UK

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

Director, Vertical Industries

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

Also advertised as Head of Vertical Sales · VP of Industry Solutions · Sales Director (Vertical)

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 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
Change Fluency taking people through change

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Director, Vertical Industries?

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 Market Intelligence & Predictive Analytics
  • Ecosystem & Alliance Partner Management
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, Vertical Industries plan as you set up, starting with the free Data Fluency module. No card.

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3What this role really is

A Director, Vertical Industries leads sales strategy for a specific industry sector and manages its performance.

4What you'd actually use

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

Salesforce Sales Cloud Strategic Command

Defining CRM strategy for the vertical, specifying custom object requirements, using data for high-level forecasting, and ensuring compliance across all teams. You're working with RevOps to make sure it delivers what your vertical needs.

Clari Advanced

Using advanced forecasting and pipeline inspection capabilities for high-level P&L management and strategic decision-making across the vertical. You're not just looking at the numbers; you're understanding the 'why' behind them.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator & ZoomInfo Strategic Command

Evaluating and selecting data providers based on vertical data quality and ROI. You're integrating intelligence tools into the broader go-to-market strategy for your vertical, ensuring your team has the best prospecting data available.

Bombora (or similar intent data platforms) Strategic Command

Integrating intent data signals into your vertical's GTM strategy to identify non-obvious buying triggers and inform account prioritisation for your teams. You're using this to get ahead of the market.

Outreach / Salesloft Strategic Command

Owning the engagement platform strategy for the vertical, ensuring compliance and consistent messaging across all teams. You're defining the playbooks, not just running them.

Highspot / Seismic Strategic Command

Defining the content strategy and architecture for the vertical. You're using platform analytics to prove content ROI and inform future investments, making sure your team has the right collateral at the right time.

Gong / Chorus Strategic Command

Analysing market trends and customer sentiment across thousands of calls to inform product strategy, competitive positioning, and executive-level business decisions for your vertical. You're using this for strategic insights, not just coaching.

Anaplan / Workday Adaptive Planning Advanced

Utilising these tools for complex territory carving, quota modeling, and long-range financial planning for the vertical. This is where you get into the nitty-gritty of your P&L.

Tableau Server Advanced

Presenting vertical performance summaries using sophisticated dashboards and custom visualisations to the C-Suite and Board. You're telling the story with data.

Diligent (or similar board portal software) Intermediate

Preparing and submitting board-level narratives and presentations for your vertical, ensuring all materials are precise and compliant with governance standards.

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
Vertical GTM Strategy N/A N/A N/A
P&L Management & Budget Allocation N/A N/A N/A
Hiring & Team Structure N/A N/A N/A
Strategic Partnerships & Alliances N/A N/A N/A

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.

Vertical P&L Attainment
Achieving or exceeding the overall revenue and profitability targets for your assigned industry vertical.
Target · 100%+ of annual revenue and gross margin targets (typically £2M-£10M+).

If your vertical's annual revenue target is £5M and you hit £5.5M, that's 110% attainment, which is excellent.

Forecast Accuracy
How close your team's submitted quarterly revenue forecast is to the actual revenue achieved.
Target · +/- 10% accuracy on the quarterly forecast.

Forecasting £2.5M for Q3 and closing £2.4M means you were within 4% accuracy, which is spot on for this level.

Market Share Growth
Increasing our percentage of the total addressable market within your specific vertical.
Target · Increase market share within the vertical by 5% year-over-year.

Moving from 10% to 15% market share in the UK Financial Services sector over 12 months would be a massive win.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) Growth
The average total revenue expected from a customer account over its lifetime, specifically within your vertical.
Target · Increase average CLV for vertical customers by 15% year-over-year.

If the average customer in your vertical used to bring in £500K over 5 years, and now they're bringing in £575K, you're driving significant value.

Strategic Influence & Thought Leadership
Being seen as the go-to expert for your vertical, both internally and externally, shaping broader company strategy and market perception.
  • Regularly presenting to the C-Suite and Board on vertical trends
  • being quoted in industry publications or speaking at major conferences
  • Product team actively seeking your input for roadmap decisions
  • being the first call when a major vertical-specific challenge arises.
Talent Development & Retention
Building, coaching, and retaining a high-performing team of vertical sales professionals and leaders.
  • Low regrettable attrition rates (<15%)
  • demonstrable career progression for your team members
  • positive feedback in 360-degree reviews about your coaching and leadership style
  • successful hiring and onboarding of key talent.
Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy Effectiveness
The success of the GTM strategy you define for your vertical, ensuring it's tailored, efficient, and delivers results.
  • Clear, documented GTM plans that are adopted by Marketing and Product
  • specific vertical campaigns showing strong ROI
  • consistent messaging and positioning across all sales teams
  • positive feedback from the field on the clarity and effectiveness of the strategy.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Effectively working with other departments like Product, Marketing, and Customer Success to ensure your vertical's needs are met and opportunities are maximised.
  • Product roadmaps reflecting key vertical requirements
  • Marketing delivering relevant, high-impact campaigns
  • smooth handovers between Sales and Customer Success
  • positive feedback from your peers in other departments about your collaborative approach.

7Would you like it

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

What people enjoy
Building & Leading High-Performing Teams

You get a real buzz from seeing your team members develop, hit their targets, and grow their careers. You'll spend a good chunk of your day coaching, mentoring, and strategising with your managers and their teams, celebrating their wins, and helping them navigate tough challenges.

Watching a manager you've coached successfully close a multi-million-pound deal, or seeing a junior rep you've mentored get promoted to a senior role.

Shaping Market Strategy & Impacting Business Growth

You love the idea of being the architect, not just the executor. You'll be deeply involved in setting the strategic direction for your vertical, influencing product roadmaps, and seeing your decisions directly contribute to significant revenue growth and market share expansion.

Presenting a new GTM strategy to the C-Suite and then seeing it successfully implemented, leading to a 10% increase in market share within your vertical.

Solving Complex Industry Problems

The more intricate and challenging the industry problem, the more engaged you are. You enjoy diving deep into vertical-specific regulations, market dynamics, and customer pain points, then crafting and selling solutions that truly make a difference.

Working with a major financial institution to overcome regulatory hurdles with a bespoke solution, or helping a healthcare provider streamline patient care through technology.

What frustrates people
  • Bureaucracy and slow decision-making from other departments that impact your GTM speed.
  • Product roadmaps that don't prioritise critical vertical-specific features, even when you've made a strong business case.
  • The constant tension between short-term quarterly targets and long-term strategic investments.
  • Explaining your vertical's unique needs and complexities to internal stakeholders who don't 'get it'.
  • Having to navigate internal politics to get resources or approvals for your team.
  • Losing a key team member and having to quickly backfill and onboard in a competitive talent market.
What this role does not give you
  • A predictable, 9-to-5 schedule. This is a leadership role with significant responsibility.
  • A quiet, solitary work environment. You'll be constantly interacting with people.
  • Total control over every aspect of the business. You'll need to influence and collaborate.
  • An easy ride. This role is demanding, but incredibly rewarding if you're up for it.

8Who you work with

This role directly drives a multi-million-pound P&L for your assigned vertical. Your decisions impact product roadmaps, marketing spend, and the overall perception of our brand within that industry. You're shaping a significant part of our company's future, no exaggeration.

Inside the business
  • C-Suite (CEO, CFO, COO, CPO)
  • VP, Global Verticals (your direct boss)
  • Product Leadership (especially those building vertical-specific solutions)
  • Marketing Leadership (for GTM campaigns and content)
  • Sales Operations (for forecasting, territory planning, and compensation)
  • Legal & Finance Teams (for deal approvals and P&L management)
Outside the business
  • Strategic Enterprise Clients (C-level executives)
  • Industry Analysts & Influencers
  • Key Alliance Partners
  • Relevant Industry Bodies and Associations
  • Potential Investors (when discussing vertical growth)

9What you need before you start

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

  • A proven track record of 5+ years in a senior sales leadership role (e.g., Sales Manager, Regional Director) managing teams of 10+ people.
  • Significant experience (10+ years) in direct sales within a specific industry vertical, demonstrating deep domain expertise and a network of executive contacts.
  • Demonstrable experience owning and exceeding a P&L of at least £1M annually.
  • Experience defining and executing successful go-to-market strategies for new products or market segments.
  • Strong understanding of complex enterprise sales cycles, including procurement, legal, and technical evaluations.
  • A history of successfully coaching, mentoring, and developing sales talent, including other managers.

10What to practise next

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

Advanced Sales Operations & Revenue Operations Strategy

Critical within 12 months. As vertical sales become more complex, the lines between sales leadership and revenue operations blur. You'll need to understand how to design and optimise the entire revenue engine for your vertical, from lead generation to customer retention, using data and automation.

Sales Process Optimisation with Automation · Compensation Plan Design & Incentive Alignment · Territory Design & Quota Setting Methodologies · Data Governance & CRM Hygiene for Revenue Operations

  • This quarter: Partner closely with our Sales Operations lead to understand their roadmap and current challenges.
  • Next quarter: Take an online course on Revenue Operations strategy or compensation plan design.
  • Month 6: Lead a project to optimise one key sales process within your vertical using automation.
  • Month 9: Propose a data-driven adjustment to your vertical's territory or quota structure for the next fiscal year.

Quick win: Schedule regular deep-dive sessions with your Sales Operations counterpart. Understand their metrics, their challenges, and how you can support their efforts to improve your vertical's performance.

Digital Transformation & Customer Experience (CX) Strategy

Important within 24 months. Buyers in every vertical expect a seamless, personalised digital experience. As a leader, you'll need to understand how our digital presence, sales enablement tools, and post-sale customer journey contribute to the overall CX, and how to integrate these for maximum impact and retention.

Customer Journey Mapping (Digital Focus) · Personalisation at Scale · Sales Enablement Platform Optimisation for CX · Feedback Loops & CX Metrics Integration

  • This quarter: Review our current digital customer journey for your vertical and identify 3-5 pain points.
  • Next quarter: Research leading digital sales and CX strategies in your industry and present findings to your peers.
  • Month 6: Collaborate with Marketing and Customer Success to launch a pilot program focused on improving a specific digital touchpoint in your vertical's journey.
  • Month 9: Measure the impact of your CX initiatives on conversion rates, deal velocity, or customer retention within your vertical.

Quick win: Take a critical look at your vertical's sales enablement content. Is it truly personalised and engaging, or does it feel generic? Identify one piece of content you can make more interactive or tailored.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attending and speaking at major industry conferences and trade shows relevant to your vertical.
  • Subscribing to and actively engaging with leading industry publications, analyst reports, and thought leadership content.
  • Participating in executive-level sales leadership forums or peer groups to share best practices and learn from others.
  • Mentoring rising talent within the organisation, both within your vertical and beyond, to hone your leadership and coaching skills.
  • Undertaking continuous learning in areas like AI, advanced analytics, and digital transformation to stay ahead of market trends.

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 Market Intelligence & Predictive Analytics

Critical within 12 months. The sheer volume of market data, competitor activity, and customer signals is overwhelming. Leaders who can use AI to cut through the noise, identify predictive trends, and make data-backed strategic decisions will significantly outperform those relying on gut feel or traditional research.

  • Generative AI for Market Synthesis
  • Predictive Customer Behaviour Models
  • Competitive Landscape Mapping with AI
  • Ethical AI & Data Governance

Ecosystem & Alliance Partner Management

Critical within 18 months. Complex enterprise deals in specific verticals increasingly involve a network of partners—system integrators, technology providers, consultants. Leaders who can strategically build, manage, and scale these ecosystems will unlock significant new revenue streams and market access that direct sales alone can't achieve.

  • Partner GTM Strategy Development
  • Co-Selling & Co-Marketing Models
  • Partner Performance Measurement & Optimisation
  • Conflict Resolution & Relationship Management

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Vertical Acumen & Fluency (Expert)
  • Challenger Sale Methodology (Strategic Command)
  • MEDDPICC Qualification (Strategic Command)
  • Value-Based Selling (Strategic Command)
  • Multi-Threading & Champion Building (Strategic Command)
  • Territory & Account Planning (Strategic Command)

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

    Manager, Vertical Sales

    3-5 years

    Skills to master

    • Mastering team quota attainment, developing individual sales managers, driving pipeline generation at a team level, and gaining experience in strategic account planning across a portfolio.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently exceeding team revenue targets by 10% or more.
    • Demonstrable success in coaching and developing sales managers under your purview.
    • Successfully leading significant, complex deals to close, demonstrating strategic thinking beyond just individual sales.
    • Proactively identifying and implementing process improvements that impact team efficiency and effectiveness.
  2. 2

    Principal Vertical Account Executive

    4-6 years

    Skills to master

    • Deepening vertical expertise, consistently closing multi-million-pound enterprise deals, acting as a 'player-coach' for junior reps, and influencing vertical strategy without direct management authority.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently overachieving individual quota on the largest, most complex deals in the vertical.
    • Being the go-to expert for tough deal strategy and customer negotiations.
    • Demonstrable impact on the performance of junior team members through informal mentorship and guidance.
    • Proactively contributing to and influencing vertical GTM strategy at a senior level.
  3. 3

    Head of Sales Operations (with Vertical Focus)

    5-7 years

    Skills to master

    • Expertise in sales process optimisation, CRM strategy, compensation plan design, data analytics for sales, and cross-functional project management, all with a strong vertical lens.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully designed and implemented major sales process improvements that led to measurable ROI.
    • Demonstrable expertise in sales forecasting, territory planning, and quota setting.
    • Strong analytical skills, with the ability to translate complex data into actionable sales strategies.
    • Proven ability to collaborate effectively with sales leadership and other departments to drive operational excellence.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to positions such as Chief Sales Officer or Chief Revenue Officer, or General Manager running a full business unit.

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, Vertical Industries 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.

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, Vertical Industries
  • Vertical Acumen & Fluency (Expert)
  • Challenger Sale Methodology (Strategic Command)
  • MEDDPICC Qualification (Strategic Command)
  • Value-Based Selling (Strategic Command)
  • Multi-Threading & Champion Building (Strategic Command)
  • Territory & Account Planning (Strategic Command)
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, Vertical Industries is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. VP, Global Verticals

    3-5 years

    Executive Leadership (L7)

    • P&L ownership for the entire vertical portfolio (e.g., £10M+).
    • M&A strategy and integration across diverse industry segments.
    • Driving cross-functional alignment at the executive level to support global vertical strategies.
    • Building and managing a leadership team of Directors.

  2. Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

    5-8 years

    C-Suite (L7)

    • Integrating all revenue-generating functions (Sales, Marketing, Customer Success) into a cohesive strategy.
    • Driving company-wide digital transformation initiatives impacting revenue.
    • Leading M&A activities from a revenue synergy perspective.
    • Building and managing a C-level executive team.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

As a Director, your time is gold. You're juggling strategic planning, team leadership, P&L management, and C-suite presentations. The good news? AI isn't just for individual reps anymore; it's a powerful co-pilot that can give you back hours every week, letting you focus on what truly matters: driving growth and shaping strategy. We're not talking about replacing you, but augmenting your capabilities significantly.

Our internal AI Productivity Hub is packed with tools designed to streamline the strategic and operational aspects of your role. From cutting through market noise to optimising team performance, these aren't 'nice-to-haves'—they're essential for staying competitive and leading effectively in today's market. Think of it as having a team of hyper-efficient research and analysis assistants at your fingertips, ready to deliver insights on demand.

AI-Driven Market Intelligence & Trend Analysis

Forget sifting through hundreds of analyst reports. AI tools can summarise key vertical trends, identify emerging competitors, and flag market shifts that could impact your GTM strategy, delivering concise, actionable insights directly to your inbox. This means you're always informed, without the heavy lifting.

Automated Performance & Pipeline Optimisation

AI can analyse your team's CRM data to spot patterns in deal cycles, forecast accuracy, and rep performance. It can highlight where coaching is most needed, identify at-risk deals, and even suggest optimal territory adjustments. This gives you a data-driven edge in managing your P&L and team's output.

Executive Summary & Board Presentation Generation

Need to quickly summarise complex quarterly results or draft a compelling narrative for the board? AI can take raw data, key performance indicators, and your strategic notes, then draft initial versions of executive summaries and presentation slides, saving you hours of tedious writing and formatting.

Strategic Partner & M&A Opportunity Identification

AI can scan vast datasets to identify potential strategic partners, acquisition targets, or new market segments within your vertical that align with your growth objectives. It analyses company profiles, financial health, and market fit, giving you a head start on critical expansion opportunities.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director, Vertical Industries?

Common routes in include Manager, Vertical Sales (3-5 years), Principal Vertical Account Executive (4-6 years) and Head of Sales Operations (with Vertical Focus) (5-7 years). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director, Vertical Industries progress to?

This role can lead on to VP, Global Verticals (3-5 years) and Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) (5-8 years), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Director, Vertical Industries?

Increasingly, AI-Driven Market Intelligence & Predictive Analytics and Ecosystem & Alliance Partner Management. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

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

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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

This role is rooted in a specific vertical, but the leadership, budget management, and team-building skills carry across sectors. You could move to lead sales in a different vertical, take on a broader general management role, or move into a senior leadership position within your current industry. Understanding how an industry works stays useful whatever the product.

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 Data 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.