Commercial Director

Vertical Supply Group; Bristol; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading industrial equipment organization is seeking a Commercial Director to drive revenue growth and operational excellence. This pivotal role involves developing commercial strategies, building high-performing sales teams, and ensuring collaboration across functions. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of leadership experience in B2B and B2C environments, particularly in industrial sectors. Competitive compensation and benefits are offered.

Benefits

Competitive compensation

Performance-based incentives

Comprehensive benefits

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive commercial leadership experience in relevant sectors.
• Proven track record in building and scaling sales and customer service teams.
• Strong understanding of sales channels and pricing strategy.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute commercial strategy for growth.
• Build and mentor high-performing sales teams.
• Optimize customer service structure for efficiency.
• Manage sales budgets, forecasts, and P&L performance.

Skills

Leadership

B2B Sales

B2C Sales

Operational Excellence

Customer Satisfaction

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Commerce, or related field

MBA or equivalent experience

Job description

Role Overview

The Commercial Director will play a pivotal role in driving revenue growth, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence across the VSG UK sales organisation, incorporating Safety Lifting Gear (SLG) and Honey Brothers (HB).

This strategic leadership position is responsible for developing and executing the commercial strategy, building and scaling high‑performing sales and customer service teams, and ensuring cohesive collaboration between field sales, operations, and marketing.

The successful candidate will be a results‑driven, people‑focused leader with strong experience in B2B and B2C sales environments, ideally within industrial equipment, manufacturing, or safety‑related sectors.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Strategy & Growth

• Develop and execute a commercial strategy to drive growth across Safety Lifting Gear and Honey Brothers in alignment with VSG’s global objectives.
• Identify new market opportunities, customer segments, and product expansion areas.
• Establish KPIs and metrics to measure sales performance, customer satisfaction, and profitability.
• Work collaboratively with Marketing, Operations, and Finance to ensure strategic alignment and execution.

Sales Leadership

• Build, lead, and mentor high‑performing sales teams — including inside sales, field representatives, and key account managers.
• Create structure, accountability, and clarity across field and internal sales roles.
• Implement effective territory management, sales pipelines, and performance tracking systems.
• Strengthen relationships with key customers, distributors, and partners to drive growth and retention.
• Lead strategic pricing discussions and oversee discount and margin management policies.

Customer Service & Experience

• Redesign and optimize customer service structure to ensure responsiveness, professionalism, and efficiency across channels.
• Foster a customer‑first culture where service excellence drives competitive advantage.
• Establish service metrics (response times, resolution rates, satisfaction scores) and monitor performance against targets.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain and Operations to ensure customer commitments are met on time and in full.

People Leadership & Culture

• Build a cohesive commercial team culture across SLG and HB — fostering collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Coach, mentor, and develop emerging leaders within the sales and service functions.
• Partner with HR to align organizational structure, talent development, and incentive programs to commercial objectives.
• Champion VSG’s values of Integrity, Safety, Strong Character, and One Global Team.

Financial & Operational Oversight

• Manage sales budgets, forecasts, and P&L performance for SLG and HB commercial operations.
• Ensure data‑driven decision‑making through accurate reporting and analytics.
• Support integration initiatives and system alignment across both brands under VSG.
• Report progress, challenges, and strategic insights to the Group Managing Director and global leadership team.

Qualifications & Experience

• 10+ years of progressive commercial leadership experience, ideally within industrial distribution, manufacturing, safety equipment, or relacomted sectors.
• Proven track record in building and scaling sales and customer service teams.
• Experience managing field sales operations and introducing sales structures, metrics, and accountability frameworks.
• Strong understanding of B2B and B2C sales channels, pricing strategy, and customer engagement best practices.
• Exceptional communication, leadership, and people management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work cross‑functionally with supply chain, operations, and marketing teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Commerce, or related field (MBA or equivalent experience preferred).

What We Offer

• A key leadership position within a growing international organization.
• The opportunity to influence strategy and culture across two established and respected brands.
• Competitive compensation, performance‑based incentives, and comprehensive benefits.
• A collaborative, forward‑thinking leadership team committed to continuous improvement and innovation.