Head of Partnerships — Growth, New Business & Strategic Relationships in Leeds

The Head of Partnerships is a senior strategic role responsible for identifying and developing new growth opportunities across children’s social care and education. The role will focus on building high-level relationships, developing strategic partnerships and identifying new markets, services and routes to growth for the organisation. The postholder will act as a senior ambassador externally, building influence with Local Authorities, Mayors, Combined Authorities, commissioners, education leaders, charities, health partners, families and other key stakeholders. This role is focused on opening doors, creating opportunities and shaping future growth, rather than simply responding to existing placement or service demand. The Head of Partnerships will work closely with the Commercial Director and Head of Business Development to convert strategic relationships and opportunities into sustainable commercial outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Growth & Market Development
  • Own and develop strategic growth opportunities across children’s social care and education.
  • Identify emerging markets, services, commissioning models and revenue opportunities.
  • Research and understand changes within the social care and education landscape and translate these into potential growth opportunities.
  • Identify opportunities arising from government policy, funding changes, legislation, local authority strategies and regional commissioning developments.
  • Develop strategies for entering new markets and geographical areas.
  • Identify opportunities that may not yet have developed into conventional placement or commissioning opportunities.
  • Monitor emerging trends and developments across children’s services, education, health and wider public services.
  • Develop strategic propositions that create new routes to market and strengthen the organisation’s long-term market position.
• Strategic Partnerships
  • Develop and maintain long-term strategic partnerships with Local Authorities, schools, colleges, charities, parent groups and forums and other relevant organisations.
  • Identify organisations and stakeholders where strategic relationships could create mutual value.
  • Develop partnership models that support sustainable growth and improve outcomes for children, young people and families.
  • Build relationships beyond traditional commissioning contacts to understand wider local and regional priorities.
  • Explore opportunities for collaborative working, joint ventures, strategic alliances and innovative service delivery models.
  • Ensure partnerships are aligned with the organisation’s strategic objectives, values and commercial priorities.
• Senior External Relationships
  • Build high-level relationships with Local Authority senior leaders, Directors and senior commissioners, Mayors and Combined Authorities, regional and emerging commissioning bodies, education leaders, schools, colleges and education providers, charities and voluntary sector organisations, advocacy and community organisations, parents and families where appropriate, and other strategic stakeholders.
  • Act as a senior relationship owner and ambassador for the organisation.
  • Develop credibility, trust and influence with senior external stakeholders.
  • Represent the organisation at strategic meetings, conferences, forums, events and partnership discussions.
  • Build a strong network of contacts across children’s social care and education.
  • Maintain a clear understanding of stakeholder priorities, challenges and future plans.
• New Business Development
  • Lead new business development at a strategic level.
  • Identify where the organisation should grow, why it should grow and who it should partner with.
  • Generate opportunities through strategic relationships rather than relying solely on existing placement demand.
  • Identify potential new services, geographical markets and customer groups.
  • Develop and maintain a strategic pipeline of growth opportunities.
  • Work with the Head of Business Development to ensure strategic opportunities are appropriately developed and progressed.
  • Support the development of business cases, proposals and commercial propositions where required.
  • Ensure opportunities are assessed against strategic fit, commercial potential, risk and organisational capacity.
• Government, Policy & Commissioning Intelligence
  • Maintain a strong understanding of government policy and developments affecting children’s social care and education.
  • Monitor changes to legislation, funding, commissioning structures and regional strategies.
  • Identify potential opportunities before they become established markets.
  • Develop relationships with emerging commissioning structures and regional bodies.
  • Provide insight to the senior leadership team regarding market developments and potential future opportunities.
  • Use external intelligence to inform business development and organisational strategy.
• Commercial Development
  • Work closely with the Commercial Director and Head of Business Development to turn strategic relationships into commercial opportunities.
  • Support the development of commercially viable partnership propositions.
  • Ensure strategic opportunities are aligned with organisational financial and growth objectives.
  • Contribute to pricing, proposition development and commercial strategy where appropriate.
  • Develop opportunities that provide sustainable, long-term revenue rather than short-term transactional growth.
  • Support negotiations and strategic commercial discussions with key partners.
• External Profile & Reputation
  • Build and enhance the organisation’s external profile within children’s social care and education.
  • Position the organisation as a credible, innovative and trusted strategic partner.
  • Identify opportunities to increase visibility and influence across relevant sectors.
  • Attend and contribute to sector events, conferences, forums and networks.
  • Develop relationships with influential stakeholders and sector leaders.
  • Identify opportunities for the organisation to contribute to sector discussions, consultations and strategic initiatives.
  • Act consistently as a positive ambassador for the organisation.
• Internal Collaboration
  • Work closely with the Commercial Director, Head of Business Development and wider leadership team.
  • Ensure external intelligence and relationship development informs internal strategy.
  • Share market insight, opportunities and stakeholder intelligence with relevant teams.
  • Work collaboratively with operational, commissioning, marketing, finance and senior leadership colleagues.
  • Ensure new partnerships are operationally deliverable and aligned with organisational values.
  • Support colleagues in developing relationships and opportunities where appropriate.

Key Objectives

• Create new strategic routes to market.
• Develop a strong and influential external network.
• Identify and unlock new markets and growth opportunities.
• Build sustainable strategic partnerships.
• Increase the organisation’s visibility and influence within children’s social care and education.
• Develop relationships with senior decision-makers and emerging commissioning structures.
• Generate a strong pipeline of strategic opportunities.
• Convert relationships into tangible commercial and organisational outcomes.
• Anticipate market changes and position the organisation ahead of competitors.
• Support the organisation’s long-term growth strategy.

Person Specification

Essential

• Significant experience in business development, partnerships, strategic relationships or commercial growth.
• Strong understanding of children’s social care and/or education.
• Proven experience building relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Experience working with Local Authorities and/or public sector organisations.
• Strong understanding of commissioning and public sector decision-making.
• Demonstrable ability to identify and develop new business opportunities.
• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills.
• Ability to operate confidently at senior and strategic levels.
• Strong commercial awareness.
• Ability to develop and maintain a substantial external network.
• Ability to think strategically while also delivering measurable outcomes.
• Highly credible, professional and confident in external environments.

Desirable

• Experience working with Mayors, Combined Authorities or regional commissioning structures.
• Experience across multiple areas of children’s social care.
• Experience within education, health or the voluntary/community sector.
• Experience developing innovative partnerships or new service models.
• Experience working within changing regulatory, policy or commissioning environments.
• Existing senior-level network across children’s social care and/or education.