Sales Manager - Africa

About Leica Biosystems

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

Position Summary

The Regional Sales Manager Africa is responsible for developing and executing the commercial strategy across the assigned African territories to deliver sustainable revenue growth, increase market share, and strengthen Leica Biosystems' presence in the region. The role leads direct sales activities, manages channel partners and distributors, develops strategic customer relationships, and ensures achievement of annual operating plan objectives.

This position is part of the META Commercial Organization and reports to the Commercial Director META.

Key Responsibilities

In this role, you will have the opportunity to:

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.

Essential Requirements

Education

Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Medical Laboratory Sciences, or related field.

Experience

Significant experience in Multinational company 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.

Technical & Commercial Expertise

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.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in Histopathology, Immunohistochemistry (IHC), Digital Pathology, or related diagnostic fields. Previous responsibility for multiple African markets. Experience working within a multinational healthcare or diagnostics organization. More than 5 years’ experience in managing team MBA or advanced business qualification (preferred).

Travel Requirements

Ability to travel extensively throughout Africa (approximately 50-70%). International travel required.

Join our winning team today. Together, we’ll accelerate the real-life impact of tomorrow’s science and technology. We partner with customers across the globe to help them solve their most complex challenges, architecting solutions that bring the power of science to life.

For more information, visit www.danaher.com.