Head of Sales, Commercial

At Close Brothers we look to recruit individuals from all different backgrounds and encourage you to apply even if you don’t tick every box. We celebrate diversity, promote inclusivity and are open to discuss flexible work options to help you balance your work and home life.

Join the Close Brothers Invoice Finance (CBIF) team where you will lead our Southern sales team, delivering agreed strategic priorities and performance outcomes while contributing meaningfully to the broader direction of CBIF, the continued development of our market proposition and the evolution of our product offering. This is a senior, highly operational leadership role requiring visible influence both externally and internally - representing CBIF in the market, supporting colleagues in introducer meetings, hands‑on deal structuring, contributing constructively at credit committees and ensuring disciplined execution of opportunities from origination through to completion. The role combines strategic leadership with day‑to‑day commercial execution.

The successful candidate will demonstrate proven experience in shaping and delivering sales strategy, combining strong commercial judgement with deep Invoice Finance expertise. They will be a collaborative and credible manager, confident in consultative selling, financial and collateral assessments, and building trusted, long‑term relationships across a broad stakeholder community. Reporting directly to the Managing Director, this role forms part of the GB Leadership Team and will play a proactive role in supporting wider strategic, cultural and operational priorities across the business. This is a field‑based role. You will operate from a home office while spending significant time in market alongside your team, clients and introducer network. You will also be required to spend time in our Brighton office.

Responsibilities

• Deliver regional performance aligned to our strategic priorities - Protect (preserve the core strengths of our business model), Grow (maximise sustainable opportunities) and Sustain (support the long‑term success of our business, customers and the markets in which we operate).
• Define and execute clear, high‑impact sales strategies aligned to business objectives.
• Build, deepen and actively manage a high‑quality network of intermediaries/brokers, corporate finance partners and debt advisors to generate consistent, sustainable deal flow.
• Provide leadership oversight across the origination, structuring and negotiation of Invoice Finance transactions within the commercial segment, ensuring strong risk discipline alongside commercial delivery.
• Lead from the front as an operational role model, setting clear expectations around professionalism, pace, accountability and execution across the sales function.
• Deliver agreed income, loan book growth and deal volume targets in line with regional and national objectives.
• Act as a senior ambassador for CBIF in the market, reinforcing our reputation as a relationship‑led, disciplined and commercially credible funding partner.
• Foster strong cross‑functional collaboration with Client Services, Credit and Operations to ensure aligned decision‑making and seamless delivery for customers and introducers.
• Develop and empower team members through coaching, mentoring and inclusive leadership, building a high‑performing culture that drives both individual growth and collective success.

WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU IF YOU HAVE:

• Proven leadership capability, with experience guiding and developing high‑performing sales teams, demonstrating strong organisation, self‑motivation and the ability to lead by example.
• Strong coaching and people‑development skills, able to build trust, empower others and foster an inclusive, collaborative team culture.
• High emotional intelligence and resilience, with the ability to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics, stay composed under pressure and exercise sound judgement during challenging periods.
• Strategic thinking and commercial acumen, including experience designing sales strategies, translating ambitions into actionable plans and using KPIs and performance data to inform decisions.
• Expert financial and credit assessment skills, with the ability to evaluate complex financial and non‑financial information, interpret core financial statements, conduct due diligence and structure transactions that balance opportunity with strong credit discipline.
• Deep Invoice Finance expertise, including strong understanding of market dynamics, competitor activity, industry trends and SME funding needs.
• Strong consultative selling and business‑development skills, including experience in prospecting, lead generation, relationship‑building and client acquisition.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence effectively, tailor messaging to different stakeholders and deliver compelling pitches internally and externally.
• A valid UK drivers licence.

IT IS NOT ESSENTIAL BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU HAVE:

• Credit/lending or banking qualifications.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We recognise that candidates may have specific needs that require adjustments to ensure they have a fair and equal opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities. Candidates who require the job description or application form in an alternative format, or any other adjustments, are encouraged to email us at recruit.ssc@closebrothers.com or request a call back.

About Us At Close Brothers we support employees to balance their work life priorities and in this role you will be able to enjoy a mixture of hybrid working. Close Brothers is a leading UK merchant banking group providing lending, deposit taking and securities trading. We employ approximately 3,000 people, principally in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Close Brothers Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250.