University Partnerships Manager in Sheffield

Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom Sheffield City Centre (office-based and hybrid) Salary: Up to £40,000

We’re building our Partnerships function at UniHomes, and this is a key role within the department. You’ll lead the development and growth of relationships with universities across the UK. Your focus will be on engaging priority universities in key cities, building long‑term partnerships, and creating opportunities that improve the student accommodation experience while driving commercial value. Responsible to the Head of Partnerships, you’ll take ownership of co‑creating and delivering the university partnership strategy, shaping how we engage with the sector, building credibility, and helping us scale this area of the business. You will develop partnership opportunities that support accommodation and student wellbeing, as well as identifying longer‑term revenue generating opportunities. This is a brand‑new role, offering the opportunity to build something from the ground up and make a real impact as we develop the function.

Key responsibilities:

• Identify and engage priority universities across the UK, building a strong pipeline of partnership opportunities.
• Develop and present compelling partnership propositions aligned to student accommodation, wellbeing and commercial opportunities.
• Support negotiation and agreement of partnerships, helping convert opportunities into long‑term relationships.

University engagement & relationship management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key university stakeholders, including accommodation and commercial teams.
• Represent UniHomes across campuses, events and industry forums to increase visibility and credibility.
• Own partner relationships end-to-end, from initial outreach through to ongoing development.

Growth & impact

• Secure partnerships that increase UniHomes’ visibility, credibility and reach within the higher education sector.
• Support demand generation through strong partner engagement and referrals.
• Identify and develop partnership‑led revenue opportunities over time.

Insight & collaboration

• Gather market insight on student behaviour, accommodation trends and university priorities.
• Share feedback with internal teams (Marketing, Sales, Product) to inform strategy and improve our offering.
• Ensure partnership activity aligns with wider commercial and brand objectives.

Building the function

• Contribute to developing a new partnerships function, including processes, ways of working and best practice.
• Work closely with the Head of Partnerships to shape how this area evolves as it grows.

What success looks like

• A clear pipeline and development plan showing realistic partnership opportunities over the short, medium and longer term.
• A focused approach to targeting universities, building outreach plans, executing activity effectively, and generating growth opportunities.
• Increased visibility and credibility of UniHomes within the university sector.
• Secured partnerships with universities.
• Clear contribution to demand generation and longer‑term commercial opportunities.

The long‑term goal is for UniHomes to become the preferred off‑campus accommodation partner for universities.

Skills and experience

Essential:

• Previous experience of working in or with universities, understanding how they operate, and the student journey.
• 5+ years’ experience in a partnership, business development or commercial role.
• Proven experience building and growing external relationships.
• Experience engaging senior stakeholders and influencing decision‑making.
• Commercially aware, with strong negotiation skills.
• Confident working independently in a new or evolving function.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Data‑led approach to decision‑making.
• A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across the UK is required.

Desirable:

• Experience in a high‑growth or Private Equity‑backed business.
• Experience using Salesforce.

About us:

At UniHomes, we’re on a mission to transform the entire student rental experience across the UK. As the market‑leading student accommodation advertising platform and utility management service provider, we make finding and securing all‑inclusive student accommodation simple, seamless, and stress‑free. We’re not just another platform. UniHomes is developing innovative technology to deliver one go‑to destination that supports the entire student rental journey. With an unwavering focus on our students, partner letting agents, operators and suppliers, we continually evolve and enhance our products and services to exceed expectations, while tackling market complexity with ease and transparency. Since launching in 2015, we’ve experienced rapid growth. Today, we operate in 60+ cities, partner with 1,000+ agents and operators, and are backed by Macquarie Capital and LDC. Our success has been recognised with accolades from EY Entrepreneur of the Year, Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50, The Negotiator Awards, and Great Place to Work certification. Our 140+ strong team is based in the heart of Sheffield City Centre, where we’re driving innovation, expanding into new markets, and fostering a culture built on collaboration, creativity, and growth.

If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact and help redefine how students find their perfect home, now is the time to join UniHomes. Be part of a team that’s opening new doors to better experiences, brighter ideas, and stress‑free living.

We’re officially certified as a Great Place to Work (GPTW) and an accredited Living Wage employer - all our employees earn a fair living wage above the government minimum wage.

What do you get when you work here?

With people and culture at the heart of our organisation, we are continually enhancing our employee offer and culture. We are incredibly proud to have been officially certified as a Great Place to Work (GPTW) and an accredited Living Wage employer - all our employees earn a fair living wage above the government minimum wage. Working in our stunning new office at New Era Square in the centre of Sheffield, you will get complimentary breakfast, hot & cold drinks, snacks, pool table, holidays, length of service days, voluntary day, enhanced pension scheme, pension salary sacrifice scheme, healthcare scheme, Employee Assistant Programme, sick pay, enhanced maternity & paternity pay, career progression, a commitment to personal and professional development, employee awards, refer a friend scheme, staff discounts, mental health and financial support, and company social events.

At UniHomes we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone can thrive and which values individuals for their unique perspectives. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments to make the recruitment process more accessible to you.

Applicants must already have the permanent and unrestricted right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship as we do not hold a sponsor licence.

We want to hear your unique voice in your application. We love AI, but relying on it solely to write your cover letter and answer the application questions is a missed opportunity to showcase the originality and personality that will make you stand out. Show us the real you.

We do not accept CV submissions from recruitment agencies. Direct applications from individual candidates are encouraged. Thank you for your understanding.