Head of Sales

Company: PE-Backed business that provides accredited ISO and industry certification, plus related training and compliance services, helping organisations use standards to improve performance, manage risk, and demonstrate trust to customers and regulators. The company has entered an exciting new phase of growth under its newly appointed, world-class CEO, whose exceptional track record in founding and scaling successful businesses positions the organisation for significant expansion and innovation. Role Overview Seeking a highly driven Sales & Partnerships Director to build and scale the UK commercial engine. Historically, the growth has been driven by strong inbound demand. They now want to complement that with a repeatable, data-driven outbound function and a scalable channel/partnerships ecosystem targeting SME customers (avg. ACV £5k, high-velocity sales cycles). This role requires a leader who has built outbound motions from the ground up, introduced sales process discipline, and who thrives in private-equity-backed, performance-oriented environments. Key Responsibilities 1. Build & Scale the Outbound Sales Engine Design and implement a repeatable outbound sales motion for SME acquisition. Develop ICPs, segmentation, messaging, and outbound playbooks. Introduce structured outbound processes: cadences, sequences, call frameworks, and qualification criteria (e.g., BANT, MEDDPICC, SPICED). Establish KPIs for activity, conversion, and throughput across funnel stages. 2. Introduce Structure, Coaching, and Process Discipline Implement formal call listening, call coaching, and quality frameworks to upskill the sales team. Establish pipeline hygiene standards, forecasting rhythm, and CRM accuracy. Deploy tools and tech stack to support high-velocity outbound selling. Drive a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and experimentation. 3. Build a Channels & Partnerships Function Define and execute a partnership strategy targeting referral partners and indirect revenue channels. Build the partner onboarding, enablement, and incentive frameworks. Develop partner agreements, revenue-share models, and performance dashboards. Grow channel revenue as a core component of the commercial mix. 4. Leadership & Team Development Lead, coach, and grow a high-performing SME sales team focused on outbound and partnerships. Recruit SDRs/BDRs, partnership managers, and account executives as the function scales. Create an environment that supports high performance, transparency, and accountability. 5. Commercial Strategy & Cross-Functional Collaboration Work closely with Marketing to tighten MQL/SQL handoff, improve lead velocity, and build outbound-ready content. Partner with Product to ensure market feedback influences roadmap. Collaborate with Operations & Finance on pricing optimisation, forecasting, and reporting. Provide clear commercial insights to the executive team and private-equity stakeholders. Required Experience Sales Leadership Experience 7–12 years’ experience in B2B sales, including leadership roles building high-velocity sales teams. Proven track record of building outbound from scratch in an SME-centric business. Deep experience in sales process optimisation, cadences, CRM management, and sales enablement. Experience working in a best-in-class sales environment or organisation is essential, with PE-backed scale-up or transformation experience highly desired. Outbound & Process Expertise Hands-on experience using and rolling out call review tools Strong understanding of outbound mechanics: cold calling, sequencing, multi-touch cadences, and SDR playbooks. Demonstrated ability to improve conversion metrics across the funnel through coaching and structure. Highly comfortable with KPIs, operational rigor, dashboards, and executive reporting. Execution-centric leadership style that balances speed with metrics-driven decision-making. Partnerships/Channel Experience Experience launching or scaling a partner/referral program that drives measurable revenue. Ability to develop partner propositions, incentives, and onboarding/enablement processes.