How to hire a senior sales director

How to hire a senior sales director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior sales director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior sales director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior sales director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a senior sales director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your senior sales director job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a senior sales director for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A senior sales director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior sales directors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of senior sales directors.

   Type of Senior Sales Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Sales Director	Sales managers direct organizations' sales teams. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives.	$38-92
   Director Of Sales & Business Development	A director of sales business development is responsible for monitoring the business and project plans, ensuring that the sales targets are met, according to project requirements and specifications. Directors of sales business development perform data analysis to track business performance and identify opportunities to grow revenues and profits... Show more	$18-84
   Director New Business Development	A director of new business development is in charge of spearheading new programs and procedures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. It is their duty to set goals and objectives in adherence to the company's vision and mission, establishing guidelines, allocating budgets, and overseeing the progress of all efforts... Show more	$34-80

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sales Process
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Cloud
   • Sales Management
   • Product Knowledge
   • Direct Sales
   • Business Development
   • Account Management
   • Marketing Campaigns
   • CRM
   • Business Plan
   • Healthcare
   • Sales Organization
   • Sales Targets

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop and manage a partnership with a Korean company to outsource medical device manufacturing on OEM basis.
   • Manage relationships with toll manufacturers and logistics providers to exceed cost reduction and inventory turn targets.
   • Halve response time and triple RFP reply rates for both domestic and international clientele.
   • Prepare written proposals for RFP s, client presentations, cross-selling audio and video capabilities.
   • Full responsibility for entire CRM strategy implementation delivery.
   • Leverage internal CRM and external data to optimize acquisition and retention opportunities

   More senior sales director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior sales director job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A senior sales director can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, senior sales directors' average salary in hawaii is 44% less than in oregon.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior sales directors 58% less than senior-level senior sales directors.
   • Certifications. A senior sales director with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a senior sales director's salary.

   Average senior sales director salary

   $124,597yearly

   $59.90 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior sales director salary

   $80,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 9, 2026

   Average senior sales director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$143,580	$69
   2	Washington	$142,967	$69
   3	Arizona	$136,247	$66
   4	Maryland	$135,595	$65
   5	Massachusetts	$135,035	$65
   6	District of Columbia	$134,453	$65
   7	Texas	$133,913	$64
   8	Virginia	$126,214	$61
   9	Nevada	$124,693	$60
   10	New York	$124,167	$60
   11	Ohio	$124,119	$60
   12	Wisconsin	$123,665	$59
   13	Colorado	$123,417	$59
   14	Minnesota	$122,752	$59
   15	North Carolina	$119,661	$58
   16	Missouri	$119,452	$57
   17	Indiana	$116,047	$56
   18	Illinois	$107,497	$52
   19	Utah	$107,036	$51
   20	Florida	$104,273	$50

   Average senior sales director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	VMware	$183,020	$87.99
   2	Palo Alto Networks	$180,405	$86.73	94
   3	Avid	$172,601	$82.98
   4	Juniper Networks	$169,960	$81.71
   5	Capgemini	$166,026	$79.82	57
   6	Integral Ad Science	$163,216	$78.47	7
   7	Accenture	$161,421	$77.61	846
   8	Adobe	$161,250	$77.52	110
   9	American Tower	$160,184	$77.01
   10	UST Global	$159,965	$76.91
   11	Hitachi Vantara	$159,063	$76.47	2
   12	Chewy	$158,597	$76.25	1
   13	Kaiser Permanente	$157,665	$75.80	13
   14	Workday	$155,526	$74.77	38
   15	Refinery29	$153,807	$73.95
   16	Tapad	$153,161	$73.64
   17	Arrow Electronics	$151,760	$72.96	302
   18	Lumileds	$149,657	$71.95
   19	Generac Holdings	$149,060	$71.66	19
   20	MediaTek	$147,785	$71.05	1

4. Writing a senior sales director job description

   A good senior sales director job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a senior sales director job description:

   Senior sales director job description example

   THE COMPANY: Since 1980, Stevens Transport has remained the primary choice of the Fortune 500 for delivery of perishable items and is the largest family-owned and operated climate-controlled freight company in Texas. Family is a top priority at Stevens and those values are integrated into everything we do, every day. Our award-winning service and reputation paired with state-of-the-art equipment has made us the pioneer of the industry.
   
   Stevens Transport Corporate offices as well as it's many departments and family of companies, reside on a massive 75-acre campus just East of Dallas. As a debt free, multimodal logistics conglomerate, Stevens Transport injects unmatched integrity into a corporate business model that reflects a track record of consistent growth and success. As “America's Trucking Family” and one of the nation's premier employers, we understand that our biggest “assets” are our people that support the continuous growth.
   
   If you are looking to continue with a rewarding career in Transportation & Logistics, come join the over 750 corporate family members with an exciting opportunity waiting for you!!
   
   THE ROLE: We are currently seeking an accomplished Senior Director of Dedicated Sales. This role will be leading the effort in securing new, “Dedicated” Relationships key customer accounts providing revenue expansion for our dedicated division. This role is designed for those who can create new opportunities and has a proven track record of success in expanding an already accomplished dedicated footprint.
   This role has a competitive base pay along with a NO CAP bonus incentive!
   QUALIFICATIONS· 5+ years of new account development experience (Must be a Hunter)· 3+ years of account management experience (Farmer of accounts)· Highly proficient user of CRM platforms & New Business Development Research Tools · Enterprise Account experience (Mid-Size to Fortune 500)· Seasoned in relationship building· Attention to detail & a sense of urgency for customer concern· Broad functional experience in: . 1) Results oriented environment. 2) Lead Generation. 3) Dedicated Truckload Transportation. 4) Broad understanding in Dedicated Market Pricing. 5) Sales Strategy. 6) Account Cultivation. 7) Customer KPI Review. 8) Competitive analysis
   ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS · Develop relationships with key target customers to help promote the company's dedicated fleet.· Develop a strategic sales plan for new client development· Establish relationships with new clients· Competitive analysis and research in National Dedicated needs· Coordination and execution of account pricing strategies with executive sales team· Effectively follow process for documentation in CRM Sales tools for maximum penetration and efficiency· Cultivate new relationships with key client executives for dedicated opportunities· Deliver a proposal presentation to the potential dedicated customers· Be accountable to Customer KPI reviews· Trusted advisor to key transportation managers to assist them with their operations, implementation and execution areas of need· Collaborate with Operations Management to implement and execute dedicated strategy
   REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS· Enterprise Account experience (Midsize - Fortune 500)· Experience selling to Sr. Leadership· Transportation/Logistics experience · Experience as a superior relationship builder
   HIGHLY BENEFICIAL QUALIFICATIONS· CRM utilization experience· Local to DFW area however Remote/Hybrid is available for the right candidate· Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, logistics or supply chain
   If you are a driven individual who thrives in an environment poised for growth to already long-standing industry leading organization, then come make Stevens Transportation your new home.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right senior sales director for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior sales director job on Zippia to find and recruit senior sales director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting senior sales directors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior sales director

   Once you've decided on a perfect senior sales director candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new senior sales director first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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