Head of Commercial in Colchester

We are seeking a hands-on, experienced and strategic Head of Commercial to lead our commercial operations and drive business growth. We are a UK-based Language Service Provider working across interpreting, translation, transcription, British Sign Language, accessibility and related services. Our work supports public-sector organisations, regulated services, legal and professional clients, and organisations that need reliable language access and communication support.

What you will be asked to build:

• A simple, visible commercial operating model across bids, accounts, pipeline, pricing, CRM and reporting.
• A weekly rhythm that turns commercial activity into decisions, follow-up and accountability.
• Clear ownership for existing accounts, dormant accounts, qualified opportunities, tenders and inbound enquiries.
• A stronger bid and tender discipline, including bid/no-bid judgement, pricing challenge and post-bid learning.
• A practical link between marketing activity, website enquiries, outbound follow-up and measurable opportunities.
• A small-team management culture where coaching, scorecards and follow-through are normal, not occasional.

What you will do:

• Lead the day-to-day commercial operating cadence across the commercial team.
• Own pipeline quality, opportunity stages, quote follow-up, CRM hygiene and commercial reporting.
• Work with the Bid Coordinator and wider team to improve tender selection, submission discipline and learning from wins and losses.
• Work with Client Services and Operations to identify retention risks, growth opportunities and service-line issues that affect margin or client confidence.
• Introduce practical pricing and margin guardrails, with the General Manager and Finance, so growth is profitable and sustainable.
• Develop account growth and reactivation plans for named clients and sectors.
• Support targeted outbound and campaign follow-up, especially where the phone and direct relationship-building will make the difference.
• Work with the BSL/accessibility specialist lane in a clear, structured way so that accessibility growth is commercially managed without creating confused authority.
• Personally contribute to selected major opportunities, important client conversations and commercial problem solving.

Experience:

• Commercial leadership or senior commercial management experience in a service-led B2B environment.
• Evidence of owning revenue and gross profit outcomes, not only sales activity.
• Experience improving pipeline discipline, forecasting, account ownership or CRM quality.
• Experience managing or coordinating people across sales, account management, bids, sales support or customer-facing teams, with the ability to inspire and develop teams.
• Understanding of public-sector procurement, tenders, frameworks, bid/no-bid decisions or evidence-led sales processes.
• Confidence working with pricing, margin, discounting, commercial judgement and proven negotiation, and stakeholder engagement experience.
• A proactive approach with strong analytical skills to interpret market data and financial reports.

Equal opportunities:

We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and will make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process where needed. Please tell us if there is anything we can do to support you through the process.

What We offer:

• Base salary of £58,000 to £65,000, plus 10% target bonus.
• A senior, visible role with direct access to the General Manager and clear commercial ownership.
• The chance to shape the commercial operating model rather than inherit a finished machine.
• A practical SME environment where good judgement, pace and follow-through matter.
• Standard company benefits, including pension and holiday entitlement.
• Hybrid working, with office attendance and client or partner travel where it adds value.

Work Location: Newbury HQ