West Cork Recruitment
West Cork Recruitment are hiring a Sales Executive for a well known fuel company located in Caheragh. This is a varied, hands-on commercial role that combines inbound sales, customer account management and close coordination with our operations team.
The successful candidate will play an important role in managing day-to-day customer requirements, converting sales enquiries, maintaining strong customer relationships and ensuring the smooth delivery of products and services.
A key part of the role will involve working closely with the sales and operations teams to coordinate customer orders, liaise around driver routes and delivery schedules, resolve customer queries and ensure that the business delivers a reliable and efficient service. The role will also involve monitoring customer accounts, following up on outstanding payments and supporting effective credit control and debt collection processes.
Initially, the focus will be on developing a strong understanding of the products, customers and day-to-day operations, while managing a high volume of inbound enquiries and sales opportunities. As your knowledge and confidence grow, you will take increasing ownership of customer accounts, account growth and selected outbound business development opportunities.
Main Responsibilities
1. Inbound Sales & Customer Service
● Respond to incoming sales enquiries by phone, email and other channels in a timely and professional manner.
● Build strong customer relationships and develop an understanding of individual customer requirements.
● Identify customer needs, qualify opportunities and convert inbound enquiries into sales.
● Prepare pricing, quotations and order information accurately.
● Manage customer orders and follow through to ensure requirements are met.
● Handle customer queries, resolve issues and coordinate with the relevant teams where necessary.
● Develop a strong understanding of product offering across traditional fuels, HVO and renewable energy solutions.
● Identify opportunities to increase sales through existing customer relationships.
2. Account Management & Customer Relationships
● Take responsibility for the day-to-day management of a portfolio of customer accounts.
● Build and maintain strong, long-term customer relationships through regular communication and reliable service.
● Act as a key point of contact for customer queries, orders, delivery requirements and account-related issues.
● Monitor customer activity and identify opportunities to retain, develop and grow existing accounts.
● Follow up on quotations, customer enquiries and outstanding orders.
● Support customer reviews, pricing discussions, tenders and larger commercial opportunities.
● Work closely with the Head of Sales to ensure accounts are managed effectively and customer expectations are met.
● Identify opportunities to cross-sell and upsell products and services where appropriate.
3. Sales & Operations Coordination
● Work closely with the sales and operations teams to support the smooth running of day-to-day activities.
● Liaise regularly with the operations team regarding customer orders, delivery schedules, availability and changing customer requirements.
● Work closely with the team responsible for driver routes to help coordinate deliveries and communicate customer requirements effectively.
● Ensure customers are kept informed of delivery arrangements, delays or changes where necessary.
● Help resolve delivery issues and operational queries quickly and efficiently.
● Communicate relevant customer information and order updates to drivers, operations and the wider team.
● Balance customer expectations with operational capacity, delivery schedules and commercial priorities.
● Identify recurring issues or opportunities to improve communication, processes and the overall customer experience.
4. Credit Control & Debt Collection
● Monitor customer accounts and assist in ensuring credit terms and limits are adhered to.
● Follow up with customers regarding overdue invoices and outstanding balances.
● Make calls and send emails to customers to secure payment and resolve outstanding account queries.
● Work with the finance and sales teams to investigate payment discrepancies, invoice queries and account issues.
● Assist in assessing customer credit status and ensuring appropriate credit controls are followed before orders are progressed.
● Escalate overdue accounts, payment concerns and potential credit risks to the appropriate person.
● Maintain accurate records of customer communications, payment commitments and collection activity.
● Help reduce overdue debt while maintaining positive and professional customer relationships.
5. Outbound Sales & Business Development
While the primary focus of this role is inbound sales, account management and operational coordination, there will also be opportunities to contribute to new business development.
● Follow up on previous enquiries, quotations and dormant accounts.
● Identify opportunities to generate additional business from existing and prospective customers.
● Carry out targeted outbound calls and emails where appropriate.
● Research potential customers and identify opportunities using LinkedIn and other sales platforms.
● Support targeted sales campaigns across traditional fuels, HVO and renewable energy offering.
● Work with the Head of Sales to develop opportunities, support tenders and contribute to wider commercial growth.
About You
We are looking for someone who enjoys a varied role and is comfortable balancing customer-facing responsibilities with the practical demands of a busy commercial operation.
You will ideally be:
● Confident and professional when communicating with customers by phone and email.
● A natural relationship builder who enjoys working with a wide variety of customers.
● Organised, detail-oriented and capable of managing multiple priorities.
● Proactive, with the initiative to identify and resolve issues rather than waiting to be told what to do.
● Comfortable dealing with customer queries, payment discussions and difficult conversations when required.
● Commercially minded, with an understanding of the importance of sales, customer retention, cash collection and profitability.
● A strong communicator who can work effectively with sales, operations, drivers and finance.
● Practical and solutions-focused, particularly when dealing with changing delivery requirements or customer needs.
● Comfortable working with systems, technology and customer account information.
● Open to feedback and motivated to develop professionally.
Desired Experience
● Previous experience in a customer-facing, sales, account management or customer service role.
● Experience working in a busy, high-volume environment where organisation and follow-through are essential.
● Experience managing customer accounts, orders or ongoing customer relationships.
● Experience coordinating with operational teams, logistics, transport or delivery functions would be an advantage.
● Experience with credit control, debt collection or payment follow-ups would be beneficial.
● Strong communication and administration skills, with good attention to detail.
● Experience using CRM systems, order management systems or other business software would be an advantage.
Experience in the energy, fuel, transport, logistics or distribution sectors would be beneficial, but is not essential for the right candidate.
If this role is of interest to you, please reach out to laura@westcorkrecruitment.com or call Laura on 0874828855