By Association Only - Shopify Platinum Partner
Head of Sales
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
About By Association Only (BAO)
BAO is a globally award-winning Silver Google eCommerce Partner and Platinum Shopify Plus eCommerce agency based in the UK. We specialise in working exclusively with Shopify Plus merchants, focusing on the fashion, cosmetics, and luxury goods sectors. Our team of senior designers, developers, and marketers are committed to delivering exceptional standards in eCommerce and collaborate with brands across the world in competitive global markets.
We operate in a studio environment that prioritises independence, autonomy, and ethical integrity. Our mission is to support the world’s most ambitious eCommerce brands through an environment that is smart, open, fast-paced, fun, and rewarding. While our office is in Cambridge, we are staffed by approximately 80% permanently remote team members across the UK. All roles are full-time.
Role Overview
We are seeking an articulate, commercially astute, and highly organised Head of Sales to join BAO’s Commercial Team.
This is a critical role, as BAO places first-class service at the heart of its business. This means white-glove treatment of both inbound and outbound sales journeys is essential to our success. Unlike traditional sales agencies that focus on aggressive conversions, our approach is thoughtful, consultative, well-informed, and relationship-driven.
The Head of Sales will:
- Own and manage BAO’s entire sales pipeline, from initial opportunity discovery through to proposal, negotiation, winning and introducing clients seamlessly.
- Report directly to the Commercial Director, collaborating closely with the Managing Director and Head of Client Services—all of whom play pivotal roles in shaping how BAO wins new projects and retains clients.
Over time, the ambition is for this role to become the autonomous lead of BAO’s entire sales process, including:
- Confidently qualifying new opportunities and guiding them to a successful close.
- Leading sales conversations, shaping proposals, and coordinating project scopes with internal specialists.
- Ensuring new clients are introduced to the team with a smooth, considered, and professional experience.
Additionally, the Head of Sales will help streamline and intensify BAO’s sales pipeline management. This includes:
- Accurate sales data capture and reporting (pipeline value, forecasting, pipeline health).
- Maintaining a high-quality CRM/contact database focused on targeted outbound activity.
- Collaborating with BAO’s marketing team to align sales strategies with PR, events, white papers, podcasts, and overall brand positioning.
The ideal candidate will balance sharp commercial instincts with maturity, sensitivity, and strong judgement. You must be able to speak persuasively and authentically about Shopify Plus projects and retainer agreements, professionally representing BAO—both formally (in writing, calls, pitches) and informally (live events, panel discussions).
Core Responsibilities
1. Sales Pipeline Ownership
- Review, qualify, and professionally progress all inbound enquiries with clarity and thought.
- Take full responsibility for pipeline health, ensuring high potential opportunities are advanced effectively.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
2. Consultative Sales Conversations
- Lead high-level sales discussions with senior stakeholders from ambitious and enterprise-grade brands.
3. Proposal Development & Commercial Scoping
- Draft exemplary proposals that clearly articulate BAO’s value proposition and tailored approach.
- Collaborate with internal specialists to refine commercial proposals.
4. Winning Projects & Retainers
- Play a central role in converting qualified opportunities into new clients, both for one-off projects and long-term retainers.
5. Sales Reporting & Pipeline Intelligence
- Ensure BAO’s pipeline is well-maintained, accessible, and actionable for data-driven decision-making.
- Provide structured, commercial reporting (weekly, monthly, quarterly) to support forecasting and strategy.
6. Sales & Marketing Database
- Build and sustain a high-quality sales contact database for targeted outreach.
7. Sales-Marketing Collaboration
- Work cohesively with BAO’s marketing team to bridge PR, events, and industry activity to lead generation.
8. Agency Representation & Industry Events
- Represent BAO externally at UK and international eCommerce/Industry events, as required.
9. Handoff & Client Introduction
- Advocate for seamless client integration after winning projects to align expectations with the wider agency.
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role is defined by:
- A clear and healthy sales pipeline with strong commercial potential, where opportunities are either forcibly advanced or handled professionally if not a fit.
- Over time, transitioning to:
- Operating as the day-to-day owner of BAO’s sales engine.
- Increasingly leading primary new business conversations.
- Refining proposals, reporting, and forecasting to aid decision-making.
- Representing BAO expertly in client-facing and industry engagements.
- Winning high-quality projects and retainers that align with BAO’s expertise, positioning, and values.
In short: Deliver elevated sales growth, pipeline accuracy, and new client confidence—closing not just deals but strong relationships.
About You
BAO is seeking someone who blends commercial acumen, communication skills, eCommerce expertise, and judgment. Here’s what we’re looking for:
Mandatory Experience & Skills
- Proven track record in sales, new business development, or commercial roles, preferably in eCommerce, digital, creative, or technical agencies.
- Sales pipeline management: Experience handling opportunities from inquiry to close.
- Consultative sales: Expertise in relationship-building, relationship-led sales, and impact-driven client conversations.
- Strong written & verbal communication: Must be persuasive in calls, written proposals, presentations—and comfortable meeting senior stakeholders.
- Proposal & scope development: Familiarity with writing high-quality sales and commercial documents, pitches, or blueprints.
- Commercial judgement: Ability to identify & hit opportunities with strong alignment, while issuing opportunities with clarity.
- Technical eCommerce aptitude: Understands Shopify Plus-level expertise (or willingness to learn rapidly) and can discuss eCommerce challenges, integrations, replatforming with credibility to both clients and internal teams.
- Pipeline & CRM competence: Proven ability to capture, organise, and analyse sales data in tools such as CRM systems.
- Marketing & lead gen collaboration: Experience bridging marketing efforts (PR, events, content) with sales strategy.
- External Representation: Confidence to represent BAO in client meetings, pitches, outdoors events—both domestically and globally.
- Discrete presence: Maintain polished professionalism in writing and all communications—politeness laced with authority and confidence.
- Strong organisation: Excellent attention to detail with the ability to juggle multiple opportunities efficiently.
- Managerial compass: Maturity, emotional intelligence in client relations, and another-strategy.
- UK-based availability: Willing to travel for client meetings, pitches, and industry events.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Desirable but Advantageous
- Previous exposure to Shopify Plus or major eCommerce platforms.
- Experience selling agency retainers & project work, both in fashion/eCommerce.
- Brand-side experience in digital or eCommerce teams.
- Knowledge of eCommerce tech stacks (eg.: integrations, data migration, migration).
- Core team collaboration: Experience aligning recommendations with designers, developers, strategists, project managers and account managers in proposals.
- Experience tracking & analysing sales pipeline metrics (lead source, conversion rate, probability by stage, cycle time).
- Remote-first mindset: Proven ability to collaborate effectively in a hybrid or fully SPoR (Studio-Permanently-Office-Replaced) environment.
- Industry networking: Existing relationships/familiarity with Shopify/energy eCommerce, fashion, beauty, responsibly brands.
Benefits
BAO offers:
- Highly competitive remuneration, benchmarked to the market plus salary** DOE (Directed Overview Earn)
- 24 days annual leave + 8 bank holiday days.
- An extra day annual leave for each year of service.
- Learning & training budget to support ongoing professional development.
- High-standard Apple laptops for team work.
- Opportunity for global industry travel (conferencing, special pitches).
- Collaboration with BAO's exclusively shopify, top-tier, and repairing international client base.
- Zero micromanagement. Team independence is core to our values.
- Hybrid vs. remote flexibility, to suit your location, choice, and needs.
- Both in-person and virtual team events hosted annually across the company.
- Structured career progression paths, transparent reviews, and clarity around growth.
Application Process
BAO values culture fit and professional alignment above boom formalities. Our process consists of:
- An initial informal chat to understand your background, motivations, and interests—not to miss cut jobs or run tests.
- If everything aligns, progress to further discussions!
Apply to be part of our Carbon Positive workforce: Every BAO team member contributes to tilting carbon footprint—postings first then working remotely travel offset through tree planting and rushes.
No Agencies*
(We are genuinely only—do not refer companies.)
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills
Location