At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic sales team and drive commercial growth in a hybrid work environment.
- Company: Join Mercia, a leading provider of training and support services for the UK accountancy profession.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days annual leave, private healthcare, gym memberships, and a competitive salary package.
- Other info: Be part of an inclusive workplace that values individuality and offers career development opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on our growth strategy while shaping client engagement in a modern sales approach.
- Qualifications: Proven B2B sales leadership experience in finance or professional services is essential.
The predicted salary is between 105000 - 110000 ÂŁ per year.
Location: Hybrid – Office based in Leicester, LE19 1SU
Salary: Package of ÂŁ105,000 - ÂŁ110,000 inc. of car allowance + Up to ÂŁ30,000 Commission
Contract Type: Full-time, Permanent
What We Can Offer You:
- 25 Days Annual Leave
- Additional Holiday Purchase
- Hybrid Working
- Life Assurance
- Vitality Private Healthcare
- Subsidised Gym Memberships
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Discount Vouchers
- Access to Wellbeing Resources
Why We Want You?
Mercia, part of Wilmington Plc, is seeking a highly professional and strategically minded Director of Sales to lead commercial growth across our expanding portfolio. We are looking for someone who comes from a professional, regulated financial environment ideally accounting, audit, tax, or banking with a proven ability to win, grow and develop new business within a modern B2B sales operation. You will oversee a team of 15, form a key part of the Senior Leadership Team, and play a central role in driving sustainable growth. We are looking for a calm, considerate and rational leader who brings credibility, strong commercial judgement, and a sophisticated approach to relationship‑led sales. This is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned commercial leader or a Commercial Director ready to step up into a broader strategic role. You must also bring an awareness of AI advancements and a willingness to adopt new technologies to enhance sales capability and client engagement.
Job Purpose, Tasks and Responsibilities
The role will develop, lead and progress commercial opportunities to accelerate Mercia’s growth and performance. You will shape and execute a focused growth strategy while evolving our commercial approach across strategy, leadership, sales performance and client development.
You Will Be Responsible For:
- Developing, implementing and managing the sales strategy and ensure a consistent corporate image across all channels
- Leading, motivating and developing a sales team of 15, ensuring high performance, collaboration and accountability
- Defining and driving a modern, ethical and consultative sales culture aligned with professional services markets
- Identifying client needs and co‑create tailored commercial solutions across Mercia’s Promote, Support and Train offerings
- Driving new business acquisition, secure major wins, and expand strategic accounts
- Leading forecasting, pipeline management, sector targeting and performance goal‑setting to grow market share
- Planning and optimising sales lead‑generation campaigns and measure performance
- Preparing and presenting commercial reports, including sales results and growth opportunities
- Analysing sales performance against targets to determine effectiveness and adjust strategies accordingly and maintain strong senior‑level relationships with key accounts
- Acting as an escalation point for major client discussions, ensuring exceptional standards of service
- Providing client insights to product teams to support continuous product and service improvements
- Championing the use of Salesforce to enhance targeting, pipeline management and sales execution
- Managing the sales and marketing cost budgets responsibly
- Representing Mercia professionally at senior client meetings and industry events
- Driving modernisation within the sales function, including adoption of AI‑enabled tools and emerging technologies
What’s the Best Thing About This Role?
This role gives you direct influence over Mercia’s commercial strategy and growth trajectory. You’ll guide a talented sales team, shape our approach to client engagement, and play a key part in driving the success of a market‑leading professional services brand. It’s a role with significant autonomy, visibility and real impact.
What’s the Most Challenging Thing About This Role?
You will be expected to deliver strong results quickly while simultaneously embedding a more modern, data‑led and client‑centric sales approach. Balancing strategic leadership, team development, new business acquisition and stakeholder management requires a calm, structured and commercially astute leader.
To be Successful in this Role, you must have:
- Strong B2B sales leadership experience within accounting, tax, audit, or banking/finance
- Demonstrable success in winning, growing, and developing new business
- Experience leading high‑performing teams and influencing at SLT level
- Ability to operate strategically while driving day‑to‑day performance
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to build strong relationships across internal and external stakeholders
- A modern, analytical and client‑centric approach to sales, with strong numeracy and resilience
- A leadership style that is professional, calm, considerate and rational
- Awareness of AI developments and openness to using technology to enhance performance
It would be great if you have:
- Experience selling into professional services, ideally the accountancy marketplace
- Understanding of regulatory environments affecting finance, audit and tax teams
- Ability to use data and analytics to shape sales decisions
- Confidence representing the business at senior meetings and industry events
- A collaborative, cross‑functional mindset
We know it’s not a skill, but the successful candidate must have permission to work in the role’s location by the start of their employment.
About Us
Mercia, part of Wilmington plc, is a leading provider of training, compliance and support services to the UK accountancy profession. Our focus is on helping accountants stay ahead of regulatory change and technical updates while supporting their development through practical learning resources. At Wilmington plc, we help global customers to do the right business in the right way - providing trusted data, insights, and education to navigate the Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) landscape. Whether you're just starting out, returning to work after a break, or looking to take your next step, you’ll be doing work with meaning. At Wilmington plc, we celebrate individuality and are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace. As a Disability Confident employer, we shortlist all applicants who meet the essential role criteria and guarantee an interview for candidates with disabilities who meet these criteria. For reasonable adjustments or to apply under our interview guarantee scheme, please use the contact details provided once you have clicked “apply”!
Director of Sales in Leicester employer: Hiring Wizard Limited
Contact Detail:
Hiring Wizard Limited Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Director of Sales in Leicester
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with industry folks on LinkedIn or at events. Building relationships can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Show us you understand our values and how you can contribute to our growth strategy.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to articulate your experience and how it aligns with our needs. We want to hear how you can lead our sales team to success.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A quick thank you email can leave a lasting impression and show us you're genuinely interested in the role.
We think you need these skills to ace Director of Sales in Leicester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in B2B sales, especially in the financial sector. We want to see how your background aligns with our needs, so don’t hold back on showcasing your achievements!
Showcase Leadership Skills: As a Director of Sales, your leadership style is crucial. Use your application to demonstrate how you've successfully led teams in the past. Share specific examples of how you motivated your team and drove performance.
Highlight Your Strategic Mindset: We’re looking for someone who can think strategically while managing day-to-day operations. In your application, mention any experiences where you’ve developed and executed successful sales strategies that led to growth.
Be Authentic and Engaging: Let your personality shine through! We appreciate authenticity, so don’t be afraid to express your passion for sales and client engagement. A genuine tone can make your application stand out from the rest.
How to prepare for a job interview at Hiring Wizard Limited
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Director of Sales, you'll need to demonstrate your understanding of sales metrics and performance indicators. Brush up on your knowledge of key figures like conversion rates, average deal size, and sales forecasts. Be ready to discuss how you've used these metrics to drive growth in previous roles.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
This role requires a calm and rational leader. Prepare examples that highlight your leadership style, particularly how you've motivated teams and fostered collaboration. Think about specific challenges you've faced and how you navigated them while maintaining team morale.
✨Embrace Technology
With the emphasis on AI advancements, be prepared to discuss how you've integrated technology into your sales strategies. Share examples of tools you've used, like Salesforce, and how they've improved your team's performance or client engagement. Showing your willingness to adopt new technologies will set you apart.
✨Understand the Market
Familiarise yourself with the current trends in the accounting and finance sectors. Be ready to discuss how these trends impact sales strategies and client needs. This knowledge will not only show your expertise but also your commitment to staying ahead in a competitive landscape.