Head of Sales

Head of Sales

R&D Tax Technology Platform | London (Hybrid)

The Opportunity

A fast-growing technology company operating in the R&D tax advisory space is seeking a Head of Sales to lead and build its commercial function.

The business has spent several years developing a sophisticated software platform designed to transform how R&D tax relief claims are prepared and managed by advisory firms and accountancy practices. The platform significantly reduces the time and complexity involved in preparing claims while improving accuracy and compliance.

Following a successful development phase, the company is now entering a major commercial growth stage, with an initial focus on the UK market and future plans to expand internationally into markets such as North America and other established R&D incentive jurisdictions.

This is a high-impact role where the successful candidate will take sole full ownership of the sales function and play a central role in bringing a genuinely innovative product to market.

Role Overview

Our client is looking for a commercially driven and entrepreneurial Head of Sales to build and lead the sales strategy.

This role would suit someone with strong connections in the R&D advisory ecosystem, such as experience in:

• R&D tax consultancy
• Business development within R&D advisory firms
• Sales roles serving accountancy practices or specialist advisory firms

The successful candidate will be the first dedicated sales hire, with significant autonomy to develop the go-to-market strategy and build early commercial traction.

Candidates with an established network across the R&D tax, innovation advisory, or specialist accountancy sectors will be particularly well positioned to succeed.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a sales strategy to introduce the platform to R&D consultancies and specialist accountancy firms.
• Leverage an existing professional network to generate early pipeline and accelerate market adoption.
• Identify potential clients and understand their operational challenges around claim preparation.
• Demonstrate how the platform improves efficiency, compliance and workflow management.
• Manage the entire sales cycle, from initial engagement through to negotiation and closing.
• Support client onboarding following contract signature, ensuring customers successfully adopt the platform.
• Build strong long-term relationships and act as the primary commercial contact for clients.
• Provide market insight and customer feedback to inform product development and roadmap planning.
• Represent the business at industry events, conferences and networking forums.

Candidate Requirements

• Proven experience in sales or business development within the R&D tax advisory, innovation consultancy, or adjacent professional services sector.
• An established network of contacts within the R&D ecosystem that can be leveraged to generate opportunities.
• Demonstrable success meeting or exceeding B2B sales targets.
• Comfortable operating in a stand-alone sales leadership role with high levels of autonomy.
• Strong communication, relationship-building and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Based within commuting distance of central London, with hybrid working expected.
• Willingness to travel for client meetings and industry events when required.

Desirable Experience

• Experience using CRM systems (e.g. HubSpot or similar).
• Familiarity with LinkedIn as a business development channel.
• Experience reporting sales performance and pipeline updates to senior leadership.

What’s on Offer

• The opportunity to lead the commercial growth of a specialist technology platform.
• Significant autonomy to shape the sales strategy and market positioning.
• Direct access to a founding team and senior leadership.
• The chance to play a key role in a rapidly evolving sector undergoing significant regulatory and technological change.