Sales Director - Electronics / Defence & Advanced Manufacturing

SALES DIRECTOR - ELECTRONICS / PCB / SMT / DEFENCE & ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

South West Midlands | £Very Attractive Executive Salary + Bonus + Benefits Commercial Transformation | Engineering-Led Environment | Build, Structure and Scale

The Context

This is not a conventional Sales Director appointment. It is a pivotal commercial leadership role within a highly specialised UK-based electronics manufacturing business operating at the forefront of printed circuit board technology, surface mount (SMT) environments, and high-reliability engineering.

The organisation designs and manufactures complex, high-performance electronic components for customers operating across defence, aerospace, space, high-performance automotive and advanced engineering sectors, where failure is not an option, lead times are critical, and intellectual property cannot be compromised.

Its customer base includes organisations operating at the forefront of engineering and innovation, many of whom rely on this business precisely because alternative suppliers cannot deliver to the same standards of speed, technical capability or responsiveness.

Why This Opportunity is Different

The market dynamics are unusually favourable. Demand significantly exceeds supply. Customers are actively seeking capable UK-based partners and are often operating under time-critical constraints.

This is not a business that needs to generate opportunity. It is a business that must capture, structure and scale the opportunity already in front of it.

Since returning to UK ownership, the business has experienced sustained growth of approximately forty percent and is now operating successfully and profitably, with a clear and credible ambition to scale beyond within the next three years.

Crucially, this growth has been achieved without a structured commercial function. That gap defines the opportunity.

The Challenge

The incoming Sales Director will take responsibility for transforming the commercial capability of the organisation.

This will require the introduction of structure, discipline and accountability into what is currently a largely reactive, inbound-led sales environment. Opportunities exist in volume, but conversion is inconsistent, account development is under-realised, and pipeline visibility is limited.

Pricing discipline has not always been consistent, and roles within the existing team lack clear definition.

The challenge is not to create demand. The challenge is to impose control, improve performance, and ensure that opportunity is fully realised.

The Role

This is a role for an individual who is as comfortable building as they are leading.

You will be expected to design and implement a modern, KPI-driven sales function, embed CRM discipline through Salesforce, and introduce clear segmentation between account management and business development.

You will lead and develop the existing team while also remaining personally engaged in the most strategically important customer relationships, particularly within OEM, defence and high-reliability engineering sectors where conversations are often technically complex and commercially critical.

The role sits at the intersection of PCB manufacturing, surface mount technology (SMT), and broader electronics manufacturing services, requiring an individual who understands how these capabilities combine to deliver complete customer solutions.

You will operate as a player-coach, leading from the front while building the capability and structure beneath you.

The Environment

The organisation is engineering-led, fast-paced and non-corporate.

There are no layers of hierarchy and no reliance on process for its own sake. Decisions are made quickly, expectations are high, and leadership is visible and hands-on.

This is not a role for someone who requires structure to be in place. It is for someone who creates structure and drives performance through clarity, pace and accountability.

Success is defined by outcomes, not activity.

The Person

Given the nature of the customer base and the technical complexity of the product, it is expected that candidates will have an engineering foundation to their career, ideally supported by a degree in a relevant discipline such as electronic engineering, manufacturing engineering or a closely aligned field.

You will have built your career within electronics manufacturing, PCB, SMT, EMS or closely aligned high-reliability environments, and will be able to engage credibly with engineering stakeholders while translating technical capability into commercial outcomes.

You will bring a demonstrable track record of delivering revenue growth and, critically, of improving commercial performance through structure and discipline rather than relying solely on market conditions.

Experience of implementing CRM systems, improving pipeline visibility and conversion, and developing sales teams within technically complex environments will be essential.

Leadership Style and Fit

You will be a hands-on, execution-focused individual who leads through action and credibility rather than hierarchy.

You will be comfortable operating in an environment where ambiguity exists, where pace is high, and where success is defined by visible outcomes rather than process.

This role will not suit individuals whose experience has been built entirely within highly structured, corporate environments, or those who operate at a purely strategic level without direct involvement in delivery.

It requires a balance of strategic thinking and operational execution, with a strong bias towards action.

The Opportunity

For the right individual, this represents a rare opportunity to take a business that is already successful and position it for the next phase of growth.

It offers the chance to build a commercial function from near-first principles, to work with customers operating at the highest levels of engineering, and to have a direct and measurable impact on the trajectory of the organisation.

Remuneration

The remuneration package reflects the importance of the role, with a very attractive executive salary dependent on experience, supported by a performance-related bonus and benefits package.

There is flexibility to appoint either an experienced Sales Director or an exceptional step-up candidate with the capability and drive to deliver at this level.

Final Word

This is a role for a commercial leader who combines technical credibility, operational discipline and the ambition to build something meaningful.

It is an opportunity to take ownership of growth, to impose structure where it is needed, and to deliver results in an environment where the link between action and outcome is immediate and visible.