A bit about us

We are The Virtual Forge: a data-driven software development, AI and cloud company with teams in the UK, Portugal and the US. We design and build data-rich, intelligent platforms for organisations around the world, from fast-growing scale-ups to household names with a global footprint.

Our approach is simple: our technical experts work side by side with our clients subject-matter experts, and together we build solutions that actually get used.

Since 2010, we’ve been the team organisations call when the data is challenging and the stakes are real. We deliver custom software, data, cloud, AI strategy and governance across the public sector, financial services, automotive, life sciences, manufacturing and utilities. We’ve also built products of our own: MyContentScout, our AI content discovery platform on its way to standalone SaaS, and Practice Partner AI.

Life at The Virtual Forge

We call ourselves Team Purple, and we mean it. Wherever you sit — US, the UK, or Portugal — you’re part of one team, not a satellite office checking in with the head office.

We’re collaborative by default. Good ideas get heard whoever they come from, and you won’t be left to figure things out alone — if you’re stuck, someone will roll their sleeves up with you.

We take growth seriously, not as a line in a job ad but as how we actually operate. This role is a good example: it exists because we’ve decided to grow on purpose, and we want the person leading that charge to grow with us. And we protect work-life balance, because good work over years beats a burnt-out sprint every time.

Above all, we’re straightforward. We’ll tell you plainly what the job involves, where you’ll be stretched, and where we’ve got your back — the same way we’ve tried to write this ad.

The Role

This is a big one. We’re hiring our first Chief Revenue Officer: the person who owns VF’s revenue end to end and turns a founder-led sales model into a multi-region revenue engine across the UK, Europe and the US.

You’ll report to our founders and sit on the management board alongside our CTO, COO, CDO and the rest of the leadership team.

You’ll lead sales, bids, partnerships and account leadership, and oversee marketing. You’ll be based in Reading or Holt, with regular trips to our teams in Philadelphia and Lisbon, and plenty of time in front of clients, partners and conference audiences.

Don’t tick every box? Neither did we, once.

We need someone who has led revenue in a technology services business before. That part isn’t negotiable. Beyond that, we’re not looking for a unicorn.

If you haven’t sold SaaS alongside services, worked deep in the Microsoft partner ecosystem, or navigated G-Cloud and public-sector frameworks, that’s fine. Our team knows those worlds well and will get you up to speed quickly. The same goes for scale-up experience: if you’ve been through a PE- or VC-backed journey, great, but it’s a bonus, not a requirement. What matters most is that you’ve built a revenue engine before and want to build the next one with us.

What you’ll actually be doing

Owning the number

Set the global revenue plan, forecast and targets across new business, account growth and recurring revenue.
Pick our battles: sharpen our ideal customers and verticals, and run account-based plays on 50–100 priority accounts.
Package and price productised services and outcome-based offers that clients actually want to buy.
Lead deal strategy and pricing on our biggest bids, and protect margin like it’s your own.

Growing our reach

Lead go-to-market across the UK, Europe and the US: hire the right sellers, launch the campaigns, land the big deals.
Work hand in hand with our delivery teams in the UK, Lisbon and Philadelphia, so we can sell big and deliver well.
Grow our partner channels, including Microsoft and other platform alliances, and frameworks such as G-Cloud.
Increase MyContentScout and Practice Partner AI visibility, and bring what customers tell you straight back into the product roadmap.

Building the team (and making some noise)

Build and lead sales, bids and partnerships; set quotas, comp plans and the operating rhythm.
Set the direction for marketing, so brand, thought leadership and demand generation fill the pipeline and make VF the name people think of for data and AI.
Be VF’s face in the room: speak, host and network at industry events, partner forums and client roundtables.

Keeping the engine tuned

Run CRM, forecasting, pipeline governance and revenue reporting to the board.

Your first year

Day 90: you know every deal, every account and every gap. The pipeline is reset, the 24-month revenue plan is agreed, CRM and forecasting are live, and the board has backed your go-to-market plan.

Month 6: key sales hires are in, account-based marketing is running on priority accounts, MyContentScout pricing, and routine deals no longer need founder sign-off.

Month 12: US and new-logo revenue are growing on plan, forecasts land within ±10%, recurring revenue is a bigger share of the mix, and a full commercial team is in place.

How we’ll know it’s working

Clear measures, agreed with the board based on customer success: year-on-year revenue growth (including in the US), a rising share of recurring and productised revenue, gross margin at or above the agreed floor, 3x pipeline coverage for the next two quarters, quarterly forecasts within ±10%, improving win rates on qualified bids, and net revenue retention of 125%+.

What we are looking for:

The must-haves

10+ years selling technology services, including 3+ years leading revenue as a VP, CRO or Sales Director.
Experience working with Marketing and Sales team and getting not only the best but also developing them in accordance with company strategy
Experience scaling a services or consultancy business.
A track record of building and leading high-performing sales teams across the UK and/or US.
Deep understanding of enterprise sales and marketing for software development, AI and data services, from discovery and solution shaping to commercial structuring.
Big-ticket enterprise and public-sector deals (£250k+) with plenty of stakeholders round the table.
A network and a reputation that open doors. CTOs, CDOs and transformation leaders take your calls.
Confidence on stage and in the room: you’ll represent VF to clients, partners and the wider industry.
Hands-on RevOps, forecasting and CRM discipline.

Just as important: you’re a builder who’s happy with a blank page and a big target. You lead from the front on key deals while growing leaders around you, you’re commercially sharp and margin-minded, and you’re straight with the board about the number. And you’re good fun to work with, because that’s how Team Purple works.

Nice to have - we’ll help you build the rest

Selling SaaS alongside services, or productising a consultancy offer.
Microsoft partner ecosystem and G-Cloud or other public-sector framework know-how.
PE- or VC-backed scale-up experience, ideally including a raise or an exit.

What’s in it for you

A real seat at the board table, with a voice in every board decision.
The chance to build a multi-region revenue engine from the ground up, in a business with momentum.
Competitive base salary based on experience, reviewed annually.
Annual bonus through profit share, plus equity.
Pension, 25 days’ holiday and a car allowance.
Flexibility built in, and a team that loves what it builds.

What do you need to do:

Send your CV in English to workwithus@thevirtualforge.com
A short note telling us about the biggest revenue engine you’ve built, and what you’d do first at VF.
Your gross salary expectation and availability

What happens next: an informal chat with our founders, a deeper session with the board officers, then a short presentation of your 90-day plan. We’ll make reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process. Just let us know.

Do you have concerns about facing discrimination based on factors such as age, gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity? Rest assured, at The Virtual Forge, we are committed to being an inclusive employer that values diversity in our workforce!

At The Virtual Forge, we have a dedicated recruitment team that works globally to fill all our recruitment needs. Therefore we don't need a response from recruitment companies. Thanks for understanding

The Virtual Forge

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