere Bigger
If you are a hunter who also knows how to develop people, and you want to be a key part of a fast-moving growth story in the oil and gas industrial distribution space, this is worth a conversation.
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