Area Sales Manager - Contract

Why join us?

Founded in Copenhagen in 2002 with the ambition of creating contemporary furniture, lighting and accessories for modern living, HAY’s vision is to create high-quality and well-designed products in collaboration with some of the world’s most talented, curious, and courageous designers. Through the commitment to sophisticated industrial manufacturing processes, HAY strives to make good design accessible to the widest possible audience.

AREA SALES MANAGER – CONTRACT

Based in Southern Germany

Do you have deep connections in the design and contract industry? Do you combine a service mindset with commercial drive and strong relationship skills? And are you excited to join a world-renowned design brand?

About the job

As Area Sales Manager Southern Germany, you will be a key member of our German Contract Sales team, reporting directly to the Contract Channel Director. You will be responsible for driving business development across Southern Germany, with a strong focus on the Munich region and the wider Bavarian market, while also strategically developing and strengthening our presence in Baden-Württemberg.

The role is designed to support and grow our business through an established network of contract dealers and strategic partners, positioning the brand as a preferred choice for design-driven and complex projects. You will act as a trusted advisor to dealers, key end-customers, hospitality groups, and leading architects and designers, ensuring early specification and successful project realization across both regions.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a strategic business development plan for Southern Germany, covering both Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, with Munich as a key hub and a strong focus on building a balanced long-term regional presence
• Drive growth through existing contract dealers by actively supporting their sales efforts, identifying joint opportunities, and increasing specification activity across both regions
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key end-customers, including corporate headquarters, hospitality groups, coworking operators, educational institutions, and public clients, in close collaboration with dealer partners
• Establish and nurture close connections with architects, interior designers, and specifiers to ensure early involvement in projects and coordinated dealer engagement
• Deliver professional presentations, product training, and showroom tours for dealers, specifiers, and clients to strengthen product knowledge and brand preference
• Initiate and support local events, workshops, and project meetings together with dealer partners to generate, develop, and convert new leads
• Manage and develop the regional project pipeline, monitor specification progress, and provide structured reporting on activities, opportunities, and wins
• Work closely with the Central Contract and internal support teams to ensure smooth project execution from early specification through order, delivery, and installation

Role expectations

• Well-established network within the Southern German contract, architecture, and dealer landscape, ideally with strong connections in both Bavaria (especially Munich) and Baden-Württemberg
• Highly relationship-oriented with the ability to act as a trusted, long-term partner to dealers, specifiers, and end-customers
• Strong service and solution mindset, capable of supporting partners and adding value throughout the entire project lifecycle
• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, comfortable engaging with stakeholders at all levels
• Highly structured and organized, able to manage multiple projects, partners, and priorities simultaneously
• Proactive, commercially driven, and collaborative, with a hands‑on approach to developing the Southern German region together with internal colleagues and external partners

Experience required

• Proven track record in B2B sales within contract furniture, interiors, hospitality, or other design-led industries, ideally with experience working through dealer and specification-driven sales models
• Solid understanding of project sales processes, from early concept and specification through to execution
• Fluency in German and English, both written and spoken

Who We Hire?

Simply put, we hire qualified applicants representing a wide range of backgrounds and abilities. HAY is comprised of people of all abilities, gender identities and expressions, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, veterans from every branch of military service, and more. Here, you can bring your whole self to work. We’re committed to equal opportunity employment, including veterans and people with disabilities.

MillerKnoll complies with applicable disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities.