Head of Sales job description.
A head of sales leads the sales organization's strategy, execution, and performance, setting revenue targets and building the team needed to hit them. They oversee pipeline management, forecasting, and cross-functional alignment with marketing and product, reporting directly to executive leadership on sales results.
The Head of Sales job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 8 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Head of Sales Reports to: CEO or Chief Revenue Officer
A head of sales leads the sales organization's strategy, execution, and performance, setting revenue targets and building the team needed to hit them. They oversee pipeline management, forecasting, and cross-functional alignment with marketing and product, reporting directly to executive leadership on sales results.
- Set overall sales strategy and revenue targets
- Build, coach, and manage the sales team and leadership
- Own pipeline forecasting and reporting to executive leadership
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
8 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
4 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
3 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
5 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
CEO or Chief Revenue Officer
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Set overall sales strategy and revenue targets
- Build, coach, and manage the sales team and leadership
- Own pipeline forecasting and reporting to executive leadership
- Design and refine sales processes, territories, and compensation plans
- Align sales strategy with marketing, product, and customer success teams
- Identify new market opportunities and go-to-market approaches
- Monitor key sales metrics and adjust tactics to close gaps
- Represent the sales function in executive and board discussions
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- 8+ years of progressive sales experience, including team leadership
- Proven track record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets
- Strong forecasting, pipeline, and CRM management skills
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent operating experience
- Experience scaling a sales team through growth stages
- Background in the employer's specific industry or sales motion (B2B/B2C)
- MBA or equivalent advanced business training
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Head of Sales job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this Head of Sales job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The executive band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (CEO or Chief Revenue Officer) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- How does head of sales differ from a sales director?
- Head of sales is typically the most senior sales role in a company, owning overall strategy and reporting to the CEO or board, while a sales director often manages a specific team or region under that leadership.
- What track record should candidates demonstrate?
- Look for a documented history of hitting revenue targets and successfully building or scaling a sales team, not just individual sales performance.
Other documents in this neighbourhood.
Sales Director
A Sales Director leads a company's sales organization, setting territory and account strategy, owning revenue targets, and building the team that delivers them.
Chief Revenue Officer
A Chief Revenue Officer aligns sales, marketing, and customer success functions under a unified revenue strategy to drive sustainable growth.
VP of Marketing
A VP of Marketing leads the organization's overall marketing strategy, brand positioning, and demand generation efforts.
This Head of Sales job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Salary varies by region, employer type, and experience. Reference BLS or current industry surveys for ranges. Full disclaimer.