Head of UK Trade Sales

Head of UK Trade Sales

Do you have a passion for sales and a drive to succeed? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment and are highly customer-focussed? This is an exciting opportunity to join our brilliant UK sales team to manage and direct sales to ensure the visibility and growth of our imprints. 

Quarto creates inspiring and award-winning illustrated books for adults and children published across the globe. As the Head of UK Trade Sales, you will play an instrumental role in making the decisions that develop and grow our trading strategies and maximise profitable sales opportunities. 

Contract  

This is a fixed term parental leave cover contract for a minimum of 16 months.

Salary

Starting from £52,000 (depending on how your skills and experience align to the role)

Closing date

26 September 2025

Working hours

35 hours per week, Monday to Friday. We currently operate a discretionary hybrid model, with three days in our London office and two working from home. Occasional weekend or evening work may be required.

About the role

Reporting to the UK Sales Director, this pivotal role involves managing and directing sales across assigned Key Trade accounts, as well as overseeing our field sales business. This role would suit a highly experienced Key Account Manager or Senior Sales Manager with experience in book sales, now looking for their next career move.

What you will be involved in:

• Managing all aspects of Quarto’s book sales across assigned accounts
• Developing and executing effective sales strategies, plans, and promotions to achieve revenue targets and objectives
• Sustaining and developing relationships with key accounts
• Participating in, forecasting on, and providing insights to support the decision-making process in acquisitions
• Maximising sales for frontlist, backlist, and across author brands, through strategic planning with the UK Sales Director
• Reporting regularly to key internal stakeholders
• Work with our Field Sales Manager, and the field team to increase sales and visibility of our books across the UK Book trade

About you

You will have at least 3 years of experience at Key Account level and be able to demonstrate excellent current knowledge of the UK Trade market. Experience working with Waterstones and/or Supermarkets would also be beneficial.

You will be able to show you can:

• Maximise sales for areas of responsibility while maintaining margins
• Develop, deliver, and communicate growth sales strategies
• Agree on budgets and sales targets with the senior management team
• Negotiate confidently and effectively
• Create and maintain robust working relationships, internally and externally
• Provide timely and accurate sales reporting and communication
• Demonstrate commercial awareness and entrepreneurship
• Lead a sales team

What we can offer

A supportive, open environment with development opportunities, as well as the following benefits: 

• 25 days paid holiday per year (increasing up to 30 days per year), plus bank holidays
• Cultural appreciation day (to honour a cultural holiday which is significant to you, separate to your holiday entitlement)
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Staff discounts on selected shops, retailers, and restaurants
•  Health Cash Plan
•  Pension
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Summer hours
•  Free books scheme
•  Active social and diversity committees 
•  Open plan, hot desking office environment

 How to apply 

Please send a CV and cover letter to [email protected] by the closing date and state the vacancy name in the email subject title.

Ensure you cover the following:

• Your motivation and what appeals to you about this particular role
• What key skills, experience and achievements you have that you think are relevant to this role, and why. Please provide examples of how you have utilised or demonstrated these skills.
• Where you saw the vacancy advertised

All applicants must be able to demonstrate the right to live and work in the UK in order to be considered for the vacancy.

We employ individuals based on their abilities and welcome applicants from all backgrounds regardless of disability, ethnic origin, gender, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, belief, age, or sexual orientation.

As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we aim to ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible for disabled people. Therefore, we encourage you to inform us of any reasonable adjustments you may require during your interview process. Please note, you only need to disclose information that you are comfortable sharing in order for us to accommodate your request.

Please note that due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are only able to respond to candidates selected for interview. We will keep applications on file for 6 months should a suitable vacancy arise. If you’d rather we didn’t, please let us know with your application.