Sales Recruitment in Wakefield
Most sales hires fail before the candidate is even chosen. We do this for SMEs and scale-ups across Wakefield and the wider Yorkshire, with on-the-ground knowledge of the Wakefield commercial market.
Wakefield sits at the centre of the West Yorkshire motorway network and has become a major hub for logistics, distribution and B2B services. The Merchant Gate regeneration and the Westgate professional services district have lifted the city's profile as a commercial base. Theatres of operation include serious distribution centres for retail and FMCG, plus a growing community of professional services and SaaS businesses serving the West Yorkshire market.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
FMCG
Major distribution and commercial site in Wakefield.
Asda
Retail
National retail HQ in nearby Leeds, with substantial Wakefield commercial footprint.
Burberry
Luxury manufacturing
Major manufacturing site near Wakefield with adjacent commercial roles.
Card Factory
Retail
Wakefield-headquartered retail group with a national commercial team.
DS Smith
Packaging
Substantial Wakefield commercial and operations footprint.
Henkel
Industrial
Wakefield-based industrial adhesives commercial team.
Wakefield draws on the wider Leeds-Wakefield-Bradford travel-to-work area and offers a meaningful cost-of-living advantage relative to central Leeds. SDR and AE supply is healthy, with strong logistics and FMCG commercial backgrounds well represented. For SaaS and GTM Engineering roles the pool is smaller and Wakefield-based employers typically recruit across the West Yorkshire market as a whole.
Wakefield Westgate offers 15-minute services into Leeds. The M1 and M62 intersect just north of the city, putting Sheffield, Manchester and Doncaster within an hour by car.
Wakefield salary benchmarks
| Role | Wakefield band |
|---|---|
| SDR / BDR | £28k-£36k |
| Account Executive | £48k-£72k (Base + OTE 85k-130k) |
| Head of Sales | £80k-£120k (Base + OTE 130k-180k) |
| Sales Director | £105k-£150k (Base + OTE 170k-240k) |
Bands reflect the Wakefield 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 Yorkshire. We know the Wakefield 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 Wakefield, we will say so. We would rather lose the fee than place a senior leader into a seat that will not work.
FAQs
Cost base, motorway access (M1 and M62 intersect at Wakefield), and a lower-attrition local talent pool. For B2B businesses serving the wider North, Wakefield is a more efficient HQ than central Leeds.
Logistics and distribution, FMCG, packaging, professional services and a growing layer of B2B SaaS serving the West Yorkshire and East Midlands market.
At SDR and AE level, typically 5-10% below Leeds for the same seat. At Director level the gap closes as candidates compare across the wider West Yorkshire market.
Yes. The 15-minute reverse commute makes Wakefield a low-friction option for Leeds-based candidates, particularly in roles offering meaningful ownership and equity.
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
Wakefield-based engagements regularly cover the wider commuter belt, including Pontefract, Castleford, Normanton, Ossett, Horbury.
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