Business Development Manager

To grow NEYDL's earned income across two distinct strands: securing commissioned services and contracts with local authorities and other organisations in the North East; and developing a national market for NEYDL's training products and DigiDAD platform, enabling professionals and organisations across the UK to improve the support available to young dads in their communities.

Hours: Full-time (35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm), with occasional evening and weekend working expected to meet the needs of the charity. Four days per week considered for the right candidate.

Location: Hybrid, home-based with regular travel to Gateshead and nationally.

Key responsibilities

• Income generation and business development: Identify and develop opportunities to secure commissioned services and contracts with local authorities, NHS bodies, family hubs, children’s services, early help teams and voluntary sector organisations.
• Lead on the sale of NEYDL’s training products to professional audiences nationally, managing the full sales cycle from prospecting to close.
• Where relevant to other business development activity, make professionals aware of DigiDAD as a free resource and refer interested contacts to the DigiDAD Engagement Officer for onboarding and follow-up.
• Develop and maintain a BD pipeline, setting annual targets in conjunction with the CEO and reporting progress to the board.
• Identify new markets, audiences and partnership opportunities and make evidence-based recommendations to the CEO on where to focus BD effort.

Proposals, tenders and bids:

• Lead on the development of proposals, tenders and commissioned service bids, working closely with the CEO and programme team to develop compelling cases.
• Maintain awareness of relevant commissioning frameworks, procurement processes and funding opportunities that align with NEYDL’s offer.
• Ensure all proposals and tenders accurately reflect NEYDL’s costs and margins and are consistent with the organisation’s financial requirements.

Relationships and profile:

• Build and manage relationships with commissioners, buyers, strategic partners and sector networks nationally.
• Represent NEYDL at sector events, conferences and networks, raising our profile with the professional audiences we want to reach.
• Work collaboratively with the DigiDAD Programme Manager to align BD activity with the growth of the DigiDAD platform.
• Support the launch and positioning of NEYDL’s new national brand, contributing to marketing and communications activity that supports commercial growth.

Organisational leadership and management:

• Contribute to organisational strategy and annual planning as a member of the senior management team.
• Report on BD performance and progress against targets to the CEO and board.
• Work closely with the DigiDAD Engagement Officer (managed by the DigiDAD Programme Manager) to ensure a joined-up approach to professional audience engagement.
• Comply with all NEYDL policies and procedures including safeguarding, data protection and equality, diversity and inclusion.

Key relationships:

• Chief Executive Officer: line manager and strategic lead.
• DigiDAD Programme Manager: close working relationship on professional audience growth and platform promotion.
• DigiDAD Engagement Officer: referral coordination on professional engagement and DigiDAD growth.
• Programme Managers and frontline team: to inform BD activity and support proposal development.
• External: commissioners, local authority leads, NHS contacts, training buyers, sector networks.

Targets

Year 1 milestones: The following milestones have been agreed with our primary Year 1 funder and represent the BDM's near-term priorities:

• By six months: Approaches made to at least 25 contacts, including commissioners in all Family Hub areas in the North East and warm VCSE collaborators.
• By twelve months: Marketing and outreach completed with at least 100 contacts (warm and cold). Training delivered at least 10 times. Indicative conversion targets achieved: approximately 3% of cold contacts and 25% of warm contacts progressing to a training booking (these are assumptions to be tested and refined through year one).
• Evaluation and review of year one learning completed; year two targets developed.

Longer-term targets (to April 2029): The following targets relate to the areas of work this role will contribute to, alongside the DigiDAD Programme Manager and wider team:

• Professionals trained through NEYDL's training products: 50 by April 2027; 350 annually by April 2029.
• New professional DigiDAD registrations: 750 by April 2027; 1,400 annually by April 2029.
• New young dad DigiDAD registrations: 510 by April 2027; 1,000 annually by April 2029.

The Business Development Manager will play a central role in building the relationships and income pipeline that drives the training targets. DigiDAD registration growth is led by the DigiDAD Engagement Officer and wider team, with the Business Development Manager contributing through referrals identified in the course of other work. Alongside these targets, NEYDL currently holds commissioned service contracts with several local authorities: Durham, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Gateshead. A key priority for the Business Development Manager will be to maintain and strengthen these relationships, ensuring contracts are renewed and the value of our work to each commissioner is clearly evidenced. Beyond existing contracts, we are keen to secure commissioned funding in areas of the North East where we currently have limited or no presence.