Head of Sales Job Description
Hire a senior sales leader to own revenue strategy, grow the team and convert pipeline into predictable, repeatable growth.
What does a Head of Sales professional do?
Senior leader accountable for sales strategy, team performance, forecasting and hitting revenue targets across assigned markets.
Head of Sales job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Head of Sales
About the role
We are looking for an experienced Head of Sales to set and deliver the commercial strategy, lead and develop the sales function and build strong customer relationships. You will own revenue targets and forecasting, improve sales processes, coach a team of field and inside sellers and work closely with marketing and product to convert market opportunity into sustainable growth.
Key responsibilities
- Set the sales strategy and annual revenue plan aligned to company objectives and market opportunity.
- Translate targets into territory plans, quotas and individual performance KPIs; review and adjust quarterly.
- Own pipeline management and monthly/quarterly forecasting; ensure accurate CRM usage and reporting.
- Recruit, structure and coach the sales team; run regular 1:1s, performance reviews and sales training.
- Design and manage compensation plans, incentives and promotion criteria in collaboration with HR/Finance.
- Build and maintain relationships with key customers and strategic partners; support senior negotiations and renewals.
- Work with marketing and product to define go-to-market messaging, pricing, and sales enablement materials.
- Analyse sales performance, win/loss data and market trends to refine activity and product positioning.
Essential skills and experience
- Proven experience leading and scaling B2B sales teams, typically in a commercial leadership role.
- Track record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets and delivering repeatable sales processes.
- Strong commercial and financial acumen with experience in forecasting and P&L impact.
- Experience managing CRM-driven pipeline and producing management reports for the leadership team.
- Demonstrable people-management skills: recruiting, coaching and developing sellers.
- Excellent stakeholder and communication skills; comfortable presenting to senior leadership and customers.
- Ability to work with cross-functional teams (marketing, product, finance) to deliver commercial outcomes.
Desirable
- Experience in the same sector or selling similar products (software, services, manufacturing).
- Previous responsibility for international or multi-territory sales.
- Experience of subscription/SaaS commercial models including renewals and churn management.
- Formal sales or management training qualifications.
- Established industry contacts or channel partner relationships relevant to your market.
What we offer
- [Competitive base salary and performance-related bonus]
- [Pension or workplace pension contributions]
- [Private medical insurance or cash alternative]
- [Share/option scheme or long-term incentive plan]
- [Flexible and hybrid working options]
- [Annual training and development budget]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Head of Sales role?
A Head of Sales leads a company’s sales function and is accountable for designing and delivering the commercial strategy to meet revenue goals. The role combines strategic planning, people leadership and operational delivery: setting targets, managing pipeline and forecasts, coaching sellers, and coordinating with marketing and product to convert market demand into sustainable sales performance.
Strategic leadership
Define sales strategy, target segments and long-term growth priorities.
Performance & reporting
Own forecasting, pipeline hygiene and monthly/quarterly reporting to the executive team.
People & culture
Hire, structure and develop the sales team; embed a coaching and performance culture.
Typical Head of Sales responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Set the sales strategy
Set the sales strategy and annual revenue plan aligned to company objectives and market opportunity.
Translate targets into territory plans
Translate targets into territory plans, quotas and individual performance KPIs; review and adjust quarterly.
Own pipeline management
Own pipeline management and monthly/quarterly forecasting; ensure accurate CRM usage and reporting.
Recruit
Recruit, structure and coach the sales team; run regular 1:1s, performance reviews and sales training.
Design
Design and manage compensation plans, incentives and promotion criteria in collaboration with HR/Finance.
Build
Build and maintain relationships with key customers and strategic partners; support senior negotiations and renewals.
Work with marketing
Work with marketing and product to define go-to-market messaging, pricing, and sales enablement materials.
Analyse sales performance
Analyse sales performance, win/loss data and market trends to refine activity and product positioning.
Head of Sales skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Proven experience leading and scaling B2B sales teams, typically in a commercial leadership role.
- Track record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets and delivering repeatable sales processes.
- Strong commercial and financial acumen with experience in forecasting and P&L impact.
- Experience managing CRM-driven pipeline and producing management reports for the leadership team.
- Demonstrable people-management skills: recruiting, coaching and developing sellers.
- Excellent stakeholder and communication skills; comfortable presenting to senior leadership and customers.
- Ability to work with cross-functional teams (marketing, product, finance) to deliver commercial outcomes.
Useful where relevant
- Experience in the same sector or selling similar products (software, services, manufacturing).
- Previous responsibility for international or multi-territory sales.
- Experience of subscription/SaaS commercial models including renewals and churn management.
- Formal sales or management training qualifications.
- Established industry contacts or channel partner relationships relevant to your market.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Head of Sales job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Lead with outcomes
State the revenue target range, team size and which metrics the role will be accountable for — candidates want to know what success looks like.
Be clear about scope
Specify geography, product lines and whether the role owns new business, account management or both.
Describe the team and reporting lines
Name the direct reports the Head of Sales will manage and who they report to (CEO, CCO or MD) — senior candidates use this to judge influence and autonomy.
Include hiring and budget authority
If the role includes responsibility for hiring headcount, compensation design or budget control, state that clearly to attract experienced commercial leaders.
Use metrics and examples
Where possible, include current ARR/revenue, average deal size or sales cycle length as context (use ranges or placeholders if not public).
Head of Sales salary considerations
Do not quote a single market salary figure in the advert unless you have benchmarked it yourself. Pay for a Head of Sales varies widely depending on the company stage, market and incentives; the total package is often a mix of base pay and performance-related earnings.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Head of Sales candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What are the revenue targets and how are they set?
Senior candidates will want clarity on short and long-term targets, how realistic they are and how targets translate to incentives.
What is the current sales team structure?
Candidates need to know headcount, roles (AEs, BDRs, AMs), vacancy gaps and whether they will be hiring or restructuring.
Which tools and systems does the team use?
Expect questions about CRM, sales analytics, marketing automation and whether there is a dedicated sales ops function.
What travel and external meeting expectations are there?
Clarify frequency of customer travel, international visits and attendance at trade events or conferences.
How much autonomy will the role have over pricing, hiring and strategy?
Experienced leaders will assess their ability to change processes, hire staff and influence commercial decisions.
Where to post a Head of Sales job
For a Head of Sales vacancy target a mix of executive and sector channels. Use major UK job boards and LinkedIn for reach, specialist sales and industry-specific boards to find sector-experienced candidates, and industry networks or communities to source passive senior hires. For senior roles also consider targeted approaches such as executive search, direct sourcing and sharing the vacancy via relevant trade associations or professional sales networks.
Related sales & commercial job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Head of Sales job description FAQs
How is a Head of Sales different to a Sales Director?
Titles can vary by company, but a Head of Sales typically combines strategic ownership with hands-on leadership of a full sales function. A Sales Director may be senior but focused on a region, product line or particular part of the sales organisation.
When should we hire a Head of Sales versus promoting from within?
Consider external hires for scale-up phases, new markets or when you need proven experience building processes. Internal promotions suit companies that prioritise cultural continuity and already have leadership capability in place.
What KPIs should be included in the job advert?
Include high-level KPIs such as revenue/ARR targets, pipeline coverage ratios, quota attainment percentages and churn or renewal rates if applicable — these help candidates assess fit.
Should we use an executive search firm?
Executive search is recommended for senior hires where sector experience, confidentiality or passive candidate sourcing is critical. For many Head of Sales roles, a blended approach of targeted advertising and direct sourcing works well.
What benefits attract senior sales leaders?
Competitive commission or bonus structures, long-term incentives (equity or options), flexible working, clear career progression and a development budget are commonly valued by senior sales hires.
Use this Head of Sales template
Customise the advert, add your company specifics and share it across the recommended channels. If you need help targeting senior sales talent, consider combining board advertising with direct sourcing or executive search.
