Business Development Manager - Education

Job Description

Remote | Some travel around Northern & Midlands and Leeds Area | £55K plus bonus

ALF Recruit are supporting a growing organisation within the specialist education sector with the appointment of a Business Development Manager.

This is a key commercial role focused on driving growth, developing commissioner relationships and increasing placement opportunities across a portfolio of specialist education services.

The role is fully remote, with regular travel across the North, Midlands and Leeds area.

Benefits:

• £55,000 salary
• 10% annual bonus against KPIs
• Fully remote working
• Travel across the North, Midlands and Leeds area
• 25 days’ holiday + bank holidays
• Christmas closure
• Life assurance
• Referral bonus
• Wider benefits package

The role

You’ll be responsible for identifying new opportunities, developing strong commissioner relationships and working closely with operational teams to maximise growth and placement opportunities.

Key responsibilities include:

• Identify and secure new business development opportunities
• Build and maintain relationships with local authorities, commissioners and key stakeholders
• Develop an understanding of local market demand, competitor activity and commissioning requirements
• Manage and develop referral and placement pipelines
• Work closely with operational teams to align commercial opportunities with service capacity
• Monitor pipeline, occupancy, referrals and conversion performance
• Provide market and commissioner insight to support regional growth
• Attend relevant sector events, forums and stakeholder meetings
• Support strategic partnerships and service development

Profile:

We’re looking for an experienced Business Development, Commissioning or Commercial professional with a strong understanding of the specialist education or children’s services sector.

Ideally, you’ll have:

• 3+ years’ experience in business development, commissioning or a strategic commercial role
• Experience within specialist education, children’s social care or independent education
• Strong knowledge of local authority commissioning, placements and referrals
• Proven experience building relationships with commissioners and senior stakeholders
• A track record of delivering commercial growth and new business
• Strong commercial and analytical skills
• Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building abilities
• The confidence to work independently across a geographically dispersed region

Experience of commissioning frameworks, funding routes and procurement processes would be advantageous.

A great opportunity for an experienced Business Development or Commissioning professional to take ownership of growth, build strategic relationships and make a real impact within a growing specialist education organisation. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, please send your CV today or contact the team for more information.