Sales Team Leader (Fluent Japanese)

An exciting opportunity for a Japanese Speaking Sales Team Leader to join an automotive parts manufacturer’s team near Newcastle.

You will be responsible for managing and developing relationships with key customers across the UK and Europe, driving sales growth, and supporting the achievement of the company's long-term business objectives.

The ideal candidate will speak fluent Japanese and English, have proven B2B sales experience within a manufacturing or industrial environment, and the ability to build long-term customer relationships in an international setting.

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ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:

(O) Eligible visa: Permanent residence, Spouse, Partner

(X) NOT eligible: Student, Requiring visa sponsorship, YMS, Graduate

WORK TYPE: Office-based

VISA SUPPORT: No

BENEFITS: Private medical insurance, relocation support

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TYPE: Permanent, full-time

WORKING HOURS: Monday–Thursday 8:30–17:00, Friday 8:30–15:00 (30-minute lunch break)

SALARY: £37,000–£43,000 depending on experience + bonus

START: ASAP

LOCATION: Newcastle area, UK

Sales Team Leader Main Responsibilities:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key existing customers in the UK and overseas markets
• Respond promptly and effectively to customer enquiries and requirements
• Drive sales activities to achieve revenue and profit targets in line with annual sales plans
• Develop and implement medium- to long-term sales and marketing strategies
• Collaborate with management to respond to RFQs and identify opportunities for business growth and profitability improvement
• Work closely with operational teams to forecast and monitor customer production requirements
• Sales team management
• Maintain and update sales-related records, including quotations, drawings, product master data, and model control sheets
• Conduct regular customer visits and business trips across Europe, particularly Eastern Europe (1–2 trips per month)
• Support inventory management activities, including biannual stock-taking
• Identify training and development needs and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives

Sales Team Leader Ideal Candidate:

• Minimum 5 years of B2B sales experience selling tangible products
• Experience within manufacturing, automotive, engineering, or industrial sectors is highly desirable
• Fluent Japanese and English language skills
• Full UK driving licence
• Willingness to travel across Europe, particularly Eastern Europe, on a regular basis
• Strong communication, relationship-building, and negotiation skills
• Able to respond quickly and effectively to customer needs in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to read and understand mechanical or technical drawings would be advantageous
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications

All applicants for the Sales Team Leader position must have the right to work in the UK without any restrictions as the Company is not able to offer visa support. Unfortunately, we don’t accept applications from YMS, Graduate, or Student Visa holders

When contacting us, please include the job reference number (Ref: KF47435) at the top of your message.

If your application is successful, you will be contacted within two business days.

We regret that due to the high volume of applications we receive we cannot provide feedback on individual CVs.