At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic growth in the defence sector and drive high-performance sales teams.
- Company: Join a leading company shaping partnerships in the defence industry.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, commission, generous holiday, and excellent pension scheme.
- Other info: Flexible location across the UK with opportunities for personal and career development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a mission-critical sector while building valuable relationships.
- Qualifications: Senior commercial leadership experience, ideally in B2B Defence.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
About The Role
This is more than a leadership role — it’s an opportunity to shape the future of partnerships in the defence sector at a strategic level. We are seeking a commercially driven and strategically focused Head of Sector to lead growth across one of our most critical markets - Defence. Operating at the heart of a fast‑moving and highly complex environment, you will define and deliver the commercial strategy that drives sustainable revenue growth, strengthens margins, and creates lasting customer value. From influencing key defence stakeholders to aligning sales, supply chain, and operational delivery, you will own sector performance end‑to‑end. This role demands a leader who can balance strategic vision with operational excellence — someone who can position our business as a trusted strategic partner while ensuring exceptional customer service at every stage. If you thrive on building high‑impact relationships, leading cross‑functional teams, and delivering results in a mission‑critical sector, this is your chance to make a real impact. The role will involve national travel to customer sites with several direct reports and a wider team spread across the UK. Therefore, our new Head of Sector can be based anywhere in the UK.
Key Responsibilities
- Delivering sector revenue, margin, and pipeline targets through data‑led growth plans
- Building and leading a high‑performing sales team, coaching and developing National Account Managers to maximise commercial impact, accountability, and engagement.
- Driving high‑performance culture, coaching teams to maximise commercial impact
- Building and converting strategic pipelines, ensuring forecast accuracy and governance discipline
- Leading cross‑functional execution across sales, operations, and supply chain
- Developing contract structures and pricing models, balancing competitiveness and profitability
- Embedding commercial controls to protect revenue, margin, and contract compliance
- Strengthening vendor and partner relationships to unlock incremental value
- Championing strategic customer engagement and consistent delivery excellence
Benefits
- A competitive starting salary plus circa 25% OTE in potential commission and a car/ car allowance!
- 32 days holiday inclusive of bank holidays
- Opportunity to purchase 5 additional days annual leave each calendar year (subject to qualifying salary)
- 2 fully paid Community Volunteering days every year
- An excellent pension (up to 8% Arco contribution) and x4 Life Assurance scheme
- A huge range of discounts to help with cost of living via Perkbox plus Employee Discount on Arco products
- Free, 24‑hour access to our Employee Assistance Programme
- Health Cash Plan where we’ll reimburse up to 100% of everyday healthcare costs
- Access to our Learning Management System, to support your personal and career development
- Long‑term service awards – we’ve proud to have employees who have worked for us for 40 years
Qualifications
Senior commercial leadership experience in B2B, ideally Defence.
Head of Sector Sales - Defence in Kingston upon Hull employer: ARCO Limited
As a leading player in the defence sector, we offer an exceptional work environment that fosters innovation and collaboration. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through comprehensive training programmes and a culture that values high performance and strategic thinking. With competitive benefits, including generous holiday allowances and a strong pension scheme, we empower our team to thrive both professionally and personally, making us an outstanding employer for those looking to make a meaningful impact.
