Business Development and Partnerships Lead

Are you a relationship-builder with a passion for driving growth through strategic partnerships? Do you have the skills to lead dynamic collaborations and achieve impactful results? West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is looking for an ambitious and results-driven Business Development and Partnerships Lead to join our Housing Strategy team and shape the future of partnership working. In this crucial role, you\’ll lead efforts to build and nurture high-impact partnerships that accelerate the delivery of our bold strategic goals. Your expertise will influence key stakeholders and elevate our housing initiatives across the region. What you will be doing. Be a prominent figure in outcome focused partnerships, actively shaping and driving better engagement between public and private sectors, including the real estate community. Lead the development and implementation of a stakeholder engagement plan, ensuring a best-in-class customer focus. Build strong, long-term partnerships with key stakeholders local authorities, private businesses, government departments, think tanks, and academia. Elevate the profile of our Housing outcomes by working with the Communications team to showcase our work as nationally leading and open for business. Develop clear systems and processes for proactive business engagement, attracting investors, developers, and professional bodies. Lead the creation and presentation of convincing investment opportunities, showcasing a trusted and can-do approach. Establish formal partnerships through Memoranda of Understanding and Partnership Agreements, ensuring effective governance. Manage existing partnerships, maximising their success and strategic delivery. Create case studies to inform decision-makers across WMCA and beyond. Whats essential. Proven experience developing extensive stakeholder networks. A track record of building successful commercial partnerships and collaborations. Expertise in directing communications and creating compelling content. Ability to design and implement CRM and Stakeholder management systems for business development. Excellent interpersonal skills to build strong, collaborative relationships with senior stakeholders. Strong programme management experience, adept at handling complex, multi-layered projects. Some property or real-estate experience would be a distinct advantage. How to apply. On clicking apply for this job , you will be prompted to register for an account, which you can do using your name and email address. You will have the opportunity to upload a CV when registering. Uploading your CV will auto-populate the employment and education sections of your profile. Please note , we do not see your CV once you have submitted your application. Our shortlisting decisions are based on what you tell us in your profile – and so it is important to check the information is correct and format your profile so that it really stands out. You will be asked to provide a supporting statement which should evidence (using examples) how your skills and experience match the essential criteria of the role that you are applying for. You will be asked to type your statement into the portal directly. If you have already prepared a supporting statement, then you can simply copy and paste this directly into the application form. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) We cannot stop anyone from using AI help write application content. Used right, it can be a great tool. If you choose to use AI, then use it as a helper rather than relying on it wholly to write your application. Put the effort into your application – focus on ensuring it matches the criteria required for the job, and is tailored carefully to match your skills, experience, and motivation. Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting. For help on how to write a supporting statement, please visit the FAQs section of our careers site. Reasonable adjustments. If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that means you might require changes to the application or recruitment process (for example, you might need to submit your application in a different format), please get in touch with our Recruitment Team. We are here to assist and accommodate your needs. Salary and benefits. We advertise salary ranges for job roles, with new appointments typically starting at the lowest salary point. In exceptional cases, where higher skill levels or experience are applicable, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year-on-year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees. Requests for salaries above the maximum advertised range will not be considered. Calculate your take home pay. Use this service to estimate how much Income Tax and National Insurance you should pay for the current tax year. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes a Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK), 28 days paid annual leave (in addition to bank holidays and an option to purchase more leave!), ethical saving options and healthcare plans , paid volunteering days, interest free financing through SmartTech to buy the latest technology through your payroll, discounted shopping with over 2,000 big-name retailers, and more. For more information, please visit the benefits page on our career site. Hybrid working and location. We believe hybrid working is the best way for our organisation to fulfil our commitment to a modern, agile workplace while continuing to provide a great service to our customers. Hybrid working means having flexibility between working in the office and at home on agreed days, where a role allows. The location for this role is Summer Lane, Birmingham. It is expected that you can split your time between the office and working remotely, with at least 2-3 days a week spent in the office. Please note, this is the minimum expectation. Creating an inclusive workplace. We are dedicated to creating a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace that reflects the communities of the West Midlands region. We believe that building a team with varied backgrounds and experiences will benefit us as an employer and enhance our work. WMCA holds diversity accreditations, such as the RACE Code Quality Mark, Armed Forces Covenant (Gold status) and has been recognised as one of the Inclusive Top 50 Employers and The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. Were a Disability Confident Employer with Leader status, committed to interviewing applicants with disabilities who meet all the essential role criteria. We recognise that certain groups, such as women and people of colour, may be less likely to apply for roles if they feel they do not meet all the requirements. However, we encourage individuals who are passionate about the role and want to make a difference to still apply. We value potential and encourage applicants to highlight their skills, including transferable ones, even if they don\’t fit the traditional \”perfect candidate\” mould. We gladly consider part-time, flexible, and job share arrangements, so please don\’t let these factors deter you from applying. If your values align with ours and you are dedicated to working towards a future that we can all be proud of, we would love to hear from you. Right to Work in the UK Proof of Right to Work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed. Non-UK applicants (excluding Ireland) would be required to hold a relevant Visa from the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). Thank you for considering joining our team at WMCA. We look forward to receiving your application and the opportunity to work together towards our shared goals. JBRP1_UKTJ