Company Overview
United Industrial Supplies is an ambitious, rapidly expanding SME, recognized throughout the UK for exceptional customer service and a diverse, high-quality product range. Specializing in engineering and automotive products, hand and power tools, janitorial supplies, PPE, and workshop consumables, UIS primarily serves the dynamic bus, coach, and transportation markets.
With over 40 years of industry excellence, we pride ourselves on deeply understanding the unique needs of our customers in a competitive marketplace. Our service extends beyond simply delivering products, we build lasting relationships by consistently exceeding customer expectations and providing innovative solutions. Our continued growth is fuelled by a passionate and motivated team.
The Role
As Sales Director, you’ll play a central role in shaping the future of our commercial success. This is a high-impact leadership position where you’ll take full ownership of both our sales and customer excellence strategy, driving performance, building capability and ensuring we stay one step ahead in a competitive market.
You’ll lead a knowledgeable and independent team that includes 10 Area Sales Managers (ASMs), our Customer Care team, and a dedicated Business Analyst, bringing together field performance, service excellence and data-driven insight into one cohesive operation. From territory growth to key account management and service delivery, you’ll be the person setting the pace.
Reporting directly to the Owner of the business, you’ll be a key voice at the leadership table, working collaboratively across departments to align sales strategy with wider business priorities and long-term growth plans.
What Makes This Role Different
· Real ownership — full autonomy to build and lead the entire commercial engine
· Direct impact — report into the Owner, sit at the leadership table, shape company-wide decisions
· Customer-facing influence — from new business to major accounts to retention strategy
· Freedom to lead your way — define the culture, set the pace, choose the tools
This is an ideal role for a dynamic, experienced sales leader who thrives on building from the ground up, someone who sees a blank canvas as a career-defining opportunity.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic & Commercial Leadership
· Develop and implement a national sales strategy aligned to growth and profitability targets
· Translate business objectives into structured territory plans and customer engagement strategies to drive efficiency and results
· Set and monitor KPIs, forecasts and reporting rhythms to ensure accountability and continuous improvement
· Own pricing strategy, margin control and customer profitability in collaboration with finance
· Ensure reporting systems are used effectively for pipeline, forecasting, and decision-making
· Work closely with the Strategy Lead to drive data-led decision-making
Business Development & Key Accounts
· Lead the acquisition and growth of high-value strategic accounts across key sectors (e.g. Bus & Coach, CV, Plant & Access)
· Support Area Sales Managers with major deals, tenders, and complex commercial negotiations
· Identify new markets, product opportunities, and commercial growth areas
· Build senior relationships within key accounts to drive long-term value and retention
· Negotiate, implement, and manage customer contracts, ensuring profitability, compliance, and renewal opportunities
· Monitor market trends and competitor activity to inform proactive sales strategy
Team Management & Development
· Lead, coach and support the ASMs, build a high-performing field sales team
· Establish a high-performance culture with clear goals, coaching, and development plans
· Conduct regular field visits, performance reviews, and team meetings
· Oversee the Customer Care team to ensure service standards, customer satisfaction and retention
· Manage our Business Analyst, ensuring that insight and reporting are actively used to drive performance and support decision-making
· Promote a culture of accountability, development and continuous improvement across all commercial teams
· Ensure that all customer touchpoints, from field visits to aftersales support, are delivered with consistency, quality and professionalism
Cross-Functional Commercial Ownership
· Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Operations and Procurement to ensure alignment between commercial and operational teams
· Work closely with operations, finance and supply chain to align promises with delivery
· Collaborate with marketing to sharpen messaging, campaigns and customer insight
· Deliver reporting, forecasting and margin visibility to the leadership team
· Collaborate closely with our Strategy & Insight Lead to drive data-informed decision-making across sales performance, customer experience and commercial planning
This list is not exhaustive and you may be expected to carry out other reasonable duties from time to time as instructed by the Owner or any other Senior Manager. Your duties may also change from time to time.
Person Specification
· Proven leadership experience in a B2B sales role, ideally within distribution, consumables or industrial sectors
· Demonstrated success in leading high-performing, field-based sales teams with a focus on coaching, accountability and results
· Strong strategic and commercial acumen with a track record of delivering revenue growth and improving profitability
· Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to lead at board level and influence stakeholders across all levels
· Experience implementing or leading culture change, commercial transformation or sales structure development
· Highly competent in sales planning, team leadership, performance management, negotiation and stakeholder influence
· Skilled in team-based selling and supporting the sales of value-added products or services in complex environments
· Ability to create and communicate a clear, motivating commercial vision and translate this into actionable plans at team and individual level
· Confident working cross-functionally with stakeholders across operations, finance, marketing and customer care
· Data-literate and commercially focused, able to translate insight into action in collaboration with analysts and strategy teams
· Knowledge of workshop consumables or technical sales environments is highly desirable
· Willing and able to travel nationally to support the sales team and key customers, including occasional overnight stays
Experience
· Minimum of 3–5 years’ experience in a senior sales leadership role, ideally within a B2B distribution, consumables or industrial environment
· Proven track record of designing and executing successful sales strategies that drive both revenue and margin growth
· Experience of leading geographically dispersed field sales teams and developing sales infrastructure, processes and performance frameworks
· Demonstrable success in key account management and new business development at a strategic level
· Experience in customer service or post-sales management is advantageous
· Strong understanding of commercial reporting, forecasting, pricing models and pipeline management tools (e.g., ERP and CRM systems)
· Exposure to business transformation, sales culture evolution or the build-out of new commercial functions is highly desirable
· Familiarity with workshop consumables, technical product categories or similar sectors would be beneficial
Essential Requirements
· Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel nationally, including overnight stays as required
· The right to live and work in the UK
What we offer
· Competitive salary with attractive bonus and incentive schemes.
· Supportive work environment focused on growth and excellence.
· Life assurance scheme
· Workplace pension
· Company car, laptop and phone
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From £65,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company car
- Company events
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Scotland KY11 8UQ
Application deadline: 15/06/2025
