SaaS & B2B Software sales recruitment in Leeds
Retained search for SaaS Sales Directors, VP Sales, Heads of Customer Success and CROs. Each search is anchored by a named partner who has personally led the equivalent function in a SaaS business. On the ground in Leeds and across the wider Yorkshire saas & b2b software cluster.
Leeds combines a deep professional services base (the second-largest legal and financial centre in the UK) with one of the fastest-growing technology clusters in the North. The city centre and the South Bank regeneration zone host a mix of FinTech, HealthTech, GovTech and B2B SaaS scale-ups, supported by a heavy investor presence around Wellington Place and Park Square. Channel 4's national headquarters and Sky's growing tech presence have lifted the bar for senior commercial talent the city expects to attract and pay for.
Leeds is the densest SaaS scale-up commercial market in Yorkshire, and the Sky Betting alumni network in particular has seeded a generation of senior commercial leaders into the wider Leeds and Manchester scale-up community. HealthTech SaaS (TPP, EMIS) and FinTech-adjacent SaaS (First Direct, Lowell) give the city more sector depth than any other Northern SaaS market.
Sky Betting & Gaming (Flutter)
Tech / iGaming
Largest single SaaS-adjacent tech employer in Leeds and the dominant senior-commercial alumni network in the city.
BJSS
Tech consultancy and software
Leeds-headquartered global tech consultancy with a major commercial bench.
TPP
HealthTech SaaS
Major Leeds HealthTech SaaS serving the NHS.
EMIS Health
HealthTech SaaS
Leeds-rooted NHS clinical software.
Jet2
Travel tech
Leeds-headquartered with a substantial in-house commercial and digital function.
First Direct (HSBC)
FinTech / Banking
Long-standing Leeds FinTech employer with deep digital talent crossover into SaaS.
SaaS commercial talent supply at SDR, AE and Customer Success Manager level is now genuinely competitive in Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield, with healthy graduate inflow. Senior SaaS leadership (Sales Director and above) is thinner and most strong candidates are passive, equity-locked and approached on warm referrals. Hybrid working two or three days a week is the dominant pattern for senior SaaS roles in the North; full-remote is more common in pure scale-ups than in PE-backed businesses.
SaaS comp in the North runs broadly 10-20% below London for equivalent seats but the gap closes at CRO and VP level where the market is genuinely national. A typical Series A-Series B Head of Sales in Leeds or Manchester earns £90k-£130k base with OTE £140k-£200k. CRO seats in PE-backed Northern SaaS businesses commonly hit £150k-£200k base with OTE of £250k-£400k plus equity.
Leeds salary nuance
Leeds SaaS commercial salaries lead the wider Yorkshire benchmark by 5-10% at AE and Director level, with CRO-level seats running national. A Series A-B Head of Sales in Leeds typically earns £95k-£135k base with OTE £150k-£210k.
Leeds City Station gives strong rail links to York (25 min), Manchester (60 min), Sheffield (45 min) and Harrogate (30 min), making it a viable HQ for a regional team.
How we work
01
We start with a structured kick-off that captures the commercial objective, not just the title. Reporting line, comp envelope, the deal sizes the person will sell, the buyers they will sell to, and the behaviours that will succeed in your environment.
02
We map where the right people actually sit, across direct competitors, adjacent industries and proven environments in your region. This becomes the long-list of candidates we approach, not just whoever is on the job boards this week.
03
Candidates are approached with a clear commercial narrative, not a job advert. We communicate the opportunity, the leadership environment, the expectations and the growth path, so only genuinely relevant people move forward.
04
Two structured commercial screens before a candidate ever reaches you. Track record validation, deal-stage probing, motivation, and a credibility check on the numbers they have actually delivered.
05
You receive a considered shortlist, not a CV flood. Each candidate is presented with strengths, potential risks and a fit assessment. We then support the process through to offer, acceptance and the first 90 days.
FAQs
Yes. We support both pre-Series A scale-ups (often via fractional CRO before a permanent hire) and PE-backed SaaS businesses through retained executive search. Our partners have personally led commercial functions in both stages.
Broadly 10-20% below London at SDR, AE and Director level for equivalent seats. The gap closes materially at VP and CRO level, where the market is national and most candidates compare across regions.
Yes, increasingly so. Hybrid working, the cost-of-living differential and the maturity of the Northern SaaS scene make Leeds and Manchester credible bases for senior London-resident commercial talent. Evara has run multiple successful searches on this model.
A typical Sales Director search in Leeds runs 8 to 10 weeks from kick-off to offer accepted. Senior commercial talent in the Leeds market is largely passive and the best people are usually approached, not advertised to.
A Sales Director in Leeds typically earns £120k-£170k base with on-target earnings of £200k-£280k, depending on sector and deal size. FinTech and SaaS sit at the top of that range.
Related
Email Rachel Lunn and the team. We will reply within one working day with a Leeds-specific saas & b2b software market read for the role you have in mind.
Email Rachel Lunn/sales-recruitment/leeds/saas
Sales recruitment, GTM recruitment and revenue advisory for SMEs UK-wide. We reply within one working day.
Email Rachel Lunn