Sales Director job description.
A Sales Director leads a company's sales organization, setting territory and account strategy, owning revenue targets, and building the team that delivers them. They translate company goals into pipeline plans, coach sales managers, and work closely with marketing and finance to forecast and close business. The role blends people leadership with hands-on deal support on strategic accounts.
The Sales Director job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 9 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Sales Director Reports to: Chief Revenue Officer or CEO
A Sales Director leads a company's sales organization, setting territory and account strategy, owning revenue targets, and building the team that delivers them. They translate company goals into pipeline plans, coach sales managers, and work closely with marketing and finance to forecast and close business. The role blends people leadership with hands-on deal support on strategic accounts.
- Set annual and quarterly sales targets and territory plans
- Build, coach, and manage a team of sales managers and representatives
- Own the sales forecast and report pipeline health to executive leadership
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
9 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.
6 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Chief Revenue Officer or CEO
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 annual and quarterly sales targets and territory plans
- Build, coach, and manage a team of sales managers and representatives
- Own the sales forecast and report pipeline health to executive leadership
- Develop and refine sales processes, playbooks, and compensation plans
- Negotiate and close strategic or high-value accounts personally
- Partner with marketing on lead generation and campaign alignment
- Analyze win/loss data and market trends to adjust strategy
- Recruit, onboard, and develop sales talent
- Manage the sales department budget and tooling investments
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- 7+ years of progressive sales experience with 3+ years in a leadership role
- Track record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets
- Strong CRM and sales forecasting proficiency
- Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or related field or equivalent experience
- Experience in the company's specific industry or vertical
- History of scaling a sales team through growth stages
- MBA or advanced sales leadership training
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Sales Director 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 Sales Director job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The senior 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 (Chief Revenue Officer or CEO) 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.
- What's the difference between a Sales Director and a Sales Manager?
- A Sales Director sets overall strategy and owns revenue across multiple teams or territories, while a Sales Manager runs the day-to-day performance of a single team that typically reports up to the Director.
- Should this role carry an individual sales quota?
- Most Sales Directors carry a team quota rather than a personal one, though many also stay involved in closing a small number of strategic accounts.
Other documents in this neighbourhood.
Sales Manager
A Sales Manager leads a team of sales representatives to meet revenue targets and grow market share.
Chief Revenue Officer
A Chief Revenue Officer aligns sales, marketing, and customer success functions under a unified revenue strategy to drive sustainable growth.
Business Development Manager
A Business Development Manager identifies, qualifies, and develops new commercial opportunities — partnerships, channels, large accounts, market expansion.
This Sales Director 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.