Business Development Consultant

Location: Nottingham (with one day per week in Sheffield)

Company: SAAF Education

Salary: £28,000 – £35,000 depending on experience, plus market-leading commission

About SAAF Education

SAAF Education is a specialist education recruitment agency providing temporary and permanent staffing solutions to schools and education providers. We pride ourselves on building long-term relationships with our clients, understanding their individual staffing requirements and delivering a consistently high-quality service.

The Role

We are looking for a confident, commercially minded and relationship-focused Business Development Consultant to join our team, primarily based in Nottingham. This is a business development-led position, with a strong emphasis on winning new clients, developing existing relationships and establishing SAAF Education as a trusted recruitment partner to schools across the region. The successful candidate will take ownership of developing our Nottingham client base, arranging and attending new business meetings, identifying opportunities and building long-term relationships with schools, academies and multi-academy trusts.

This is not simply a telesales role. We are looking for someone who enjoys getting out, meeting people, building genuine relationships and developing commercial opportunities face to face.

The role will initially involve:

• Three days per week heavily focused on business development, including prospecting, arranging new client meetings, attending school visits and developing new relationships.
• One day per week working from our Sheffield office, collaborating with the wider team and developing an understanding of the business.
• One day per week working from home, providing flexibility for planning, administration, follow-ups and business development activity.

As the Nottingham operation grows, there will be a genuine opportunity for career progression. An important part of the longer-term vision for this role will be to help establish and build a team within Nottingham, with the successful candidate having the opportunity to develop into a senior or management position and play a key role in growing the regional operation.

Key Responsibilities

• Proactively identify and win new school and education-sector clients across Nottingham and the surrounding areas.
• Arrange and attend face-to-face meetings with prospective clients, including schools, academies and MATs.
• Build strong, long-lasting relationships with headteachers, business managers, HR teams and other key decision-makers.
• Develop existing client relationships and identify opportunities to increase business.
• Promote SAAF Education's recruitment services and establish the company as a preferred recruitment partner.
• Develop and manage a structured business development pipeline.
• Identify new market opportunities and develop strategies to increase regional market share.
• Work closely with the recruitment team to ensure new client requirements are understood and delivered effectively.
• Represent SAAF Education professionally at client meetings, networking events and industry opportunities.
• Work towards agreed business development and revenue targets.
• Over time, take an active role in recruiting, developing and managing a Nottingham-based recruitment team.

About You

We are looking for someone who is confident, outgoing and commercially driven, with a natural ability to build relationships and develop new business. Ideally, you will have:

• A proven track record in business development, sales or relationship management.
• Experience winning new business and developing existing client accounts.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• The confidence to approach prospective clients and secure new business meetings.
• A proactive, self-motivated attitude and the ability to work independently.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage your own workload.
• Ambition to progress into a senior position and ultimately help build and manage a team.
• Previous recruitment experience, particularly within education recruitment, would be advantageous but is not essential.

A full UK driving licence and access to transport are essential, as the role will involve regular travel to schools and client meetings.

What We Offer

• Competitive basic salary of £28,000 – £35,000 depending on experience.
• Market-leading commission scheme with excellent earning potential.
• 32 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• A varied, autonomous role with genuine responsibility for developing a regional market.
• Flexibility, including one day working from home each week.
• One day per week working alongside our established Sheffield team.
• The opportunity to build and develop your own client base.
• Genuine career progression, with the longer-term opportunity to build and manage a Nottingham recruitment team.
• Full support from an established and experienced education recruitment business.

Career Progression

This is an opportunity to join SAAF Education at an exciting stage of its development. We are looking for someone who wants more than simply another sales position. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to take ownership of our Nottingham business development strategy, establish a strong regional client base and play a significant role in shaping the future of the operation. As the business grows, so will the opportunity to progress, with the longer-term ambition of developing and leading a dedicated Nottingham recruitment team.

Apply Now

If you are an ambitious business development professional who enjoys meeting people, winning new business and building lasting relationships, we'd love to hear from you. Join SAAF Education and help us grow our presence across Nottingham, with the opportunity to build something of your own along the way.