Regional Sales Manager - Africa, French Speaking (Tissue Diagnostics - IVD)

Role Overview

Regional Sales Manager - Africa, French Speaking for Leica Biosystems, a division of Danaher. This role is based in the META Commercial Organization and reports to the Commercial Director META.

Company Overview

Leica Biosystems is a global leader in cancer diagnostics, providing innovative solutions from biopsy to diagnosis that improve workflow efficiency and diagnostic confidence. The company's mission of Advancing Cancer Diagnostics, Improving Lives is at the heart of its corporate culture. Together with Danaher Diagnostics companies, Leica Biosystems helps address some of the world's most significant healthcare challenges.

Role Purpose

The Regional Sales Manager Africa is responsible for developing and executing the commercial strategy across assigned African territories to deliver sustainable revenue growth, increase market share, and strengthen Leica Biosystems' presence in the region. The role encompasses direct sales leadership, channel partner management, strategic customer relationship development, and achievement of annual operating plan objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Leadership

• Develop and execute annual business plans to achieve orders, revenue, profitability, and market share objectives across Africa.
• Identify and prioritize growth opportunities within existing and emerging markets.
• Lead territory planning, opportunity management, and commercial execution to maximize business performance.
• Drive adoption of Leica Biosystems solutions across Histology, Advanced Staining, and Digital Pathology portfolios.

Channel & Distributor Management

• Develop, manage, and optimize distributor and channel partner relationships across the region.
• Establish clear performance expectations, KPIs, and growth plans for channel partners.
• Conduct regular business reviews and implement corrective actions to address performance gaps.
• Support distributor capability building through commercial and product training initiatives.

Customer Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including pathologists, laboratory directors, healthcare administrators, procurement leaders, and ministry representatives.
• Lead strategic account planning and engagement for key customers and reference sites.
• Support complex negotiations, tender opportunities, and multi-year agreements.

Forecasting & Business Management

• Maintain a robust sales funnel and ensure accurate forecasting through SFDC.
• Conduct regular funnel reviews and opportunity assessments to improve conversion rates.
• Monitor market dynamics, competitor activities, and customer trends to identify new business opportunities.
• Deliver accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual business forecasts.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Marketing, Commercial Operations, Applications, Customer Care, and Service teams to drive customer success.
• Support regional product launches and strategic growth initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with Danaher and Leica Biosystems policies, quality standards, and ethical business practices.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing regional sales team through effective performance management, regular coaching, and career development planning.
• Establish clear objectives, KPIs, and accountability measures aligned with regional and company growth priorities.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, funnel reviews, and field coaching sessions to improve sales effectiveness and execution excellence.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, customer-centricity, continuous improvement, and ownership in line with Danaher Business System (DBS) principles.
• Support talent acquisition, onboarding, and succession planning to build a sustainable and diverse commercial organization.
• Drive employee engagement and create an environment that encourages innovation, learning, and high performance.
• Ensure consistent adoption of commercial processes, CRM discipline, forecasting rigor, and compliance standards across the team.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Medical Laboratory Sciences, or related field.
• Significant experience in multinational companies in medical diagnostics, life sciences, healthcare, or medical device industries.
• Preferred 5-7 years' experience in Histopathology.
• Proven track record of consistently achieving or exceeding commercial targets.
• Experience managing distributor networks across multicultural and geographically dispersed markets, especially in Africa.
• Experience leading complex sales cycles involving multiple stakeholders.
• Previous responsibility for multiple African markets (preferred).
• More than 5 years' experience managing teams (preferred).
• MBA or advanced business qualification (preferred).

Skills & Competencies

• Strong consultative selling and value-based selling capabilities.
• Experience with tender management and strategic account planning.
• Proficiency with CRM systems, preferably Salesforce (SFDC).
• Strong commercial and financial acumen.
• Experience in Histopathology, Immunohistochemistry (IHC), Digital Pathology, or related diagnostic fields (preferred).
• French language capability as indicated in job title.

Additional Information

• Ability to travel extensively throughout Africa, approximately 50-70%.
• International travel required.