Sales Director Job Description
Hire a senior commercial leader to set sales strategy, grow revenue and lead your sales team. This template gives a clear, employer-focused job advert and role profile for recruiting a UK-based Sales Director.
What does a Sales Director professional do?
A Sales Director sets and delivers the commercial strategy, leads sales teams, manages key accounts and is responsible for hitting revenue and margin targets.
Sales Director 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.
Sales Director
About the role
[Insert Company Name] is seeking a Sales Director to own sales strategy and delivery across [region/territory]. You will lead a team of [number] sales professionals, develop new business and key account plans, manage forecasts and P&L contribution, and work closely with marketing and product to grow revenue. Base salary: [insert range or band] with OTE/commission. Location: [insert location or 'remote/hybrid']. To apply: [insert application instructions].
Key responsibilities
- Define and implement the sales strategy and annual plan aligned to company objectives.
- Lead, coach and develop a team of sales managers and reps; set targets and run performance reviews.
- Own revenue forecasting, pipeline management and sales metrics; report to senior leadership.
- Manage strategic and high-value accounts, negotiating terms and maintaining stakeholder relationships.
- Identify and develop new market opportunities, channels and partnerships to expand market share.
- Collaborate with marketing, product and operations to align go-to-market plans and improve conversion.
- Set pricing, discounting and commercial terms within agreed governance to protect margin.
- Recruit key commercial hires and shape the team structure as the business scales.
Essential skills and experience
- Proven experience in a senior sales leadership role with responsibility for revenue and team performance.
- Track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets and managing complex sales cycles.
- Experience building and managing sales teams, including recruitment, coaching and performance management.
- Strong commercial and financial acumen; confident with forecasting and P&L impact.
- Practical experience with CRM systems and sales analytics (ability to interpret pipeline and conversion metrics).
- Excellent stakeholder management and negotiation skills.
- Right to work in the UK.
Desirable
- Experience in the same or adjacent sector (B2B, SaaS, technology, manufacturing, professional services as relevant).
- Experience selling to enterprise customers or managing channel/partner sales.
- MBA or formal commercial leadership training.
- Experience with international markets or multi-territory sales.
- Familiarity with subscription/recurring revenue models and customer success alignment.
What we offer
- [Competitive base salary + commission/OTE]
- [Company pension scheme / workplace pension contribution]
- [Private healthcare / health cash plan (optional)]
- [Annual bonus or profit-share scheme]
- [25 days holiday plus bank holidays (or configurable) ]
- [Hybrid working / flexible hours option]
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 Sales Director role?
A Sales Director is a senior commercial leader responsible for defining sales strategy, building and motivating the sales team, and delivering revenue growth. They manage key accounts, shape go-to-market plans with marketing and product teams, and own forecasting and commercial performance. In mid-to-large businesses this role often includes P&L responsibility and cross-functional leadership.
Team leadership
Hire, structure and develop sales teams; set targets, coaching and performance frameworks.
Revenue ownership
Own revenue targets, pipeline conversion, pricing and margin outcomes for your remit.
Strategic planning
Translate market insight into territory plans, channels and product positioning to grow share.
Typical Sales Director responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Define
Define and implement the sales strategy and annual plan aligned to company objectives.
Lead, coach
Lead, coach and develop a team of sales managers and reps; set targets and run performance reviews.
Own revenue forecasting
Own revenue forecasting, pipeline management and sales metrics; report to senior leadership.
Manage strategic
Manage strategic and high-value accounts, negotiating terms and maintaining stakeholder relationships.
Identify
Identify and develop new market opportunities, channels and partnerships to expand market share.
Collaborate with marketing
Collaborate with marketing, product and operations to align go-to-market plans and improve conversion.
Set pricing
Set pricing, discounting and commercial terms within agreed governance to protect margin.
Recruit key commercial hires
Recruit key commercial hires and shape the team structure as the business scales.
Sales Director 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 in a senior sales leadership role with responsibility for revenue and team performance.
- Track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets and managing complex sales cycles.
- Experience building and managing sales teams, including recruitment, coaching and performance management.
- Strong commercial and financial acumen; confident with forecasting and P&L impact.
- Practical experience with CRM systems and sales analytics (ability to interpret pipeline and conversion metrics).
- Excellent stakeholder management and negotiation skills.
- Right to work in the UK.
Useful where relevant
- Experience in the same or adjacent sector (B2B, SaaS, technology, manufacturing, professional services as relevant).
- Experience selling to enterprise customers or managing channel/partner sales.
- MBA or formal commercial leadership training.
- Experience with international markets or multi-territory sales.
- Familiarity with subscription/recurring revenue models and customer success alignment.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Sales Director job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be specific about scope
State region, team size, revenue responsibility and whether the role includes direct reporting lines. Candidates at this level assess scope first.
Include pay structure
Specify base salary band and the on-target earnings (OTE) or commission model. Senior sellers expect clarity on variable pay and accelerators.
List measurable KPIs
Mention primary success metrics (e.g. revenue, new logos, retention, margin) and reporting cadence so candidates know how performance is judged.
Describe decision authority
Clarify hiring budget, pricing levers and strategic autonomy—this helps attract candidates who want clear remit and influence.
Highlight culture and change role
Explain whether the role is about scaling a team, turning around performance or entering new markets so candidates can match experience to need.
Sales Director salary considerations
Salary for a Sales Director varies widely. It depends less on job title and more on company size, sector, sales model and the commission/bonus design. When advertising, set a realistic band and explain how the variable pay works.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Sales Director candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
Who will I report to and who reports to me?
Candidates need clarity on reporting lines and seniority to judge scope and influence.
What is the current team size and structure?
Details on number of direct reports, SDRs, account managers and where hiring is planned matter to senior applicants.
How is compensation structured (base vs OTE) and what are typical earnings?
Senior sellers want to understand on-target earnings, commission calculation and payout frequency.
What level of travel and territory coverage is required?
Candidates will decide based on travel frequency, overnight stays and whether territory is national or international.
What are the primary KPIs and performance expectations?
Be clear about targets, reporting cadence and the first 90-day priorities to set expectations.
What hiring and budget authority does the role include?
Senior hires expect to know hiring headcount control, budget responsibility and decision-making limits.
Where to post a Sales Director job
Sales Director roles attract candidates from executive and senior sales networks — use a mix of broad UK job boards for visibility, sector-specific boards or groups for relevant experience, and professional networks like LinkedIn to target active and passive senior sellers. Consider industry events, executive search or specialist sales communities when seeking candidates with niche sector experience or enterprise-level track records.
Related sales & commercial job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Sales Director job description FAQs
Do I need to advertise a salary range for a Sales Director?
You don't have to, but including a realistic salary band and information about OTE/commission improves application quality and speeds up hiring by aligning expectations.
Is a degree mandatory for this role?
No. Many successful Sales Directors have equivalent commercial experience. Make a degree desirable rather than essential unless your sector specifically requires formal qualifications.
How should I assess senior sales candidates?
Use a mix of behavioural interview questions, evidence of quota attainment, case studies or presentations on territory plans, and references that verify deal sizes and leadership impact.
When is executive search appropriate?
Consider executive search for confidential hires, niche sector experience, international expansion or when you need candidates who are not actively applying via job boards.
What KPIs should I include in the advert?
Include high-level KPIs such as revenue targets, new business growth, customer retention, average deal size and pipeline coverage. Detailed targets can be discussed later in the process.
Should the advert require specific CRM experience?
List CRM competency as essential (ability to use and interpret CRM data) but avoid naming a single system unless it is critical from day one.
Ready to hire your Sales Director?
Use this template to create a clear advert, then choose the right mix of job boards, professional networks and sector channels to reach senior commercial talent. Include role scope, pay structure and key KPIs to attract qualified candidates quickly.
