Sales Director

GBF Labels, Print & Packaging; Market Harborough; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Highly competitive base salary

Car allowance

Annual objective-based bonus

Participation in Employee Ownership Trust bonus

Job summary

A leading print and packaging solutions provider in Market Harborough is seeking an experienced Sales Director to lead the sales function. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in the labels/packaging sector and proven skills in managing sales teams. This role emphasizes building long-term relationships and developing a proactive sales strategy. The position offers competitive salary and benefits, reflecting the seniority and responsibility of the role. Interested candidates should email their CV to the provided address.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience within the labels and packaging sector.
• Proven experience managing and developing sales teams including coaching.
• Commercially proactive and comfortable developing opportunities.
• Commercially proactive and comfortable developing opportunities from first contact

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the day-to-day operation of the sales function.
• Recruit and develop sales team members over time.
• Support stable revenue and margin performance through effective planning.
• Maintaining a credible, well-managed sales pipeline and improving forecasting accuracy
• Recruiting, onboarding and developing additional sales team members
• Embedding clear sales processes and CRM usage across the team
• Working with operations and customer service colleagues
• Identifying and securing new commercial opportunities

Skills

Experience in labels and/or packaging sector

Sales team management

Commercial proactivity

Understanding of margin management

Job description

Market Harborough Head Office | Office-Based with Team and Client Field Visits

Graphic Business Forms Ltd (GBF) is a long-established and highly respected provider of print, labels and packaging solutions. As an Employee-Owned business, GBF is progressing through a planned period of leadership development and commercial strengthening, focused on building long-term stability and sustainable growth.

We are now seeking to appoint an experienced Sales Director who will report directly to the Managing Director and work closely with the wider Senior Leadership Team to support the execution of the company’s commercial plan.

This is a senior leadership role operating within an experienced and supportive structure. The successful candidate will be responsible for building and managing the sales function within a clear strategic framework, benefiting from support, guidance, and stewardship from colleagues with significant sector and operational experience. The role is focused on strengthening, developing and scaling an already well-established business rather than creating change for its own sake.

The Opportunity

GBF has an experienced and committed team, many of whom have been with the business for over 20 years. The culture is collaborative, pragmatic, and relationship-led, with a strong emphasis on reliability and long-term customer partnerships.

The Sales Director will be expected to integrate fully into this environment, supporting and developing the existing team while introducing clear structure, consistency, and leadership. The role is therefore primarily office-based, working alongside the existing field sales and telesales teams on a daily basis, together with regular field visits to customers and joint visits with colleagues.

Success in the role will come through visibility, credibility, and consistent leadership within the business, rather than remote management.

The Role

The Sales Director will assume operational ownership of the sales function and support the delivery of GBF’s commercial objectives through improved structure, discipline, and team capability.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and managing the day-to-day operation of the sales function
• Taking responsibility for the leadership, performance management, coaching and development of the existing sales team
• Supporting stable revenue and margin performance through effective planning, forecasting and commercial discipline
• Maintaining a credible, well-managed sales pipeline and improving forecasting accuracy
• Recruiting, onboarding and developing additional sales team members over time
• Embedding clear sales processes and consistent CRM usage across the team
• Working collaboratively with long-standing colleagues across operations and customer service
• Identifying and securing new commercial opportunities where appropriate

While personal sales activity is welcomed (and to a degree, expected), the primary focus of the role is leadership, management, and building scalable sales capability.

The Person

This role will suit an experienced commercial professional who:

• Has demonstrable experience within the labels and/or packaging sector
• Has operated within a broker or solutions-led sales model
• Has proven experience managing and developing sales teams, including coaching, performance management, and improving individual and team capability
• Is commercially proactive and comfortable developing opportunities from first contact
• Understands margin management and the practical realities of supply-led environments
• Is comfortable working primarily from the office as part of a close, established team
• Leads through credibility, consistency, and professional standards rather than hierarchy
• Understands how to support experienced team members while introducing improved structure and accountability
• Is motivated by building capability and improving performance over time

This role is unlikely to suit individuals seeking a predominantly remote position or those accustomed to highly structured corporate sales environments. GBF operates with a commercially proactive, hands-on approach that has supported the business successfully for over three decades.

• Base Salary: Highly Competitive
• Car Allowance: Highly Competitive
• Objective-based annual bonus aligned to delivery of agreed leadership and commercial objectives
• Additional commission on Net New business generated
• Eligibility to participate in Employee Ownership Trust bonus arrangements over time

The package reflects both the seniority of the role and the importance of long-term contribution to the business.

About GBF

GBF is an employee-owned business with a strong reputation for service, reliability, and long-standing customer relationships. The business generates annual turnover of approximately £15 million and supports and supplies several of the UK’s most successful companies across a diverse range of sectors.

The company’s continued success has been built on experienced people, strong customer partnerships, and a can-do mindset and entrepreneurial approach to solving problems and finding solutions, with a clear focus on steady, sustainable growth.

This is an opportunity for a Sales Director who values responsibility, teamwork, focus and the opportunity to make a meaningful long-term contribution within a well-established and successful organisation.

To be considered for a confidential discussion with the view to applying, please email your CV together with a covering letter to [e-mail]

Suitable candidates will be invited to an initial and confidential conversation with our team.