Partnerships Manager (Bids & Tenders) in Gateshead

£40,000 basic + uncapped commission + travel allowance

About us

National Learning Group is one of the UK's leading tutoring providers, delivering personalised one-to-one tuition to approximately 4,000 students each year through a network of more than 350 tutors. We work in partnership with parents, schools and local authorities to deliver high-quality educational support where it has the greatest impact. We have secured institutional investment to fund our next phase of growth, hold positions on local authority supplier frameworks, and were recently named Highly Commended for Enterprise Tuition Business of the Year at the National Tutoring Awards.

The Opportunity

This is a relationship-led commercial role with genuine ownership of National Learning Group's growth across both the public and private sectors. On the public side, you will build relationships with commissioners, local authorities, schools and funding bodies, establishing National Learning Group as a known and trusted provider ahead of procurement activity. On the private side, you will develop commercial partnerships with employers, independent schools, education businesses and other organisations whose customers or workforce need what we deliver. Across both, you will identify and qualify opportunities, own the commercial pipeline, and convert relationships into long-term revenue. Bid writing is handled by an external specialist. Your role is to source and qualify the opportunity, direct the submission strategy, and manage the relationship through to contract award and beyond.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with decision-makers across local authorities, commissioning teams, procurement functions, funding bodies, schools, employers and commercial partners.
• Position National Learning Group as a preferred provider in advance of procurement opportunities.
• Develop commercial partnerships and referral relationships in the private sector that generate sustainable revenue.
• Represent National Learning Group at procurement, education, employer and industry events.
• Maintain a robust commercial pipeline across both sectors and provide monthly forecasting to the Finance Director.

Opportunity and Bid Governance

• Monitor procurement portals, commissioning plans, education policy and funding developments to identify new opportunities.
• Qualify and prioritise contracts, framework opportunities, Dynamic Purchasing Systems, tenders and grant funding.
• Lead bid/no-bid decisions based on commercial value, strategic fit and likelihood of success.
• Brief and provide strategic direction to our external bid writer, ensuring submissions are compliant, commercially compelling and delivered to a consistently high standard.
• Oversee bid timelines, internal contributions and submission deadlines.

Commercial Performance

• Develop commercially viable proposals and pricing in partnership with Finance and Operations.
• Support the mobilisation of awarded contracts and new partnerships into operational delivery.
• Develop awarded accounts and partnerships beyond the initial contract term.
• Identify commercial risks and opportunities within the pipeline.
• Strong partnerships and strategic partnerships skills, with experience building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with UK organisations and local authorities.
• Confidence operating at decision-maker level with commissioners, senior stakeholders and commercial partners.
• Strong account management skills, including managing partner expectations, tracking performance, and ensuring delivery against agreed objectives.
• Strong commercial judgement, with the ability to assess which opportunities warrant investment of time and resource.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data, evaluate bid and tender opportunities, and make evidence-based recommendations.
• Excellent communication skills, including clear written and verbal communication for proposals, presentations, and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently, prioritise competing opportunities and deliver results without direct supervision.
• Working knowledge of public sector procurement, including frameworks, Dynamic Purchasing Systems, PQQ, SQ and ITT processes.
• An established network within local authorities, combined authorities or public sector commissioning.
• Experience developing employer partnerships, referral channels or commercial collaborations.
• Experience within education, tutoring, SEND, Alternative Provision, skills, employability or workforce development.
• Experience securing grant funding or managing government-funded programmes.
• Confident use of AI and digital tools to improve research, productivity and proposal development.
• Degree in business, education, public administration, or a related field.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role is measured by the quality of the opportunities you create, the strength of the relationships you build and the sustainable commercial revenue you deliver. You will establish National Learning Group as a trusted partner across the public and private sectors, building strong relationships with commissioners, funding bodies, employers and strategic partners that create opportunities before they reach the market. You will develop a high-quality commercial pipeline, secure public sector contracts, funded programmes and strategic partnerships, and convert those opportunities into profitable, sustainable growth. Ultimately, your contribution will be judged on the commercial value you generate and the part you play in National Learning Group's long-term growth.

Package

• Uncapped commission on secured contract value.
• Travel allowance.

Application

Please submit a CV and a covering letter outlining a commercial relationship you have developed and the contract value it delivered.

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. This post is subject to Safer Recruitment practices, including an Enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references, online checks, employment history checks, TRA checks, and other pre-employment screening. As part of this process, all applicants will be required to complete a self-declaration of any criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands or other information that may be relevant to working in an environment that facilitates regulated activity with children.