At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead growth in education services, manage referrals, and build partnerships with local authorities.
- Company: Dynamic education services provider focused on positive outcomes for children and young people.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and opportunities for professional development.
- Other info: Join a supportive team dedicated to improving educational outcomes.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the education sector while driving strategic growth.
- Qualifications: Experience in business development and strong understanding of SEND and education services.
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced and commercially focused Business Development Manager to lead the growth and development of our Ofsted-regulated Education Services. The successful candidate will have a strong background in specialist education, SEND provision, commissioning, and referral management, with extensive experience working alongside Local Authorities, commissioners, and multi-agency professionals. You will possess a thorough understanding of EHCP processes, placement commissioning, education funding pathways, and the wider education and children’s services landscape.
This strategic role is integral to driving occupancy across our education settings, managing referral and placement activity, developing commissioner relationships, and identifying sustainable growth opportunities that support positive outcomes for children and young people. Working closely with operational leaders, school leadership teams, and executive stakeholders, you will play a key role in increasing referrals, securing placements, strengthening local authority partnerships, and ensuring our services remain compliant, responsive, and aligned to sector needs.
The Role
- Strategic Business Development
- Lead the business development strategy across our specialist education services to achieve sustainable growth and occupancy targets.
- Partner with Regional Directors, Headteachers, and Operational Leaders to align business development activity with service capacity and educational outcomes.
- Identify market opportunities, emerging commissioning priorities, and regional demand trends.
- Develop strategic growth plans that support both operational delivery and long-term organisational objectives.
- Provide market intelligence and commissioner insights to inform service development and expansion opportunities.
- Referrals, Placements & Occupancy Management
- Lead and oversee the end-to-end referrals and placements process across all education settings.
- Manage high-volume referral pipelines, ensuring timely assessment, review, and placement decision-making.
- Build effective relationships with SEN Teams, SEND Case Officers, Commissioning Teams, and Placement Panels to maximise referral opportunities.
- Ensure all placements are appropriately matched to individual learner needs, EHCP outcomes, and available provision.
- Monitor referral conversion rates, occupancy levels, waiting lists, and placement trends to identify opportunities for growth and improvement.
- Work collaboratively with school leaders to maintain optimal occupancy levels whilst ensuring quality and suitability of placements.
- Commissioning & Local Authority Partnerships
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with Local Authority Commissioners, SEND Commissioners, Education Placement Teams, and wider stakeholder networks.
- Act as a key point of contact for commissioning discussions, placement negotiations, and strategic partnership development.
- Promote services through commissioner engagement, provider events, networking forums, and sector meetings.
- Support participation in commissioning frameworks, approved provider lists, procurement opportunities, and tender submissions.
- Maintain an in-depth understanding of local authority commissioning priorities and funding arrangements.
- Market Development & Growth
- Identify, develop, and secure new business opportunities across specialist education, SEND, and children’s services sectors.
- Conduct market analysis and competitor reviews to support service positioning and strategic decision-making.
- Develop targeted engagement plans to increase awareness of services amongst commissioners and referral partners.
- Support new service mobilisation and expansion opportunities through market research and stakeholder engagement.
- Compliance & Regulatory Leadership
- Maintain expert knowledge of Ofsted regulations, SEND legislation, EHCP requirements, and commissioning frameworks.
- Ensure all placement activity and business development practices remain compliant with regulatory and contractual requirements.
- Provide guidance to operational teams regarding sector developments, legislative changes, and commissioning expectations.
- Support continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen service quality and outcomes.
- Reporting & Performance Management
- Develop and deliver comprehensive weekly and monthly performance reports for Executive Teams, Managing Directors, and the COO, providing insight into:
- Referral volumes, sources, and conversion rates
- Occupancy and capacity across all education settings
- Placement pipelines and forecasted growth opportunities
- Local authority engagement activity
- Commissioning opportunities and contract developments
- Market intelligence and competitor activity
- Risks, challenges, and strategic growth recommendations
About You
We are looking for a commercially driven professional who combines strong education sector expertise with excellent relationship-building and commissioning experience. You will have:
- Extensive experience in Business Development, Commissioning, Placement Management, or Strategic Growth within specialist education, SEND, or children’s services.
- Proven experience working within the education sector, ideally within independent schools, specialist education, alternative provision, or SEND services.
- Strong understanding of EHCP processes, SEND legislation, education funding, and placement commissioning.
- Demonstrable experience managing referrals, placements, occupancy, and high-volume referral pipelines.
- Established relationships with Local Authorities, SEND Commissioners, SEN Teams, Placement Officers, and wider education stakeholders.
- Experience participating in commissioning frameworks, procurement exercises, and contract development activities.
- Strong commercial awareness with a track record of increasing referrals, occupancy, and revenue growth.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret referral data, market trends, and commissioning intelligence.
- Experience supporting service development and growth strategies in response to changing market and commissioner needs.
- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- A relevant qualification in Education, Social Care, Business Development, Management, or a related discipline.
Business Development Manager in Leeds employer: Joining Careers Education
Joining Careers Education is an exceptional employer that prioritises the well-being and development of both its staff and the children in its care. Located in the picturesque town of Frodsham, the company fosters a supportive work culture that encourages professional growth through ongoing training and mentorship. Employees benefit from a collaborative environment where their contributions are valued, making it a truly rewarding place to work for those passionate about making a difference in children's lives.
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We think you need these skills to ace Business Development Manager in Leeds
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Analytical Skills:In the business intelligence field, showcasing your analytical skills is a must. Make sure your CV includes relevant experience with data analysis tools, programming languages like SQL or Python, and any projects where you've interpreted complex data sets to drive business decisions.
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Tailor Your Documents for Us:When applying for a full-time role at Joining Careers Education, tailor your CV and cover letter to reflect our organisational goals and strategies. Mention specific tools and methodologies that align with what we do—this shows you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in our mission!
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How to prepare for a job interview at Joining Careers Education
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In a business intelligence role, you're going to need to demonstrate your analytical prowess. Be prepared to discuss specific tools you've used, like SQL, Tableau, or Power BI. Have real-world examples ready where you’ve turned data into actionable insights – this is what makes us shine in interviews!
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✨Portfolio of Projects
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✨Know their business model
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