Sales Recruitment for SaaS & B2B Software
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.
B2B SaaS is now the dominant scale-up engine of the Northern commercial economy. Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool and York between them host hundreds of post-Series A software businesses across vertical SaaS (HealthTech, EdTech, LegalTech, GovTech), horizontal B2B (CRM, MarTech, Data, FinOps) and increasingly PLG-led products with enterprise upgrades. The depth of the SaaS commercial talent pool here has grown materially since 2018 and now rivals any UK region outside London.
Most SaaS commercial hires in the North are still made via a London-headquartered search firm with a junior consultant on the file. Evara's partners are operators who have led commercial functions in B2B SaaS personally, including post-Series A scale, expansion to North America, and PE-backed buy-and-build. We bring an operator's view of what good looks like at every stage, not a generic competency framework.
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.
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
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 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/saas
Sales recruitment, GTM recruitment and revenue advisory for SMEs UK-wide. We reply within one working day.
Email Rachel Lunn