At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic sales team and drive commercial growth in a hybrid work environment.
- Company: Join Mercia, a leading provider in the accountancy profession, part of Wilmington plc.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days annual leave, hybrid working, private healthcare, and gym memberships.
- Other info: Embrace a modern, data-led approach and enjoy significant autonomy in your role.
- Why this job: Shape the future of sales strategy and make a real impact in a market-leading brand.
- Qualifications: Proven B2B sales leadership experience in finance or professional services required.
The predicted salary is between 105000 - 110000 £ per year.
Location: Hybrid - Office based in Leicester, LE19 1SU
Salary: Package of £105,000 - £110,000 inc. of car allowance + Up to £30,000 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 Do We Want You
Mercia, part of Wilmington Plc, is seeking a highly professional and strategically minded Sales Director 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
To be successful in this role, 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. Join us and do Work That Means Something.
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. When you join us, you'll not only make a real difference for our customers, you'll also enjoy flexibility through hybrid working and benefit from a wide range of learning, career, and development opportunities. 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. Join us and make a real difference.
Click on APPLY today!
Sales Director in Coventry employer: Mercia Group
At Mercia, part of Wilmington Plc, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that values individuality and inclusivity. Our hybrid working model, comprehensive benefits package including private healthcare and wellness resources, and commitment to employee development create a supportive environment where you can thrive as a Sales Director. Join us in Leicester to lead a talented team and drive meaningful growth in a dynamic professional services landscape.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Sales Director in Coventry
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with industry folks on LinkedIn or at events. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research the company, understand their values, and think about how your experience aligns with their needs. Practice common interview questions to boost your confidence.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership skills! When chatting with potential employers, highlight your experience in leading teams and driving results. They want to see that you can motivate and inspire others.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up! After an interview, send a quick thank-you note to express your appreciation. It keeps you on their radar and shows your enthusiasm for the role.
We think you need these skills to ace Sales Director in Coventry
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Sales Director role. Highlight your B2B sales leadership experience and any successes in developing new business, as these are key to catching our eye.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this role. Mention your strategic mindset and how you plan to drive growth at Mercia, while also showcasing your understanding of AI advancements.
Showcase Your Leadership Style:We want to know about your leadership approach! Share examples of how you've motivated teams and fostered a high-performance culture. A calm and rational leader is what we’re after, so let that shine through in your application.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us directly. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at Mercia and ready to make a real impact.
How to prepare for a job interview at Mercia Group
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Sales Director, you'll need to demonstrate your understanding of sales metrics and performance indicators. Brush up on your past achievements, like revenue growth percentages and client acquisition rates, so you can confidently discuss how you've driven results in previous roles.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Prepare to talk about your approach to leading teams. Think of specific examples where you've motivated your team or resolved conflicts. Highlight your calm and rational leadership style, as this aligns with what they’re looking for in a candidate.
✨Embrace Technology
Familiarise yourself with AI advancements and how they can enhance sales capabilities. Be ready to discuss how you've used technology in the past to improve sales processes or client engagement, as this is a key aspect of the role.
✨Understand Their Market
Research Mercia and its position within the accountancy profession. Be prepared to discuss industry trends and how you can leverage your experience in regulated financial environments to drive their commercial growth. This shows you're not just interested in the role, but also in the company’s success.