General Sales Manager / Head of Business
Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex
Salary: £50,000 Basic Salary
OTE: £80,000+ Uncapped
Hours: Full-Time
About the Role
We are seeking an ambitious, commercially driven and experienced automotive leader to join our dealership in Eastbourne as General Sales Manager / Head of Business.
This is an exciting opportunity for an established senior automotive professional to take a leading role in driving dealership performance, profitability, customer satisfaction and team development.
The successful candidate will provide strong leadership across the business, with a particular focus on maximising sales performance, developing high-performing teams and ensuring the dealership consistently achieves and exceeds manufacturer and financial objectives.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and drive the overall sales and commercial performance of the dealership.
- Take responsibility for achieving and exceeding new and used vehicle sales targets.
- Drive profitability across Sales, Finance and associated revenue streams.
- Develop and implement effective business plans and sales strategies to maximise growth and performance.
- Lead, motivate, coach and develop sales management and sales teams.
- Monitor and analyse key performance indicators (KPIs), taking proactive action to improve results.
- Ensure strong performance across customer satisfaction, retention and loyalty measures.
- Recruit, develop and retain high-calibre employees, creating a culture of accountability and high performance.
- Work closely with Aftersales, Parts, Finance and other departments to maximise overall dealership performance.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with manufacturer representatives, customers and key stakeholders.
- Ensure compliance with manufacturer standards, company policies and relevant industry regulations.
- Manage departmental budgets, costs and performance to maximise profitability.
- Lead by example, promoting a customer-first approach and consistently high standards of service.
- Identify opportunities for continuous improvement across processes, people and performance.
- Support the wider leadership team in achieving the dealership's strategic and financial objectives.
Candidate Requirements
- Proven experience as a General Sales Manager, Head of Business, Sales Manager, General Manager, Dealer Principal or Senior Automotive Manager.
- Strong experience within a franchised automotive dealership environment.
- A proven track record of delivering sales growth, profitability and consistently strong KPI performance.
- Excellent commercial awareness and financial understanding.
- Strong leadership, coaching and people management skills.
- Experience managing and developing high-performing sales teams.
- A target-driven and results-focused approach, with the ability to motivate others to exceed expectations.
- Strong understanding of automotive sales processes, F&I, customer satisfaction and manufacturer standards.
- Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
- Highly organised, commercially focused and capable of making effective decisions in a fast-paced environment.
- Full UK driving licence.
What's on Offer
- £50,000 basic salary.
- £80,000+ uncapped OTE.
- Performance-related bonus structure.
- Company car or car allowance.
- Company pension.
- Ongoing leadership and manufacturer training.
- Career progression opportunities within a growing dealer group.
- A dynamic, supportive and high-performing working environment.
Apply Now
If you are an experienced automotive sales leader with a proven track record of delivering results and developing successful teams, this could be an excellent opportunity to take the next step in your career.
Whether your current title is General Sales Manager, Head of Business, Sales Manager or another senior dealership leadership position, we would love to hear from you.
Pay: £50,000.00-£80,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
