Hire the Head of Sales who structures your team.
The first sales manager who turns a team of individual sellers into a pipeline machine: process, coaching, reliable forecasting. We find this rare profile in under 20 days.
The role
The Head of Sales manages a team of salespeople (SDRs, Account Executives) day to day: coaching, structuring the sales process, making the forecast reliable, and owning the revenue target for their scope. In a start-up or scale-up, this is often the first real sales manager hired — the one who turns a group of individual sellers into a team that performs together.
A bad hire in this role is costly: team turnover, poorly qualified pipeline, forecasts that never hold up. A good Head of Sales has personally carried a quota before managing — that's what gives them the credibility to coach, hire the right profiles, and industrialize what works.
The right profile
- Has personally carried a sales quota (AE or equivalent) before managing — coaching credibility is earned in the field, not on a resume.
- Has already grown a team, even a small one (3 to 6 reps): hiring, onboarding, call debriefs, upskilling.
- Structures without over-bureaucratizing: a clear sales playbook, disciplined CRM hygiene, a steady pipeline review cadence, reliable forecasting.
- Can present a number to a CEO or a board backed by solid projections — not just a motivational speech.
- A hands-on profile, comfortable with the ambiguity of a fast-growing start-up or scale-up, not an executive looking for an already-stabilized role.
Salary range
| Seniority | Base | Variable | OTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | 48–58 k€ | 12–18 k€ | 60–75 k€ |
| Mid-level | 65–80 k€ | 20–30 k€ | 85–110 k€ |
| Senior | 85–100 k€ | 30–45 k€ | 115–145 k€ |
How we recruit
We start with your context.
An in-depth call to understand culture, commercial challenges, and non-negotiable criteria. We never start blind.
Active identification.
Our in-house agents + Apify, Kaspr, lemlist and Waalaxy to identify and reach out. Claude and Mistral to analyze and summarize. Fireflies and Noota to capture interviews. LinkedIn Recruiter for search.
5 to 10 aligned profiles.
Every profile presented has been met by Walid in interview. Each with a detailed brief, through to decision, negotiation and onboarding.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a Head of Sales and a VP Sales?
The Head of Sales manages a team day to day — coaching, process, forecast — usually across a local or single-product scope. The VP Sales owns the overall sales strategy, arbitrates across several teams, and sits on the leadership committee. Many start-ups hire a Head of Sales first, then a VP Sales as the organization grows.
How long does it take to hire a Head of Sales?
Less than 20 days on average, based on our 200+ placements made between 2022 and 2026. This timeline can extend for very specific profiles (sector, size of team already managed, geography).
Should you hire on a CDI, as a freelancer, or go through RPO?
CDI remains the norm for this type of management role, which requires continuity to build a team over time. RPO makes sense if you're structuring your sales function over several months and want to test the organization before locking in the role.
How much does a Head of Sales cost in France?
The ranges above (provisional, to be confirmed) come from our Walead placements 2022-2026; they vary mainly with the size of the team managed, the start-up's stage, and the sector. We refine them with you at the brief.
A role to fill?
First call free, no commitment. Book a slot or describe your need — we get back to you within 24 business hours.