Sales Recruitment for Manufacturing
Retained executive search for senior industrial sales hires. We work to a structured engagement process with a named partner accountable from kick-off to onboarding, and a defined market map of the relevant Northern (and where required national) talent pool before any approach is made.
Manufacturing is the single largest industrial sector in the North of England and the deepest part of Evara's commercial network. From aerospace tier-ones in East Lancashire and the AMRC-anchored advanced-manufacturing cluster in Sheffield, to precision engineering in Huddersfield and the global automotive supply base spanning the M62 corridor, the North hosts more genuinely strategic industrial employers than any other UK region outside the South East.
Industrial sales is a specialism. Strong commercial leaders here understand engineering economics, multi-year capital sales cycles, frame contracts, OEM channel structures and the difference between selling a stock SKU and selling into an Airbus or Jaguar Land Rover supply programme. Evara's partners have placed and built commercial teams in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, industrial automation, industrial software and tier-one automotive supply. We hire technical-sales DNA, not transferable SaaS BDRs.
Industrial commercial salaries in the North sit slightly below SaaS for equivalent seniority but pull above on global KAM, aerospace and capital-equipment seats where the deal sizes and commercial complexity justify it. A typical Sales Director in a £30m-£200m industrial manufacturer earns £100k-£150k base with OTE of £160k-£230k, with global aerospace and automotive primes at the upper end. Fractional CRO day rates for industrial scale-ups run £1,500-£2,200.
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.
Locations
FAQs
Industrial sales hires across aerospace, advanced manufacturing, automotive supply, precision engineering, industrial software and IIoT. Roles range from sales engineers and KAMs through to Sales Director, Commercial Director and Chief Commercial Officer, plus fractional CRO support for PE-backed industrial scale-ups.
Industrial sales cycles, capital-equipment economics, OEM and aftermarket channel structures, and global KAM relationships are not transferable from generic SaaS or consumer recruitment. A wrong industrial Sales Director hire costs significantly more in lost programme work and damaged customer relationships than a wrong SaaS hire. Evara's partners have placed in this market for over a decade.
East Lancashire (Burnley, Blackburn, Preston) for aerospace and broad manufacturing, Sheffield and Huddersfield for advanced manufacturing and precision engineering, and Hull for MedTech, renewables and consumer-health manufacturing. Each cluster has a different talent profile and Evara recruits accordingly.
Yes. We frequently support European, North American and APAC industrial OEMs and tier-ones building or refreshing their UK commercial leadership. The brief usually combines retained executive search with a Strategic Revenue Audit to set the operating model before the hire.
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.
Email Rachel Lunn and the team. We will reply within one working day with a sector-specific market read for the role you have in mind.
Email Rachel Lunn/sales-recruitment/sectors/manufacturing
Sales recruitment, GTM recruitment and revenue advisory for SMEs UK-wide. We reply within one working day.
Email Rachel Lunn