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(International Sales Manager, Export Manager, Head of International Sales, International Business Development Manager)
Sales & Marketing
Salary
€55,000 - €100,000/yr
Level
Senior
Outlook
Stable
Sector
Sales & Marketing
As an Export Sales Manager you develop and manage sales strategies to open and grow markets for Irish products in overseas territories, typically within the food, drink or engineering sectors. You identify new international customers, negotiate contracts, and ensure that all cross-border trade documentation — such as customs declarations, certificates of origin and export licences — is accurate and compliant with the regulations of each target market. Your daily work involves liaising with logistics providers, freight forwarders, regulatory bodies and internal teams such as finance, production and marketing to ensure orders are fulfilled on time and within budget. You regularly travel abroad to attend trade fairs, meet distributors and build relationships with buyers, often supported by Enterprise Ireland's overseas networks. You report on sales performance, monitor currency and financial risks, and adjust your market entry strategies based on trading conditions.
Listen: a day as an Export Sales Manager
You are at your desk by 7:45 a.m., an hour before most of the office arrives. The time difference with your key accounts in the Gulf region means their working day is already well under way, and three emails have come in overnight querying a delayed shipment out of Dublin Port. You pull up the freight forwarder's tracking system and cross-reference it with the export declaration filed through Revenue's Automated Entry Processing system to confirm the consignment cleared customs yesterday evening. You draft a holding reply to the buyer in Dubai, flag it for follow-up and pour your first coffee. By 9:00 a.m. you are on a video call with your counterpart at a food distributor in Frankfurt. You have been trying to finalise a two-year supply contract for a Munster-based dairy company you represent, and today you go through the revised pricing schedule line by line. The exchange rate between euro and sterling also comes up because some input costs are priced in sterling. You take notes, agree to send an updated term sheet before Thursday and close the call forty minutes later with nothing fully signed yet — contracts at this level rarely move quickly.
A Level 8 Honours Bachelor degree is typically the minimum entry point for this role, with relevant disciplines including Business, International Business, Marketing, Food Business Management or Engineering. Useful Leaving Certificate subjects include Business, Economics, Mathematics, a modern language (French, German, Spanish or Irish) and Geography, as these build commercial and cross-cultural awareness. Postgraduate study at Level 9, such as a Master's in International Business, Supply Chain Management or Marketing, is increasingly common and can strengthen your candidacy for senior positions. Institutions such as UCD, UCC, DCU, University of Galway and TU Dublin offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes relevant to this career. Proficiency in at least one additional language is a significant asset when applying for export roles targeting continental European, Latin American or Middle Eastern markets.
Most Export Sales Managers begin in a junior international sales or account management role after completing a relevant degree, building experience in export administration, market research and customer-facing sales. After several years of demonstrating results in overseas markets, you may progress to Export Sales Manager with responsibility for a specific region or product category. Further advancement can lead to roles such as Head of International Sales, Commercial Director or VP of Sales, particularly in large Irish food, drink or technology exporters. Many professionals at this level engage with Enterprise Ireland programmes, trade missions and leadership development schemes to accelerate their progression.
AI tools are increasingly used to analyse international market data, forecast demand and identify prospective customers across global territories, reducing the time needed for manual research. Automated platforms can handle routine export documentation, compliance checks and currency risk alerts, freeing Export Sales Managers to focus on high-value relationship building and negotiation. However, the interpersonal, cultural and strategic dimensions of opening overseas markets — building trust with buyers across different cultures and reading shifting geopolitical conditions — remain distinctly human skills that AI cannot replicate. Managers who embrace AI-powered CRM and trade intelligence platforms will have a competitive advantage in identifying and converting export opportunities faster.
→ Export Sales Manager (Current role)
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Organisations in Ireland that employ people in this occupation.
Tralee, Co. Kerry / Naas, Co. Kildare
Drive international food ingredient sales across global export markets.
Dublin 2
Manage overseas sales of Irish dairy products to 110+ countries.
St. James's Gate, Dublin 8
Grow export revenues for Guinness and Irish whiskey brands globally.
Midleton, Co. Cork / Dublin 4
Develop international distribution and sales for Jameson whiskey exports.
Monaghan, Co. Monaghan
Sell specialist forklift equipment to distributors across 85 countries.
Waterford / Nationwide
Manage beef and lamb export contracts with European and Asian buyers.
East Point Business Park, Dublin 3 / Nationwide
Support Irish exporters to open and grow international market presence.
Kilkenny / Nationwide
Develop overseas sales channels for dairy and agri-food products.
Sandyford, Dublin 18
Lead export sales strategy for building materials into international markets.
Clonmel, Co. Tipperary / Longford
Manage cross-border sales and compliance for medical devices exported globally.
Dublin 4 / International offices
Promote and grow Irish food and drink exports in overseas markets.
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