Commercial Development Director

Join us in shaping smarter commercial decisions across Northern Europe

At Specsavers, we're dedicated to making eye and hearing care accessible to all. As pioneers and a global leader in innovative technologies, we help people optimise their vision and hearing.

In this role, you’ll join a supportive, purpose-led business where collaboration, curiosity, courage and compassion guide how we work — and where your commercial judgement can shape decisions across Northern Europe. 

To strengthen our Commercial function, we’re looking for an experienced commercial leader to take the role of Commercial Development Director for Northern Europe. This is a high-impact regional leadership role with broad exposure to the Northern Europe Board and Leadership Team. The successful candidate will drive commercial value creation, strengthen decision-making and build a consistent, commercially focused and risk-aware approach across our markets. 

The team

As Commercial Development Director, you'll report directly to the Commercial Director of Northern Europe, and work closely with the Northern Europe Board, Leadership Team, Country Directors and key functional leaders across the region. You'll work closely with senior leaders across the region while helping shape and mature the commercial capability, creating a strong foundation for future regional impact and the continued evolution of the function.

This role sits at the centre of some of the region's most important strategic activities. You'll collaborate with colleagues across Finance, Business Development, Retail Operations, Data & Business Intelligence, Supply Chain and Group functions to ensure commercial decisions are supported by robust analysis, sound judgement and long-term thinking.

If you enjoy navigating complexity, influencing senior stakeholders and creating clarity where others see ambiguity, you'll feel right at home here. Your role 

As our Commercial Development Director, you'll help shape the commercial direction of the Northern European region by bringing together financial insight, commercial thinking and strategic perspective. 

You'll partner with senior leaders to evaluate opportunities, assess risks and develop frameworks that improve decision-making across the business. This role is as much about influencing and enabling others as it is about analysis, making it an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys working at the intersection of strategy, finance and operations.

In this role, you'll:

• Shape the commercial direction for major strategic initiatives and growth opportunities across Northern Europe.
• Drive long-term value creation by balancing commercial opportunities, partner impact and risk considerations in regional decision-making.
• Partner with senior leaders on the development of robust business cases, investment appraisals and strategic recommendations.
• Challenge assumptions constructively and ensure commercial decisions are grounded in evidence, insight and sound governance.
• Identify emerging commercial risks and growth opportunities across markets and develop clear recommendations for action.
• Build and strengthen commercial capability, frameworks and ways of working across the region.
• Play a key role in the ongoing finance transformation and commercial evolution agenda across Northern Europe
• Build strong partnerships across functions and act as a trusted advisor, influencing decisions through insight, judgement and commercial expertise.

This role is a strategic leadership development opportunity within Northern Europe, providing exposure to the region's key leaders, commercial and strategic priorities. Designed for a high-potential future leader, the role will evolve as your capability and experience grow, with increasing responsibility and leadership expectations over time, positioning you well for future senior leadership opportunities within the business. 

Your qualifications

We're looking for a commercially minded leader who combines strong analytical capabilities with the ability to influence, inspire and drive change across a complex organisation.

Ideally, you'll bring: 

• A degree within Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related discipline.
• Significant experience in senior commercial, finance, strategy or business leadership roles.
• A strong track record of supporting high-value business decisions through commercial insight and financial analysis.
• Deep expertise in financial modelling, business planning and investment appraisal.
• A strong track record of shaping board-level recommendations, presenting complex commercial choices to senior executives and influencing decisions with enterprise-wide implications.
• The ability to balance strategic thinking with a practical, hands-on approach.
• Strong project leadership skills and experience managing multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills and a proven ability to influence across functions and levels.
• A genuine curiosity for understanding how businesses create value and how decisions impact customers, partners and long-term performance. 

On a personal level, we see you as a collaborative and commercially astute leader who brings structure, pace and clarity to complex challenges. You're comfortable working through ambiguity, enjoy solving problems and have the confidence to challenge the status quo while bringing people with you. Above all, you're motivated by helping others make better decisions and creating sustainable success for the business.  

Curious to learn more? Then apply today

To apply, please submit your CV using the button below. A cover letter is optional, so you can apply as soon as you’re ready.  Please do not include a photo or your age in your CV. This helps us support a fair and more unbiased assessment process. 

We review CVs and invite candidates to interview on a rolling basis. Our standard recruitment process consists of three interview rounds, including a personality assessment feedback session.

Diversity & Inclusion at Specsavers

Specsavers will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected factor.

In line with our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we integrate these principles into all aspects of our work, from product development to team building. 

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