Find the perfect Commercial Directors in Germany in minutes from over 15,000 CVs with the power of AI.
Need a commercial leader for go-to-market planning, revenue growth, pricing, partner strategy or contract negotiations? Get fast, precise matching with vetted, available freelancers who can step into complex sales and commercial projects without delay.
About the role
What they do
A commercial director shapes how a company earns, grows and protects margin. In freelance projects, they often step in to fix stalled pipelines, sharpen pricing, rebuild account plans or lead a new market entry. They work across sales, key account management, partnerships and commercial operations.
Typical deliverables
- Commercial strategy and revenue plans
- Pricing and margin recommendations
- Sales pipeline reviews and forecast discipline
- Key account plans and partner frameworks
- Contract support for commercial terms
- Go-to-market plans for new products or regions
Core skills
A strong commercial director combines board-level thinking with hands-on execution. They can read a P&L, challenge the sales funnel, align marketing and sales, and negotiate with clients without losing sight of profit. They also know how to turn data from CRM, ERP and reporting tools into clear actions for the team.
Tools and focus areas
Common work includes CRM analysis in Salesforce or HubSpot, revenue reporting in Excel or BI tools, and commercial planning around SAP, pricing models and partner channels. In Germany, they are often hired by industrial, SaaS, B2B services and manufacturing companies that need local market knowledge, German-language stakeholder management and clear coordination with remote teams.
When to bring one in
Companies hire a freelance commercial director when a permanent hire would take too long or when the need is clearly defined. That includes growth resets, interim leadership, post-merger alignment, market expansion, sales process cleanup or support for a new product launch. It also fits when an existing team needs a senior operator to bridge strategy and execution.
What strong people bring
- Clear commercial judgement under pressure
- Direct communication with sales, finance and leadership
- Practical plans that teams can execute
- Experience with complex B2B deals and long sales cycles
- A structured way to improve margin, pricing and forecast quality
- The ability to lead without creating unnecessary bureaucracy
Meet FRATCH Commercial Directors
Philip Krüger
CFO / Commercial Management
Last position:
Consulting / Interim Management at self-employed
- Focus areas: restructuring, operations management, commercial management, purchasing, production
- Industries: automotive, metal processing, shipbuilding, electrical, elevators / escalators
Franz Forster
Interim Commercial Director
Last position:
Interim Commercial Director at KYOCERA AVX Components (Automation) GmbH
assumed commercial management for three companies at the site
monthly reporting to the US parent company (US GAAP)
timely submission of all filings (VAT returns, statistics)
weekly forecasting and production progress
preparation of the 2024 and 2025 annual financial statements (HGB + IFRS)
completion of the 2024 financial statements with tax returns (PwC)
completion of the 2027 budget planning
project controlling
point of contact for tax advisors and auditors
further development of processes and tools
timely submission of various reports in a complex group structure
resolution of tax issues
stabilization of administrative processes
re-motivation of employees despite short-time work
Stephan Appel
Commercial Director & Head of Treasury
Last position:
Freelance Consultant in a Family Foundation and Other Companies
Freelance consultant in a family foundation and other companies in the role of commercial manager/CFO in the real estate/construction industry Responsibilities
- Treasury & Financial Planning
- Controlling
- Accounting
- Human Resources
- IT
Reinhard Wein
Commercial Manager (incl. Controlling)
Last position:
Commercial Manager (incl. Controlling) at TR Plast Group
Leading the Finance and Accounting department of TR PLAST GROUP
Responsible for monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements as well as group consolidation according to HGB
Collaborating with banks, leasing companies, tax advisors, insurance brokers, lawyers, auditors, tax inspectors and authorities
Reporting to the managing director and advising on all business management issues
Signing authority for leasing and hire-purchase contracts up to €325,000
Built and expanded the Controlling, Accounting and Finance areas with a six-figure contribution to company success
Implemented and set up cost and performance accounting, liquidity management, corporate planning and group consolidation
Ensured accurate company results by implementing internal cost allocation and accruals
Reduced budget costs by 24% through digitalization and process automation
Lowered interest expenses by 44% and increased cash discount earnings by 23% by introducing liquidity management
Achieved six-figure cost savings in maintenance costs by implementing cost accounting
Dirk Limburg
Commercial Director & Retail Media GSA
Last position:
Commercial Director & Retail Media GSA at TitanOS Philips CTV
- Pipeline development and strategic sales growth: Prospect and grow the pipeline of programmatic platforms (DSPs, SSPs, data providers, etc.) that integrate linear and streaming TV.
- Develop effective sales strategies, channel sponsorships, deliver compelling product demonstrations for Automotive, FMCG, Retail, Travel, Digital Services, etc.
- Consultative selling and partnership management with content partners (Amazon, Disney, Netflix, etc.) and retail media partners to optimize the use of TV data for targeting, planning, and measurement in omnichannel marketing.
- Lead cross-functional EU5 team and projects (16 pax), collaborating with business development, marketing, and product teams to align departments, geographies, and tactics for performance and revenue targets.
- Manage high-value opportunities, cultivate and grow relationships, develop ecosystem partnerships, and share best practices regionally.
- Build and manage strategic partnerships, including trading agreements and support agencies in creating new revenue streams and media solutions. Create and execute data-driven procedures, bundled offers, and global frameworks to promote expansion.
- Success: Revenue growth from zero to 1.5 million in 18 months
Bernd Scheunemann
Event Manager, Commercial Management
Last position:
Report Reviewer at Hansa Partner GmbH
- Formal review according to accounting standards (e.g. IDW, HGB, IFRS)
- Arithmetic accuracy check
- Plausibility check of key figures (balance sheet, P&L, cash flow)
- Cross-reference and reconciliation check
- Consistency and completeness control
- Final editing (spelling and grammar)
Andreas Hey
Interim Managing Director
Last position:
Interim Managing Director at DGVT München ABZ GmbH & Co. KG
- Successful restructuring through an asset deal of the insolvent DGVT ABZ Munich
Stefan Reinhardt
Commercial Director and Owner
Last position:
Insurance company near Munich
- Migrated existing software into the w3group SOFTWARE development environment.
- Project duration approx. 2 years.
- Tools: ANSI-C, HTML, svn, v3lib
Frank Bley
Head of Accounting; Head of Sales Financing (Group, International Europe), Director Leasing (DK); Head of Commercial &
Last position:
Head of Accounting; Head of Sales Financing (Group, International Europe), Director Leasing (DK); Head of Commercial & at Fahrzeugwerk Bernard Krone GmbH & Co. KG
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Commercial Directors statistics
Typical experience
34 years
Average project duration
4.2 years
Certifications per freelancer
2
Top business areas
Accounting, Finance, Business Intelligence
Top industries
Professional Services, Manufacturing, Banking and Finance
Most common languages
German, English, French
Bachelor's degree or higher
83%
Master's degree or higher
50%
Doctorate
33%
Salary / Daily Rate Distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this role are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Average rates for Commercial Directors & Seniority distribution
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Frequently Asked Questions
Looking for clear information? Everything important about FRATCH is here
A Commercial Director usually owns revenue-related priorities that sit between sales, marketing, finance and operations. That can include pricing, pipeline discipline, account strategy, partner development and go-to-market planning. In some projects, the role is closer to a sales director; in others, it is a broader head of commercial function.
A freelance Commercial Director makes sense when the need is urgent, temporary or very specific. Companies use this setup for restructuring, market entry, interim leadership or a commercial reset after weak forecast performance. It is also useful when you need senior judgement before committing to a long-term hire.
Look for strong commercial thinking, negotiation skill and a firm grip on numbers. A good commercial director should understand margin, pricing, sales funnel health and how to align teams around one plan. They also need credibility with senior stakeholders and the ability to turn decisions into action.
Not always. A Sales Director is usually focused on sales execution, team performance and target delivery, while a Commercial Director often has a wider scope across pricing, channels, contracts and revenue strategy. In smaller companies, the titles may overlap, so the actual mandate matters more than the label.
Yes, much of the work can be done remotely, especially strategy, reporting, planning and stakeholder coordination. For companies in Germany, on-site time is often useful for leadership meetings, team alignment and key customer visits. Strong freelancers can handle both, as long as the setup is clear from the start.
Ask for examples of commercial problems they solved, not just the titles they held. A strong commercial director can explain how they improved pricing, cleaned up forecasts, supported key accounts or opened a new market. Their answers should be specific, structured and tied to outcomes that matter to the business.
The role shows up in B2B sales environments where deals are complex and margins matter. That includes SaaS, industrial businesses, manufacturing, logistics, professional services and technology-led companies. In Germany, it is especially relevant where local customer relationships, distributor networks and structured sales processes are important.
Freelancers should expect to work close to leadership and to be judged on business impact quickly. A good sales director or commercial lead is not just advising; they are shaping decisions, coaching teams and cleaning up priorities. Clear access to data, decision-makers and the sales team is essential for the work to succeed.
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Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
