European Commercial Director in Nottingham

Our client, an international business services and products organisation with a global blue-chip client base, is seeking a European Commercial Director to shape and lead the commercial agenda across its European business.

This newly created executive role comes at an important stage of growth and expansion. Reporting to the Managing Director and operating as a key member of the European leadership team, the Commercial Director will have accountability for revenue, gross margin, client retention and profitable organic growth across the European corporate client portfolio.

You will lead a geographically diverse team of senior commercial professionals and Account Directors, establishing clear priorities, standards and accountability across the function. Account Directors will retain responsibility for the day-to-day management and development of their clients, while you provide strategic direction, challenge and senior oversight, acting as executive sponsor and escalation point for strategically important relationships, opportunities and risks.

Based at the organisation’s North West headquarters, with regular international travel, you will work closely with regional and international leadership teams to translate business strategy into commercial priorities and sustainable growth.

The Role

The European Commercial Director will set the direction and operating framework for the European account management function, ensuring a consistent, disciplined and commercially focused approach across the portfolio.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Lead, develop and hold to account an international team of senior commercial professionals and Account Directors, creating a high-performance culture focused on retention, growth, margin and client value.
• Develop and execute the European commercial roadmap, translating wider business strategy into clear priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Establish consistent commercial standards across account planning, QBRs, CRM, forecasting, pipeline management, client retention and organic growth.
• Provide strategic leadership and challenge to Account Directors managing complex corporate and multinational clients, ensuring account strategies are commercially robust and aligned to business priorities.
• Ensure appropriate account governance, development plans and performance measures are in place across the European portfolio, intervening where performance, risk or opportunity requires senior attention.
• Act as executive sponsor and escalation point for strategically important client relationships, major opportunities, service concerns and commercial risks, maintaining senior-level engagement with key stakeholders where appropriate.
• Own the commercial governance framework, including MI, KPIs, reporting and performance reviews across pipeline, sales, margin, forecasting, retention and growth.
• Provide senior oversight of pricing, contracts, renewals and significant commercial negotiations, ensuring commercial discipline and margin protection.
• Champion the effective use of CRM, technology, data and client platforms to improve visibility, insight, reporting and decision-making.
• Shape the wider commercial agenda as a member of the European leadership team, contributing to business strategy, transformation and the organisation’s scale-up ambitions.
• Act as a credible commercial partner to regional and international leadership teams, senior clients and external stakeholders.

Experience

We are looking for an accomplished senior commercial leader with a strong track record of leading strategic account management or commercial functions and delivering profitable growth across complex multinational client portfolios.

The successful candidate is likely to bring experience of:

• Developing and executing commercial strategy, business development and profitable growth initiatives.
• Leading strategic account management functions, including the direction and development of senior Account Directors managing complex multinational relationships.
• Driving client retention, account development and commercial performance across a substantial corporate portfolio.
• Pricing, contracting, renewals and significant commercial negotiations.
• Creating and embedding disciplined commercial operating practices, including account planning, QBRs, CRM, forecasting, pipeline management and performance governance.
• Using MI, KPI frameworks and data to improve commercial performance and executive decision-making.
• Leveraging CRM and technology to strengthen commercial capability, visibility and effectiveness.
• Leading and developing high-performing international teams across geographically diverse markets.

You will combine strategic commercial thinking and strong operational execution, with the credibility to operate at executive level, influence across a leadership team and set direction through senior commercial leaders.

You will be comfortable engaging directly with sophisticated multinational customers when required, while maintaining a clear focus on leading the wider commercial function.

Above all, you will bring the commercial judgement to drive profitable growth, the leadership capability to build a high-performing international team, and the executive presence to oversee strategically important client relationships, opportunities and risks.

The opportunity is likely to suit a senior commercial leader from a commercially driven B2B business services or product environment, particularly someone who has led strategic account management across a complex multinational client portfolio.

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