Commercial Sales Lead

Cochrane is a global, independent network of health practitioners, researchers, patient advocates and others, responding to the challenge of making vast amounts of research evidence useful for informing decisions about health. We do this by synthesizing research findings to produce the best available evidence on what can work, what might harm and where more research is needed. Our work is recognized as the international gold standard for high quality, trusted information. Though we are spread out across the globe, our shared passion for health evidence unites us and it is important that the role holder can work effectively and collaboratively with a diverse range of contacts across the world.

Our Central Executive Team supports this work and is divided into three directorates. This role reports to the Deputy for Publishing and sits within the Editorial, Production and Methods directorate.

Purpose of the job

The Commercial Sales Lead is responsible for driving commercial growth across Cochrane’s products and services, alongside stabilising, managing and improving software licence renewals across the organisation’s academic and institutional customer base. 

The role will deliver a proactive, customer-focused sales and renewals approach that improves retention, customer satisfaction, renewal value and renewal forecasting, while identifying and developing new business opportunities and converting these into sustainable revenue and long-term customer relationships. 

The postholder will work towards agreed commercial and business development objectives, including revenue generation, customer acquisition, retention and renewals, and will develop and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective customers and future opportunities. 

The postholder will work closely with product, publishing, marketing, technical, training and support colleagues to ensure customers receive timely information, value reinforcement and a smooth sales and renewal journey, while ensuring customer data and sales and renewal workflows are clear, consistent and repeatable.

The role will be eligible for an annual performance bonus linked to the achievement of agreed business development objectives.

Key areas of responsibility include

• Own and manage the end-to-end software licence renewal process, ensuring renewals are progressed on time, risks are identified early and accurate customer and renewal records are maintained. 
• Build strong relationships with institutional customers, using regular customer engagement to improve retention, understand customer needs, reinforce value and identify opportunities for further growth.
• Proactively identify and develop new business opportunities across Cochrane’s products and services, building and maintaining a strong pipeline of prospective customers and progressing opportunities through to conversion. 
• Follow up new institutional customer leads and identify opportunities to introduce additional products and services to existing customers. 
• Work towards agreed sales, revenue and wider business development objectives, including customer acquisition, retention and renewals. 
• Maintain clear reporting and forecasting across sales activity, pipeline, conversion, renewals and revenue, while helping to improve CRM data and establish consistent and repeatable sales and renewal processes. 
• Work collaboratively with product, publishing, marketing, technical, training, support and finance colleagues to provide customers with a smooth experience throughout the sales and renewal journey.

The successful candidate is expected to have

• Proven experience in account management, renewals, customer success, sales or business development. 
• A track record of improving customer retention and renewal performance and/or successfully developing new business opportunities. 
• Strong written and verbal customer communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with existing and prospective customers. 
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple renewals and sales opportunities simultaneously. 
• Experience of managing and maintaining a CRM or structured customer database.
• Experience of working towards agreed sales, commercial or business development objectives and deadlines.

• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work effectively across internal teams.

   

Don’t have every single qualification? We know that some people are less likely to apply for a job unless they are a perfect match. At Cochrane, we’re not looking for “perfect matches.” We’re looking to welcome people to our diverse, inclusive, and passionate workplace. So, if you’re excited about this role but don’t have every single qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. Whether it’s this role or another one, you may be just the right candidate.

Our organization is built on four core values: 

1. Collaboration: Underpins everything we do, locally and globally.
2. Relevant: The right evidence at the right time in the right format.
3. Integrity: Independent and transparent.
4. Quality: Reviewing and improving what we do, maintaining rigour and trust.

You can expect

• An opportunity to truly impact health globally.
• A flexible work environment which includes remote-first working (although you will be required to attend in person meetings from time to time, depending on your location and the needs of the role).
• An environment where people feel welcome, heard, and included, regardless of their differences.

Cochrane welcomes applications from a wide range of perspectives, experiences, locations and backgrounds; diversity, equity and inclusion are key to our values. We are a Disability Confident Employer which means that applications from candidates who share they are disabled, and who meet the criteria for the role, will be guaranteed an interview.

Please note that candidates appointed and based in the UK, Denmark or Germany will be offered the advertised salary. Candidates appointed outside of these locations will be offered a local salary aligned to local market rates, which will be confirmed at the point of offer.

How to apply

• Find further information on the role and how to apply.
• The deadline to receive your application is 4 October 2026.
• The supporting statement should indicate why you are applying for the post, and how far you meet the requirements, using specific examples.
• Find out more about our candidate pack which gives you more information about our employee benefits and outlines what you can expect from the application process.
• Read our Recruitment Privacy Statement.