Sales Manager

Job Title: Sales Manager (Developing / Early Career)

Location: Plymouth, Devon, UK

Business Area: Optical Thin Film Coatings
Customer Markets: Industrial, Aerospace & Defence, Life Sciences

About Us

G&H is a world leader in optical designing, testing and manufacturing. As experts in the technology of light, G&H works with customers to provide optical systems, assemblies, and components for demanding applications.

Headquartered in Ilminster Somerset, UK with primary operations in the USA and Europe, G&H is recognised for the breadth of their acousto-optic, electro-optic, crystal-optic, fibre optic, and precision optic products. G&H is recognized as the preferred source for OEMs in the life sciences, industrial, and aerospace and defence industries, with a history of quality and excellence that dates back over seventy-five years.

Our success is built on innovation, precision, and the talent of our people. We are committed to developing capability at every stage of a career, from apprenticeships and graduate pathways through to leadership development.

Role Overview

We are looking for a motivated and technically capable individual to join our commercial team as a Sales Manager, based in Plymouth. This role is ideal for someone who can demonstrate the ability to work in a technical or engineering-led environment and who is keen to build a long-term career in commercial and sales.

With full technical training and support provided, the successful candidate will focus on developing existing customer accounts and supporting the growth of new business within the industrial, aerospace & defence, and life sciences markets. The role has particular responsibility for sales activity linked to the Plymouth site, while working as part of a national sales team.

Key Responsibilities

Sales Development & Customer Support

• Support and develop existing customer accounts, building strong technical and commercial relationships
• Identify and pursue new sales opportunities with guidance from senior sales and technical colleagues
• Learn to sell optical thin film coating solutions, understanding customer applications and performance requirements
• Assist with quotations, proposals, and customer communications

Customer & Market Engagement

• Act as a key point of contact for customers associated with the Plymouth site
• Participate in customer meetings, site visits, and technical discussions
• Build credibility with engineers, buyers, and project stakeholders
• Maintain accurate records of opportunities, enquiries, and forecasts

Internal Collaboration & Learning

• Work closely with engineering, production, quality, and R&D teams to understand products      and processes
• Learn how to translate technical capability into commercial value for customers
• Collaborate with the national sales team to support wider business objectives

Market Awareness

• Develop an understanding of target markets, competitors, and customer needs
• Attend trade shows, exhibitions, and industry events as part of ongoing development

Required Skills & Experience 

Essential

• Background in a technical engineering or manufacturing environment
• Ability to understand and communicate technical concepts clearly
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• High level of motivation and desire to build a career in commercial or sales roles
• Organised, proactive, and willing to learn

Desirable

• Exposure to industrial, aerospace & defence, or life sciences sectors
• Some experience working with customers or stakeholders (commercial, technical, or project-based)

Personal Attributes

• Curious, enthusiastic, and commercially minded
• Comfortable engaging with customers and internal teams
• Resilient and driven, with a strong appetite for personal development
• Able to work independently while being well supported by a wider team

What We Offer

Benefits

• Competitive salary with development-focused incentive structure
• Structured training and long-term career development
• Opportunity to work with advanced optical technologies
• 25 Days annual leave plus UK Bank Holidays, increasing with length of service up to 30 days.
• Cycle to work scheme
• Health & wellbeing cash plan

Training & Development

• Comprehensive technical training on optical thin film coatings and applications
• Mentoring and support from experienced sales and technical professionals
• Clear pathway for progression within the commercial organisation

Notes: This job description is not intended to be exhaustive in every respect, but rather to clearly define the fundamental purpose, responsibilities and dimensions for the role. Therefore, this job description does not describe any individual role holder. In addition to the contents of this job description, employees are expected to undertake all other reasonable and related tasks allocated by their line manager.

The Company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunity or practices on the grounds of gender, race, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by national laws under which the Company operates.

Potential candidates should be aware that many of the employment roles at Gooch & Housego are subject to government security and export control restrictions.  These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities that you may have previously held and your place of birth, could restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation.

All UK applicants must, as a minimum, be able to successfully complete security vetting to the UK government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard, which includes a criminal record check being performed. Many roles may also require higher levels of security vetting to be completed, where applicants must typically have been continuously resident within the UK for the past five to ten years.