SaaS & B2B Software sales recruitment in Sheffield
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 Sheffield and across the wider Yorkshire saas & b2b software cluster.
Sheffield's commercial profile is unusually balanced. The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) at the University of Sheffield has anchored a serious industrial-tech cluster, while the city centre and Kelham Island host a growing community of B2B SaaS, EdTech and digital agencies. The University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam together produce one of the largest STEM graduate pools in the North, which keeps junior commercial and technical talent supply healthy.
Sheffield's SaaS identity is anchored by EdTech (Twinkl) and HR Tech (Tribepad), both home-grown global businesses, plus a longer tail of B2B SaaS scale-ups around the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam. The city's commercial talent pool is smaller than Leeds and Manchester but unusually loyal — average tenure runs longer, which sharpens the case for retained search.
Twinkl
EdTech
Sheffield-headquartered global EdTech with a substantial commercial function.
Tribepad
HR Tech
Sheffield SaaS scale-up serving large enterprise recruitment.
WANdisco
Data infrastructure
Sheffield-rooted data infrastructure business.
Sumo Digital
Games
Major Sheffield games studio with commercial-tech adjacencies.
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.
Sheffield salary nuance
Sheffield SaaS salaries run 5-10% below the Leeds benchmark at AE and Director level, with CRO seats running national. Twinkl-, Tribepad- and WANdisco-trained commercial leaders are the deepest single source of senior Sheffield SaaS supply.
Strong rail links to Leeds (45 min), Manchester (60 min), Doncaster (25 min) and London (2hr direct). The Supertram links Meadowhall and the AMRC for site-based revenue roles.
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.
Yes. The dual-university STEM pipeline, the EdTech and SaaS scale-up cluster and the cost base relative to Leeds or Manchester make Sheffield an attractive HQ for a growing commercial team, particularly at SDR and AE level.
An Account Executive in a Sheffield SaaS or industrial-tech business typically earns £50k-£75k base with OTE of £90k-£140k, with EdTech sitting toward the top of that range.
Related
Email Rachel Lunn and the team. We will reply within one working day with a Sheffield-specific saas & b2b software market read for the role you have in mind.
Email Rachel Lunn/sales-recruitment/sheffield/saas
Sales recruitment, GTM recruitment and revenue advisory for SMEs UK-wide. We reply within one working day.
Email Rachel Lunn