Head of Commercial in East Ayton

Castle Employment Solutions is leading a retained search on behalf of Cirrus Research for the appointment of a Head of Commercial. This is a key addition to the Senior Leadership Team, with responsibility for shaping commercial strategy, strengthening performance and supporting the next phase of UK and international growth.

Established in 1970, Cirrus Research is a British manufacturer specialising in acoustic measurement instrumentation. From its headquarters in Hunmanby, the business designs and manufactures its products in the UK and has developed an international presence spanning more than 100 countries. With routes to market including direct sales, OEM relationships, international distributors and tenders, this is an opportunity to have a genuine influence on the future direction of an established British manufacturer.

The Package

• £75,000 - £85,000 basic salary, with flexibility for an exceptional appointment.
• OTE £100,000.
• Car allowance.
• Company performance bonus.
• Regular international travel.
• Significant opportunity to develop your career as the business and its leadership structure continue to evolve.

The Opportunity

You will take ownership of the strategy and its delivery across UK and international markets, working closely with the Managing Director and wider Senior Leadership Team. You will inherit an established business with strong technical expertise, long-standing customer and distributor relationships and an experienced team. Your initial focus will be on understanding the business, recognising what already works well and identifying where there is opportunity to improve.

Cirrus is looking for someone who is strategic but equally comfortable being hands-on. You will lead and develop the team while remaining close to customers, distributors and key opportunities. A significant part of the role will be bringing greater structure and visibility to commercial performance, strengthening sales processes, CRM utilisation, pipeline management, forecasting and conversion, alongside developing a clear understanding of turnover, margin and profitability. International growth will also be an important focus, building on existing distributor and partner relationships and identifying opportunities within established and developing markets.

Key Responsibilities As Head of Commercial

• Develop and deliver the strategy in line with wider business objectives.
• Lead, coach and develop the team, creating clear expectations and accountability.
• Drive UK and international sales performance across direct, distributor and partner channels.
• Strengthen international distributor relationships and identify opportunities within new and underdeveloped territories.
• Improve sales processes, CRM discipline, pipeline management, forecasting and conversion.
• Use data to provide greater visibility of revenue, margin, profitability and overall performance.
• Maintain involvement in strategically important customers, opportunities and negotiations.
• Ensure sales and marketing activity is aligned around clear priorities.
• Provide meaningful reporting and insight to support SLT decision-making.

About You

We are interested in speaking with established Commercial Directors, Heads of Sales and senior international sales leaders who have operated within an international B2B environment. Experience within a technical, engineering or manufacturing-led business would be particularly relevant. You do not necessarily need to come from the acoustic measurement sector, but you will need the commercial and technical capability to understand a specialist product, its applications and markets.

As Head of Commercial, you will ideally bring:

• Experience leading teams within an international B2B environment.
• Strong international distributor, agent or channel management experience.
• Evidence of delivering sustainable growth across existing and new markets.
• Strong commercial and numerical capability, including an understanding of revenue, margin and profitability.
• Experience improving CRM utilisation, sales processes, forecasting and pipeline visibility.
• Strong people leadership, coaching and development capability.
• The credibility to operate as part of an SLT and contribute to wider business decisions.

Just as importantly, how you lead will matter. Cirrus is a close-knit business with considerable technical knowledge and a number of long-serving employees. The successful person will need to build trust and credibility, understand the business and recognise where change will add value.

Working at Cirrus Research

The position is based at Cirrus Research's headquarters in Hunmanby, North Yorkshire. The successful person will initially be predominantly site-based for their first three months. Regular international travel will form part of the position. Cirrus has a strong history of investing in its people and supporting professional development through external training, professional qualifications, conferences and industry events.

This is an opportunity for an experienced commercial leader to shape how Cirrus approaches its markets, develop its people and build on an established international presence, while having a voice at Senior Leadership Team level.

To discuss the Head of Commercial opportunity confidentially, please click apply online and upload an updated copy of your CV.