Commercial Director - England
Closing Date – 9th March
Location – North East, North West, Yorkshire & Humber, East of England, Midlands, and South West
Salary - up to £100k
If you are interested please apply with a CV and Cover Letter.
About the CBI:
Founded 60 years ago and representing some of the biggest names in business, household brands and globally traded corporations that employ people in all sectors and across every region and nation of the UK, the CBI is the voice of business. The CBI represents 850 members who themselves comprise 1,100 separate registered companies and 150,000 trade association members.
Role Summary:
As part of the CBI’s “Time for Growth” strategy, we are introducing two new Commercial Director roles to drive membership growth and commercial success across our English regions, Financial Services, Trade Associations, and SMEs.
This role will provide strategic leadership across the North East, North West, Yorkshire & Humber, East of England, Midlands, and South West. The role-holder will be responsible for driving the commercial performance of the team and will take ownership of a discrete priority area or project, contributing directly to the overall success of the team while ensuring strong commercial outcomes across the wider portfolio.
The Commercial Director will set the strategy for membership retention and growth, sponsorship, commercial partnerships, and strategic account management, ensuring the regional offer delivers tangible value to members. They will work closely with policy and economic directors to ensure member priorities are embedded in our work.
This role includes line management of c.6 direct reports, covering: Regional Directors for North East, North West, Yorkshire & Humber, East of England, Midlands, and South West
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Regional Oversight:
* The role-holder will drive the commercial performance of the English regions (North East, North West, Yorkshire & Humber, East of England, Midlands, and the South West), setting strategic direction and ensuring strong local and national engagement as well as commercial success.
* They will take direct ownership of a specific priority area or project while providing strategic oversight across the wider portfolio, ensuring a high-performing and commercially successful team. This includes empowering team leads to manage their areas with autonomy while fostering collaboration and consistency across the group.
* Act as a strategic enabler, ensuring regional directors have the resources, guidance, and commercial focus needed to deliver.
* Work closely with the Chief Commercial Officer to set and monitor commercial targets across the regions, ensuring alignment with national objectives.
* Represent the CBI at high-profile regional events, working groups, and business forums, ensuring the CBI remains influential at both a local and national level.
* Champion best practice and support collaboration across regions, ensuring knowledge-sharing, cross-region opportunities, and efficiency improvements.
Commercial Growth & Strategy:
* Set and drive membership growth and retention strategies across the English regions.
* Ensure regional commercial targets are met, balancing ambitious sales growth with long-term relationship building.
* Work with the Commercial Operations Director to monitor commercial performance, ensuring robust data-driven decision-making.
* Identify and develop sponsorship and partnership opportunities tailored to regional business needs.
* Support regional directors in refining their commercial approach, ensuring they have the tools and guidance to deliver results.
* Ensure the CBI’s value proposition is clearly communicated and reinforced at a regional level, ensuring a compelling membership offer.
* Align with CBI Economics, integrating commercial consultancy opportunities into regional engagement plans.
Member Engagement and Regional Presence:
* Lead direct member engagement through management of own accounts, ensuring high levels of satisfaction and commercial value.
* Support regional directors in delivering high-impact events, working groups, and networking opportunities for members.
* Support regional teams in maintaining strong relationships with key members and stakeholders, stepping in where senior engagement is required while ensuring regional directors remain the primary lead for their areas.
* Act as a senior escalation point for major regional accounts, providing support to regional directors while enabling them to manage their portfolios effectively.
* Work closely with regional chairs and vice-chairs, supporting their leadership and ensuring strong member representation at a senior level.
Policy & Economic Development
* Ensure regional business priorities are integrated into CBI’s national policy work, collaborating with Policy, Economics, and Public Affairs teams.
* Support regional teams in engaging effectively with local government stakeholders, ensuring the CBI remains influential at a regional level.
* Share regional insights with the wider organisation, ensuring national strategies are informed by local business needs.
Performance Monitoring & Reporting
* Oversee the commercial performance of each region, ensuring consistent monitoring and reporting.
* Ensure regional teams update CRM and insight tools, improving data accuracy and decision-making.
* Provide regular commercial updates to the Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Committee, ensuring clear visibility on performance.
* Continuously review member satisfaction and engagement, using insights to refine the membership proposition.
Knowledge & Experience:
* Strong leadership and team management experience, with the ability to balance direct leadership of a region with strategic oversight of a wider portfolio.
* Proven commercial acumen, with a track record of driving membership growth, retention, and business development.
* Experience of leading geographically dispersed teams, providing support and guidance while allowing autonomy.
* Ability to build strong senior relationships with business leaders, stakeholders, and policymakers.
* Experience in financial management, budget oversight, and resource allocation.
* Excellent stakeholder management, ensuring clear communication and collaboration across multiple regions.
* Understanding of regional economic landscapes and business challenges.
* Experience in policy, business advocacy, or economic engagement.
* Strong networking and relationship-building skills at both regional and national levels