Sales Director | Data & AI, UK (Hybrid)

About adessoWe are on a mission to help our clients deliver results with clarity, fairness, and accountability. By combining deep technical and functional IT and digital expertise, we drive innovation, modernise systems, and strengthen the teams behind them. Our Data & AI practice works with clients across data platforms, data engineering, analytics, cloud transformation, applied AI, and GenAI. We combine strategic advice with hands-on delivery, helping organisations move from ambition to practical, scalable outcomes. If you’re an entrepreneurial sales leader who can open doors, build trusted executive relationships, and turn complex Data & AI challenges into compelling business opportunities, we’d love to talk The RoleWe are looking for an experienced Sales Director to lead the growth of our Data & AI business in the UK. This is a senior, hunter-profile role focused on identifying new business opportunities, developing strategic relationships, creating qualified pipeline, and converting opportunities into long-term client partnerships. You’ll engage with senior decision-makers across technology, data, analytics, transformation, and business functions, helping them understand how modern data and AI capabilities can address their most important challenges. You’ll work closely with our Data & AI Practice Lead, delivery teams, and colleagues across the adesso Group to shape propositions, build compelling client solutions, and ensure a smooth transition from sales through to delivery. The ideal candidate combines strong enterprise technology sales experience with genuine curiosity about data and AI. You don’t need to be a hands-on engineer, but you must be able to understand complex technical concepts, ask the right questions, and communicate business value with credibility. This is a role for someone who can move confidently between a first conversation with a prospective client, a C-level strategy discussion, a detailed proposal, and an internal solution-shaping session. What You’ll DoGenerate new business Act as a hunter-profile Sales Director, responsible for generating new business and achieving agreed sales, revenue, and order-entry targets

Develop a strong and qualified pipeline across Data & AI consulting, technology delivery, and managed or ongoing services

Identify and pursue opportunities through your established network, targeted outreach, prospecting, referrals, partnerships, and industry events

Build relationships with senior stakeholders, including CIOs, CTOs, Chief Data Officers, Chief Digital Officers, Chief AI Officers, data and analytics leaders, and business executives

Understand each client’s strategic priorities, operating model, technology landscape, and commercial drivers

Connect customer challenges to relevant Data & AI capabilities, including:

Data strategy and operating models

Cloud data platforms and lake houses

Data engineering and integration

Business intelligence and advanced analytics

Data governance and quality

Applied AI and GenAI

AI-enabled software delivery and transformation

Convert opportunities to achieve and exceed monthly, quarterly, and annual targets

Develop long-term account strategies that create opportunities beyond the initial engagement

Lead the sales cycle Manage customer relationships and interactions throughout the full sales cycle, from initial qualification through to contract signature and handover

Lead discovery conversations, executive briefings, client workshops, proposal development, negotiations, and close activities

Collaborate with technical and delivery colleagues to shape credible, outcome-focused solutions

Translate complex Data & AI propositions into clear commercial narratives for technical and non-technical audiences

Develop proposals, statements of work, estimates, presentations, demonstrations, and business cases

Ensure opportunities are properly qualified, commercially viable, and aligned with our ability to deliver

Maintain accurate activity, pipeline, opportunity, and forecast information using a structured sales methodology

Work with delivery leaders to ensure a clear and effective transition from sales into project mobilisation

Stay engaged after contract signature to support client satisfaction, identify follow-on opportunities, and strengthen the relationship

Shape our UK market proposition Provide input into UK market-entry and go-to-market strategies for Data & AI

Identify emerging trends, customer needs, competitive developments, and new areas of commercial opportunity

Help adapt adesso Group Data & AI capabilities, reference projects, accelerators, and propositions for the UK market

Work with practice leadership to refine our value proposition, target sectors, buyer personas, and account priorities

Develop relationships with technology partners and strategic ecosystem organisations

Represent adesso UK at industry events, networking forums, roundtables, conferences, and client meetings

Help strengthen our profile as a credible and practical Data & AI transformation partner

Work across adesso Collaborate closely with the UK Data & AI Practice Lead and wider leadership team to align commercial priorities with delivery capacity

Work with colleagues across Europe and the wider adesso Group to bring relevant expertise and reference experience to UK opportunities

Coordinate with international adesso entities to support successful deployments and continued account growth

Share market intelligence, customer insight, and competitive feedback with the relevant practice and business leaders

Contribute to an entrepreneurial, collaborative, and high-performing sales culture

Grow the Data & AI practice Define and execute the UK Data & AI practice strategy in line with wider business objectives

Build a compelling proposition for data platforms, analytics, AI, and GenAI services

Identify market opportunities, develop customer relationships, and contribute to account growth

Lead pre-sales activities, including discovery workshops, proposals, estimates, solution designs, demonstrations, and presentations

Help customers understand the value, feasibility, risks, and delivery considerations of Data & AI investments

Support the development of case studies, accelerators, reference architectures, and other go-to-market material

Own the practice P&L, including revenue, margin, utilisation, forecasting, and delivery performance

Contribute to resource planning and ensure the practice has the capability required to deliver successfully

Build and lead the team Recruit, onboard, and retain talented Data & AI consultants and engineers

Build a strong local Data & AI community within adesso UK

Set clear expectations and support the professional development of team members

Coach colleagues through project delivery, technical challenges, and career progression

Create an environment in which people can share knowledge, challenge ideas, and continuously improve

Develop capability plans to ensure the team remains aligned with customer demand and emerging technologies

Lead or contribute to internal and international communities of practice

Shape our AI capability Lead the UK contribution to adesso’s international New School of AI community

Share practical knowledge, experience, and best practice around applied AI and GenAI

Help customers and colleagues understand the implications of AI for architecture, delivery processes, governance, and operating models

Explore how AI can support software development, testing, documentation, analysis, and other delivery activities

Contribute to discussions around agent-ready architecture, responsible adoption, security, quality, and accountability

Turn relevant developments in AI into credible customer propositions, internal guidance, and practical delivery approaches

The New School of AI focuses on helping organisations make informed decisions about GenAI-powered software processes, AI-enabled architecture, and prompt-driven development.

What You’ll Bring At least ten years’ experience in B2B sales, ideally selling custom software solutions, technology consulting, digital transformation, data services, or enterprise technology

A consistent track record of winning new business and achieving or exceeding sales and order-entry targets

A strong network among senior technology, data, analytics, digital, transformation, and business stakeholders

Demonstrable experience selling complex, consultative solutions with multiple stakeholders and extended sales cycles

The ability to create and develop pipeline independently rather than relying solely on inbound opportunities

Experience selling one or more of the following areas:

Data platforms and cloud transformation

Data engineering and modernisation

Analytics and business intelligence

Data governance and operating models

Artificial intelligence and GenAI

Technology or software engineering services

A strong understanding of how Data & AI investments support business outcomes such as growth, operational efficiency, risk management, customer experience, and better decision-making

Experience using a structured, process-oriented sales methodology

A proven ability to identify customer needs and shape solutions that address them

Exceptional presentation, negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills

The confidence and credibility to engage with senior and C-level stakeholders

The ability to work effectively across sales, consulting, architecture, engineering, and delivery teams

Strong commercial awareness, including experience with forecasting, pipeline management, qualification, pricing, and negotiation

An entrepreneurial mindset, with the energy and resilience to build a growing market proposition

A genuine interest in data, AI, cloud technology, and the changing technology landscape

A background in engineering, technology consulting, data, or software development would be advantageous

Existing relationships and market knowledge in Banking and Financial Services would be desirable, but are not essential

Strong written and spoken English

Why Join UsYou’ll join an established business with the energy and ambition of a growing technology consultancy. You’ll have the opportunity to shape our UK Data & AI proposition, build strategic client relationships, and play a direct role in the growth of the business. We offer: The opportunity to sell meaningful Data & AI transformation rather than isolated technology products

Close collaboration with experienced consultants, architects, engineers, and practice leaders

Access to the expertise and reference experience of the wider adesso Group

A flexible hybrid working model and digital-first culture

A lean organisation with minimal bureaucracy and the autonomy to make an impact

A collaborative and entrepreneurial working environment

Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits

Genuine opportunities to grow your career as the UK business scales

Hybrid working:You’ll work across customer sites, the adesso UK London office, and remotely from home, depending on customer requirements and business needs. #J-18808-Ljbffr