Sales Recruitment in Manchester
Most sales hires fail before the candidate is even chosen. We do this for SMEs and scale-ups across Manchester and the wider North West, with on-the-ground knowledge of the Manchester commercial market.
Manchester is the dominant commercial centre in the North of England. The MediaCityUK campus in Salford anchors a national broadcast and digital media cluster. NOMA, Spinningfields and the Northern Quarter host a deep concentration of FinTech, B2B SaaS, MarTech and AdTech employers. The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan and Salford produce one of the largest STEM and commercial graduate flows in the UK. Senior talent supply is national, with the city pulling regularly from London, Leeds, Birmingham and beyond.
BBC (MediaCityUK, Salford)
Media
National broadcasting anchor of the Manchester-Salford media cluster.
AutoTrader
B2B SaaS
FTSE 100, Manchester-headquartered, deep commercial bench.
Boohoo Group
E-commerce
Manchester-headquartered global e-commerce business.
THG (The Hut Group)
E-commerce and tech
Manchester-headquartered, substantial commercial and tech functions.
Co-op Group
Retail and FinTech
Manchester-headquartered, major commercial employer.
Booking.com (Manchester hub)
Travel tech
One of the largest tech hubs in the city.
On The Beach
Travel tech
Manchester-headquartered, substantial commercial team.
Manchester has the deepest and most competitive commercial talent pool in the North. SDR, AE and mid-level supply is plentiful but expensive: the city competes with London on senior comp, particularly in FinTech, MarTech and B2B SaaS. Hybrid working two or three days a week is the dominant pattern, with full-remote rare above Director level. Talent is highly mobile across the city, which makes both attraction and retention demanding.
Manchester Piccadilly and Victoria provide direct national rail. The Metrolink tram network connects MediaCityUK, Spinningfields, the Northern Quarter and Trafford. Manchester Airport gives the city national and international reach unique among UK regions.
Manchester salary benchmarks
| Role | Manchester band |
|---|---|
| SDR / BDR | £32k-£45k |
| Account Executive | £60k-£90k (Base + OTE 110k-170k) |
| Head of Sales | £95k-£140k (Base + OTE 150k-220k) |
| Sales Director | £130k-£185k (Base + OTE 220k-310k) |
Bands reflect the Manchester market as of 2026. Talk to us for live, role-specific data.
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.
What you get
Why Evara
Local
On-the-ground in North West. We know the Manchester employer base, the talent pools and the comp norms first-hand, not from a database.
Operator-led
Every Evara partner has carried a number. Sales Recruitment engagements are run by people who have built and led commercial functions, not pure intermediaries.
Honest
If a hire is the wrong move for your stage in Manchester, we will say so. We would rather lose the fee than place a senior leader into a seat that will not work.
FAQs
A typical Sales Director search in Manchester runs 8 to 12 weeks. The market is competitive, the best candidates are passive, and counter-offers from current employers are common, which lengthens the close phase.
A Sales Director in Manchester typically earns £130k-£185k base with on-target earnings of £220k-£310k. FinTech, MarTech and PE-backed SaaS sit at the top of the range.
Hybrid two or three days a week is the dominant pattern. Most senior leaders are expected to be in the office at Spinningfields, NOMA, MediaCityUK or the Northern Quarter for the cadence-heavy days of the week.
B2B SaaS, FinTech, MarTech, AdTech and travel tech, alongside the established media, e-commerce and retail base. The MediaCityUK and Spinningfields ecosystems together generate consistent senior commercial demand.
A typical retained search runs 6 to 10 weeks from kick-off to offer accepted. Director-level searches sit at the longer end of that range. We will not rush a shortlist to hit an arbitrary deadline.
No. Every Evara search is retained on a two-payment structure: a commitment deposit paid up front to cover the strategic work, and a completion fee invoiced on day 60 of the placed candidate's employment. This protects the rigour of the process and means we are accountable for the outcome, not for activity.
Nearby
Manchester-based engagements regularly cover the wider commuter belt, including Salford, Stockport, Bolton, Altrincham, Sale, Bury.
Related tools
Related Guide chapters
Operator playbooks
Decision guides
Email Rachel Lunn and the Evara team. We will reply within one working day with live market data for the role you have in mind.
Email Rachel Lunn