UK

United Kingdom · Sales · Director/VP (16-20 years)

Director of Sales Operations

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  • Experience bandDirector/VP (16-20 years)
  • Direct reports25-100+ reports
  • Reports toVP of Sales
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

Also advertised as VP of Sales Operations · Head of Sales Enablement · Sales Strategy & Operations Director

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in what real qualifications cover

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

Level 5 Certificate in Professional Sales Institute of Sales Professionals · Level 5 · covers 2 of 3 standards
Level 5 Diploma in Professional Sales Institute of Sales Professionals · Level 5 · covers 2 of 3 standards
Level 5 Award in Managing Sales Technology Systems Institute of Sales Professionals · Level 5 · covers 1 of 3 standards
Level 5 Award in Leadership Institute of Sales Professionals · Level 5 · covers 1 of 3 standards
Level 6 Certificate in Professional Sales Institute of Sales Professionals · Level 6 · covers 1 of 3 standards
ISP Level 2 Certificate in Professional Sales Institute of Sales Professionals · Level 2 · covers 1 of 3 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Manage Ethical, Legal and Professional Requirements Level 5 Certificate in Professional Sales
Manage Sales Technology Systems Level 5 Award in Managing Sales Technology Systems
Understand Sales Digital Technology Systems ISP Level 2 Certificate in Professional Sales

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Automation Fluency building AI into how work runs
Trust Fluency keeping the digital world safe
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Director of Sales Operations

3 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Manage Ethical, Legal and Professional Requirements Institute of Sales Professionals · covers 2 of 3 standards Level 5
  2. Manage Sales Technology Systems Institute of Sales Professionals · covers 1 of 3 standards Level 5
  3. Understand Sales Digital Technology Systems Institute of Sales Professionals · covers 1 of 3 standards Level 2
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Director of Sales Operations?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • AI-Driven Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy
  • Data Ethics & Responsible AI Governance
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Director of Sales Operations plan as you set up, starting with the free Automation Fluency module. No card.

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Keep this read. One email with what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for and where to start free. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

3What this role really is

This job shapes how sales teams operate, covering the tools they use, the territories they cover and how they get paid. It means designing systems for sales productivity and growth, so everything runs smoothly and works well.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Salesforce (Admin & Architect) Expert

Owning the overall Salesforce instance strategy and roadmap, evaluating and integrating AppExchange solutions, managing sandbox environments and deployment processes, and overseeing complex data architecture decisions.

Microsoft Excel (Advanced Modelling & Data Engineering) Expert

Connecting Excel to enterprise data warehouses (e.g., Snowflake) for strategic analysis, using advanced modelling for territory planning and quota setting, and developing standardised reporting templates for leadership.

Power BI / Tableau (Analytics Architecture & Governance) Expert

Architecting the entire sales analytics environment, implementing row-level security, governing data sources, and promoting a self-service analytics culture across the sales organisation.

Outreach / SalesLoft (Strategic Engagement Design) Expert

Developing the overall sales engagement strategy, analysing platform data to inform sales methodology, evaluating new tools, and owning the vendor relationship for sales outreach platforms.

Salesforce CPQ / DealHub (Quote-to-Cash Architecture) Expert

Designing and architecting the entire quote-to-cash process, integrating CPQ with ERP (e.g., NetSuite, SAP) for seamless billing, and owning the approval workflow logic for complex deals.

MS Teams / Slack (Platform Governance & Integration) Advanced

Integrating key sales alerts from Salesforce/Power BI directly into leadership channels, managing platform governance, and setting user policies for the sales organisation's communication tools.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Sales Compensation Plan Design No involvement. Simply processes commissions based on defined plans. May identify issues with existing plans and propose minor adjustments to a manager. Leads the annual design of global compensation plans, presenting options and recommendations to the VP of Sales and CFO for final approval.
Sales Technology Stack Investment Uses existing tools as instructed. Suggests minor improvements or new features for existing tools. Evaluates, selects, and gains approval for major new sales technology platforms (e.g., a new CPQ system, advanced forecasting tool) with budgets up to £500K. Owns the strategic roadmap for the entire sales tech stack.
Organisational Structure of Sales Operations No input into team structure. May provide feedback on team processes. Designs and implements the optimal organisational structure for the Sales Operations function, including hiring plans, team roles, and reporting lines, to support business goals.
Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy Input Executes tasks based on GTM strategy. Provides data points that might inform GTM strategy. Provides critical data, analysis, and operational feasibility assessments that directly shape the company's overall GTM strategy, including market segmentation, channel strategy, and sales methodology.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Sales Forecast Accuracy
The precision of our quarterly and annual revenue predictions against actuals.
Target · Achieve a variance of ±5% on quarterly revenue forecasts.

If Q3's forecast was £15M, and actual revenue hit £15.6M, that's a 4% variance, well within target. This shows your team's models and processes are working.

Sales Productivity Improvement
Measuring how much more efficient our sales reps become due to operational improvements and tool investments.
Target · Increase average revenue per rep by 10% year-on-year, or reduce average sales cycle length by 15%.

After implementing a new CPQ system and streamlining deal desk approvals, average deal close time dropped from 90 days to 75 days, boosting rep capacity.

Sales Technology ROI
The return on investment for our sales tech stack, ensuring we're getting value from our tools.
Target · Demonstrate a positive ROI (e.g., 2:1 or 3:1) for major sales technology investments (over £100K).

A new sales engagement platform costing £250K led to a £750K increase in pipeline generation, showing a 3:1 ROI.

CRM Data Health Score
The overall quality, completeness, and accuracy of our CRM data, which underpins all reporting and strategic decisions.
Target · Maintain a CRM data health score of 95% or higher (based on key fields and record completeness).

Regular audits show that 98% of opportunities have a 'Next Step' and 'Close Date' within the last 30 days, meaning our pipeline reports are reliable.

Strategic Partnership & Influence
Your ability to be a trusted advisor to the VP of Sales, C-Suite, and other department heads, shaping overall business strategy.
  • You're consistently invited to executive strategy sessions. Your recommendations are frequently adopted by the Sales Leadership team. Other departments proactively seek your input on cross-functional initiatives affecting sales.
Organisational Design & Talent Development
How effectively you build, structure, and develop a high-performing Sales Operations team.
  • Your direct reports consistently meet their objectives. You have a clear succession plan for key roles. Your team members are regularly promoted internally. You're seen as a mentor and leader within the wider Sales organisation.
Change Management & Adoption
The success rate of implementing new processes, tools, or methodologies across the sales organisation.
  • New initiatives (e.g., new compensation plan, CRM changes) are adopted smoothly with minimal resistance. Post-implementation surveys show high satisfaction from sales reps and managers. Training programmes are effective, leading to measurable behavioural changes.
Proactive Risk Management
Your foresight in identifying potential operational bottlenecks, compliance issues, or market shifts that could impact sales.
  • You present potential risks and mitigation strategies to leadership before they become problems. You've implemented systems to flag data integrity issues or potential commission disputes early. You're always thinking several steps ahead about market changes.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Shaping Organisational Strategy

You'll be in regular meetings with the C-suite and Sales VPs, discussing everything from market expansion to new product launches. Your input will directly influence the sales strategy and the operational plans to support it.

Leading the annual territory and quota planning process, presenting your recommendations to the executive team, and seeing those plans implemented across the global sales force.

Building High-Performing Teams & Capabilities

A significant part of your role will be recruiting, mentoring, and developing your Sales Operations team. You'll take pride in seeing your direct reports grow into senior roles and in building a function that's truly 'best-in-class' (in practice, not just in words).

Hiring a new Sales Operations Manager, coaching them through their first year, and then seeing them successfully lead a major project that transforms a key sales process.

Driving Business Transformation Through Operations

You'll be constantly looking for ways to make our sales organisation more efficient, scalable, and effective. This means leading large-scale projects, implementing new technologies, and challenging the status quo to achieve significant business outcomes.

Overseeing the full implementation of a new global CPQ system, from design to deployment, resulting in a 20% reduction in quote generation time and a 5% increase in average deal size.

What frustrates people
  • Executive-level disagreements on sales strategy that lead to shifting priorities and wasted effort.
  • Resistance to change from established sales leaders or reps who 'always did it this way'.
  • The constant battle for budget and resources to invest in critical sales operations initiatives.
  • Being held accountable for sales performance metrics that are influenced by factors outside of your direct control (e.g., market conditions, product issues).
  • The need to balance global standardisation with regional nuances and demands.
  • Dealing with the fallout from poorly executed decisions made by other departments that impact sales.
What this role does not give you
  • A quiet, heads-down analytical role with minimal human interaction.
  • The ability to avoid difficult conversations or political challenges.
  • A predictable, unchanging work environment; expect constant evolution.
  • Instant gratification from every project; some strategic initiatives take years to bear full fruit.
  • Complete autonomy without needing to build consensus or influence others.

8Who you work with

You'll shape the operational backbone of our sales business unit. Your decisions directly influence everything from our go-to-market strategy and sales methodology to how we compensate our reps and how accurately we predict future revenue. Get it right, and we're a lean, mean selling machine. Get it wrong, and we're losing ground to competitors and frustrating our sales teams.

Inside the business
  • C-Suite (CEO, CFO, CRO)
  • VP of Sales and Regional Sales Directors
  • Marketing Leadership
  • Finance Leadership (especially FP&A and Revenue Accounting)
  • Product Management
  • Legal Counsel
Outside the business
  • Strategic Technology Vendors (e.g., Salesforce, Outreach)
  • Industry Analysts and Consultants
  • Major Partners and Resellers
  • Potential M&A targets (for due diligence on sales operations)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • Proven track record of leading and managing a Sales Operations function for at least 5-8 years, including managing direct reports and significant budgets.
  • Demonstrable experience in designing and implementing global sales compensation plans and territory structures.
  • Expert-level proficiency in Salesforce administration and architecture, including managing complex integrations and data models.
  • Extensive experience presenting strategic recommendations and performance reviews to C-suite executives and board members.
  • A deep understanding of the full sales lifecycle, from lead generation to post-sales support, and how operations impacts each stage.
  • Experience managing large-scale sales technology implementations and driving user adoption.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Revenue Operations (RevOps) Orchestration

Critical within 12-24 months. The silos between Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success operations are dissolving. Future leaders will need to orchestrate a seamless, integrated revenue engine across all customer-facing functions.

Unified Data Model · End-to-End Process Mapping · Shared Metrics & KPIs · Integrated Tech Stack Architecture

  • This quarter: Initiate regular 'RevOps alignment' meetings with your peers in Marketing Operations and Customer Success Operations.
  • Next quarter: Map out the current end-to-end customer journey, highlighting all departmental hand-offs and pain points.
  • Month 6: Propose a pilot project to unify data or streamline a critical process between two revenue functions.
  • Month 9: Begin developing a long-term RevOps strategy and tech stack roadmap, presenting it to the CRO/CEO.

Quick win: Start by agreeing on a single definition for 'pipeline' or 'customer churn' across Sales, Marketing, and CS. It's a small step that builds big alignment.

Advanced Data Warehousing & Business Intelligence

Important within 18-30 months. As data volumes explode, relying solely on CRM reporting won't cut it. You'll need to understand how to govern and extract insights from enterprise-level data warehouses.

ETL/ELT Processes · Data Modelling for Analytics · Cloud Data Platforms (e.g., Snowflake, Databricks) · Data Governance & Master Data Management

  • This quarter: Schedule a deep-dive with our Data Engineering team to understand our current data warehouse architecture.
  • Next quarter: Identify a key business question that can only be answered by combining data from multiple sources in the data warehouse.
  • Month 6: Take an online course on data warehousing concepts or a specific cloud data platform (e.g., Snowflake Fundamentals).
  • Month 9: Lead a project to build a new executive dashboard that pulls data from the enterprise data warehouse, not just Salesforce.

Quick win: Get access to our data warehouse and start exploring the data. Even basic SQL queries can open up new insights.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attend industry conferences (e.g., Dreamforce, Sales Operations Summit) to stay abreast of emerging trends and network with peers.
  • Participate in executive leadership programmes or workshops focused on strategic planning, change management, or digital transformation.
  • Engage with peer groups or advisory boards for Sales Operations leaders to share insights and best practices.
  • Mentor junior professionals within the Sales Operations field, which helps solidify your own understanding and leadership skills.
  • Contribute to industry thought leadership through articles, webinars, or speaking engagements.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

AI-Driven Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy

Critical within 12-18 months. Competitors are already using AI to identify new market segments, optimise pricing, and predict customer churn with unprecedented accuracy. If we're not doing the same, we'll be left behind.

  • Predictive Customer Segmentation
  • Dynamic Pricing Optimisation
  • Channel Effectiveness Modelling
  • Market Entry & Expansion Analytics

Data Ethics & Responsible AI Governance

Critical within 6-12 months. As we use more AI and collect more data, the ethical implications and regulatory scrutiny will only increase. Missteps here can lead to massive fines, reputational damage, and loss of customer trust.

  • Fairness & Bias in Algorithms
  • Data Privacy & Security for AI
  • Transparency & Explainability (XAI)
  • Ethical Use Cases & Guardrails

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Enterprise Sales Strategy & Methodology
  • Organisational Design & Workforce Planning
  • Advanced Sales Forecasting & Modelling
  • Commission & Incentive Programme Architecture
  • Data Governance & Quality Management

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Sales Operations Manager (L5) to Director

    3-5 years as a Manager

    Skills to master

    • Transitioning from managing a team and a department to shaping business unit strategy. Developing strong executive presence and influencing skills at the C-suite level. Mastering organisational design and advanced financial modelling.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully led multiple departmental-level strategic initiatives with measurable business impact.
    • Consistently exceeded performance metrics for your team and function.
    • Demonstrated ability to attract, develop, and retain top talent within your team.
    • Proactively identified and solved complex organisational problems, not just operational ones.
  2. 2

    Senior Sales Operations Analyst / Lead (L4) to Director (via Manager)

    5-7 years (including a stint as Manager)

    Skills to master

    • Moving from individual contribution and project leadership to full people management and strategic ownership. Developing a broader understanding of business unit P&L and cross-functional dependencies.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully mentored junior analysts and informally led project teams.
    • Consistently delivered high-impact analytical insights that influenced senior leadership decisions.
    • Proactively took on responsibilities beyond your defined role, demonstrating leadership potential.
    • Developed strong relationships and influenced stakeholders across multiple departments.
  3. 3

    Management Consultant (Sales/Revenue Focus) to Director

    Transition typically after 8-12 years in consulting (e.g., Principal/Engagement Manager level)

    Skills to master

    • Adapting consulting frameworks to an in-house operational context. Building and managing a permanent team (vs. project-based). Navigating internal politics and long-term organisational change. Deepening industry-specific operational knowledge.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Extensive experience advising C-suite clients on sales strategy and operations.
    • Proven ability to design and implement complex operational solutions for multiple clients.
    • Strong track record of managing project teams and client relationships.
    • A desire to 'own' the outcome and build something enduring within a single organisation.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to Chief Operating Officer or Chief Executive Officer of a smaller company. It can also lead to board or advisory positions.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Director of Sales Operations is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Manage Ethical, Legal and Professional Requirements, worked against Director of Sales Operations.

Manage Ethical, Legal and Professional Requirements Level 5

Applied to your work in Director of Sales Operations

This unit aims to provide learners with an understanding of ethical, legal, and professional requirements within the sales function. Learners will understand relevant legislation, codes of conduct, and best practices. Furthermore, they will be able to implement policies and procedures to ensure compliance and respond appropriately to non-compliance.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Director of Sales Operations
  • Enterprise Sales Strategy & Methodology
  • Organisational Design & Workforce Planning
  • Advanced Sales Forecasting & Modelling
  • Commission & Incentive Programme Architecture
  • Data Governance & Quality Management
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Director of Sales Operations is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. VP of Revenue Operations (RevOps)

    3-5 years as Director of Sales Operations

    Level 7 (C-Suite equivalent)

    • Integrated Marketing Operations strategy and technology.
    • Customer Success Operations design and retention analytics.
    • Overall revenue tech stack architecture and vendor management across all revenue functions.
    • M&A integration leadership for entire revenue organisations.

  2. Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

    5-8 years as Director/VP of Sales Operations

    Level 7 (C-Suite)

    • Comprehensive Marketing strategy and brand management.
    • Customer Success strategy and retention at an enterprise level.
    • Product strategy alignment with revenue goals.
    • Investor relations and public speaking as a company executive.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

As a Director of Sales Operations, your time is gold. It shouldn't be spent sifting through data or drafting routine reports. Imagine if you could offload the grunt work and focus purely on strategic initiatives that drive millions in revenue. That's where AI comes in.

We're not just talking about automating basic tasks; we're talking about AI as your strategic co-pilot. It'll help you spot trends, build robust models, and even draft executive summaries, freeing you up to lead, innovate, and make game-changing decisions for the sales organisation. This isn't a 'nice-to-have' anymore; it's how top-tier sales operations leaders operate.

AI-Powered Strategic Forecasting

Use advanced AI models within Salesforce or dedicated platforms (like Clari) to move beyond basic predictions. Get scenario analysis, identify underlying drivers of forecast variance, and challenge subjective sales commits with objective, data-backed insights. This means less time manually consolidating and more time strategising.

Go-to-Market & Territory Optimisation AI

Leverage AI to analyse market potential, customer segmentation, and historical performance to design optimal territories and account assignments. AI can help you identify white space, predict rep capacity, and ensure equitable distribution, taking hours out of complex planning cycles.

Executive Insight Generation

Feed raw data and strategic questions into an LLM (Large Language Model) to quickly draft executive summaries, board presentation slides, and strategic recommendations. AI can pull key insights, identify anomalies, and structure your arguments, giving you a powerful first draft in minutes, not hours.

Operational Excellence & Compliance AI

Implement AI-driven tools to monitor CRM data hygiene, flag potential compliance risks in contracts or commission payouts, and automate complex workflow approvals. This ensures your operations are not just efficient, but also robust and compliant, reducing manual oversight and audit risks.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director of Sales Operations?

Common routes in include Sales Operations Manager to Director (3-5 years as a Manager), Senior Sales Operations Analyst / Lead to Director (via Manager) (5-7 years (including a stint as Manager)) and Management Consultant (Sales/Revenue Focus) to Director (Transition typically after 8-12 years in consulting (e.g., Principal/Engagement Manager level)). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director of Sales Operations progress to?

This role can lead on to VP of Revenue Operations (RevOps) (3-5 years as Director of Sales Operations) and Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) (5-8 years as Director/VP of Sales Operations), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Director of Sales Operations?

Increasingly, AI-Driven Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy and Data Ethics & Responsible AI Governance. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

Read the Zavmo manifesto to understand how you will be taught Meet your tutors

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17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 7

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in sales

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The strategic and operational leadership skills built in this role transfer across industries, particularly technology, SaaS and B2B sectors. Building efficient revenue engines and leading large teams is valuable in most growth-oriented companies.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my free Automation Fluency module What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.