Opportunity
The Director - Sales Training and Events KBNA, is responsible for developing a Sales Training Center of Excellence in Kitchen and Bath North America by creating and executing a comprehensive training strategy that enhances the sales team’s skills, knowledge, and performance. The primary focus of this individual is collaborating and aligning with Field Sales, Marketing, Category teams, Showroom and Kohler Store teams, Wellness and Sustainability teams on strategy, resources, budgets, metrics execution, evaluation, results and ROI. This role will also oversee the planning and execution of sales-related events, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and a focus on driving revenue growth. This candidate is a Subject Matter Expert in adult learning and curriculum design, and will have a strong background in sales and product training, event management, and leadership.
Specific Responsibilities
Set the enterprise-wide vision and strategy for sales training and development across all KBNA channels, product categories, external customers, and the Kohler Sales organization. Define priorities, standards, and success measures that guide the work of Sales Training Specialists and Training Specialists.Provide strategic direction for technical and product training across audiences ranging from entry-level sales associates to experienced sales professionals. Ensure training frameworks, learning objectives, and value propositions are clearly defined, while partnering with Product Management, Engineering, and Marketing to ensure content accuracy and relevance.Oversee the design and governance of the sales learning ecosystem, ensuring all curricula adhere to adult learning principles, instructional design standards, and KBNA capability models. Hold teams accountable for quality, consistency, and learner impact across internal and external audiences.Lead and enable the event strategy and experience vision for customer and sales-facing events, including customer experience trips, Packer Suite, Fiserv Forum suite, and other Kohler-hosted engagements. Set experience standards and objectives while empowering Event Planners to manage executional logistics and delivery.Provide executive oversight of major sales events including sales conferences, workshops, and team-building activities. Ensure events are strategically aligned to business objectives, revenue growth, and brand standards, while execution is led by event planning resources.Define and monitor KPIs and success metrics for training programs and events, including adoption, effectiveness, business impact, and ROI. Use insights and performance data to drive continuous improvement, prioritization, and investment decisions.Ensure strong cross-functional alignment with Category Management, Marketing, Product Development, HR, and Sales Leadership so training and events directly support strategic initiatives, product launches, and go-to-market priorities.Set the strategy for blended learning delivery, including in-person, digital, and experiential learning (LMS, webinars, video, certifications). Ensure platforms, tools, and content models scale effectively and meet the evolving needs of the business.Lead, mentor, and develop training and event leadership talent, building a high-performing team of Sales Training Specialists, Training Specialists, and Event Planners. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.Own budget strategy and investment decisions for sales training and events, ensuring resources are allocated to the highest-impact initiatives and deliver measurable business value.Serve as the internal thought leader for sales capability development and event excellence by staying current on industry trends, learning technologies, and best practices, and translating insights into strategic innovation for KBNA.Travel to trade shoes, manufacturing plants, and customer visits as needed, approximately 25%.