Business Development Manager - Apprenticeships and Skills

Location: NSC, London SE1

Contract: Full time, 1-year Fixed Term One Year (initially)

Salary: £35k plus pcp

Closing Date: 1st May 2026

About the role

The Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) is the leading maritime charity for youth development and lifelong learning. We are a vibrant and growing charity inspiring young people to achieve their potential through challenge and nautical adventure and also enabling seafarers and maritime professionals to realise their potential through learning and career development.

This role is to support the growth of Marine Society apprenticeship and adult skills provision. It is a strategic, outward‑facing role requiring a confident and astute individual who can engage key stakeholders and employers in the maritime industry to recruit new entrants and existing employees onto Marine Society programmes.

Responsibilities

• Grow the apprenticeship and adult skills provision in line with agreed annual recruitment and financial targets.
• Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective employers and learners, proactively identifying new apprenticeship and learning opportunities within the maritime industry.
• Secure repeat business with apprenticeship employers through cultivating long‑term relationships.
• Work with the Director of Maritime Training and Development to devise a sales and marketing strategy to grow the apprenticeship and adult skills provision.
• Support the tendering process to ASF devolved areas and work with subcontractor partners.
• Collaborate with the Apprenticeship Operations Manager and Maritime Lead Trainer to convert identified leads and share industry intelligence.
• Assist the Digital Marketing Coordinator to write targeted social media posts and marketing campaigns, ensuring market visibility and lead generation.
• Build a library of promotional literature and good news stories.
• Maintain accurate records of business development leads and pipeline activity within the CRM system and routinely report on these.
• Attend relevant external boards, fora and industry bodies, as directed in order to promote maritime apprenticeships and training including Maritime Skills Alliance, Workboat Association, MNTB apprenticeship committee and Port Skills and Safety.
• Attend industry trade fairs and careers events to represent Marine Society. These include National Apprenticeship Week, Seawork, International Boat Show.
• Research and monitor market trends, employer needs and competitor activity to inform business development strategy.

Requirements

• Minimum 2 years’ experience working in a recruitment, sales or commercial role with a proven track record of achieving financial targets.
• Knowledge of the maritime sector including roles, ranks and certifications in the near coastal sector.
• Excellent customer service skills with the ability to build trust and credibility with clients and stakeholders.
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to identify, grow and convert new business opportunities.
• Experience using CRM systems to monitor and report on business leads.
• Knowledge of CPD training or workforce development.

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave per annum increasing with length of service.
• Hybrid working for many roles.
• Life assurance (4x salary).
• Private medical insurance.
• Generous pension (employer contribution up to 10%).
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Wellbeing portal and EAP with 121 counselling.
• Employee development: annual calendar of learning and development opportunities to support employees to develop into their roles and stretch them to achieve their full potential.

Additional Information

MSSC positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. Equity, diversity, and inclusion really matter to us, so we can best serve our beneficiaries from every community. We work to ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process and aim to be a charity where diversity of experience, identity and skills are valued and welcomed. MSSC is an equal opportunities employer.

We recognise our responsibilities to safeguard and protect the young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We do all we can to promote their health, safety and wellbeing, and we expect our staff to share this commitment and work in line with safeguarding policy, the MSSC's values and ethos of inclusivity. We adhere to safer recruitment practices and therefore employment is subject to detailed pre‑employment checks for successful candidates, including references and criminal disclosure checks and the completion of a disclosure questionnaire.

All successful applicants are required to attend safeguarding training and undergo pre‑employment checks including a criminal record check.