Business Development & Partnerships Manager in Blackburn

The Social Housing Family CIC is looking for a commercially minded, organised and proactive Business Development & Partnerships Manager to work closely with our Commercial Director.

You will help develop relationships, progress housing opportunities and keep commercial activity moving across our supported housing portfolio. Alongside developing new business, you will take ownership of the follow-up, coordination and problem-solving needed to turn opportunities into successful schemes.

This is a hands-on role with variety and responsibility. You could be meeting a prospective care partner, progressing an agreement, coordinating a property handover or working with colleagues to resolve an issue delaying occupation.

We are looking for someone who builds trust, asks sensible questions and follows things through to completion.

Purpose of the role

To support the Commercial Director in growing and developing the business, managing partner relationships and delivering commercial priorities.

You will maintain a clear view of opportunities, outstanding actions and potential obstacles, taking responsibility for agreed workstreams and bringing forward practical solutions.

Key responsibilities

Business development and partnerships

• Build and maintain relationships with care and support providers, local authorities, property owners and other relevant partners.




• Identify opportunities for new partnerships, suitable properties and growth within existing relationships.




• Understand partners’ requirements and work with colleagues to assess whether opportunities are suitable, viable and aligned with residents’ needs.




• Arrange and attend introductory meetings, property visits and partner discussions.




• Prepare proposals, presentations and supporting information.




• Maintain an accurate pipeline showing each opportunity’s status, next steps, responsibilities and timescales.

Progressing opportunities and schemes

• Coordinate agreed opportunities from initial enquiry through assessment, approval, mobilisation and handover.




• Gather the property, commercial and partner information needed for decisions.




• Work with housing, assets, finance and external advisers to progress outstanding requirements.




• Track agreements, documentation, approvals and signatures, following up proactively.




• Identify delays and dependencies early, resolve issues within your remit and escalat decisions with clear recommendations.




• Coordinate new schemes and property transfers so relevant teams understand their responsibilities and deadlines.

Supporting the Commercial Director

• Take ownership of delegated projects, commercial queries and outstanding actions.




• Prepare meeting briefings, draft correspondence and concise progress updates.




• Attend meetings, record decisions and ensure agreed actions are completed.




• Liaise with partners and colleagues on the Commercial Director's behalf within agreed authority.




• Investigate issues, establish the facts and propose practical next steps.




• Keep priorities organised and moving, reducing the need for the Commercial Director to chase routine progress.

Existing partnerships and occupancy

• Act as a reliable commercial contact for allocated partners.




• Maintain regular contact, understand concerns and coordinate responses with the appropriate team.




• Work with care providers and housing colleagues to identify opportunities to bring suitable vacant accommodation into use.




• Track barriers to occupation, including partner requirements, property readiness and outstanding agreements.




• Support discussions about service arrangements and commercial terms, subject to the appropriate approvals.




• Ensure commitments made to partners are recorded, communicated and followed through.

Commercial information and improvement

• Maintain clear records of opportunities, agreements, partner contacts and outstanding issues.




• Prepare straightforward reports covering pipeline progress, mobilisation, occupancy opportunities and key risks.




• Support commercial assessments by gathering and checking costs, income assumptions and other relevant information with finance colleagues.




• Improve trackers, templates and working processes to make progress easier to manage.




• Handle confidential information carefully and work within agreed approval processes.

About you

You are comfortable building relationships and equally comfortable doing the detailed work that keeps commitments on track. You can take a broad brief, establish what needs to happen and organise the steps to get it done.

You will bring:

• Experience in business development, partnerships, account management, commercial coordination or project delivery.




• Evidence of taking responsibility for work and seeing it through to completion.




• Strong organisation and the ability to manage several priorities at once.




• Clear, professional written and verbal communication.




• Confidence following up with internal colleagues and external partners.




• Commercial awareness and confidence working with figures, spreadsheets and business information.




• Practical judgement: knowing what you can resolve and when a decision needs escalating.




• An approachable, persistent and dependable working style.




• Confidence using Microsoft Office and systems for tracking contacts, projects and actions.




• Supported housing, social housing, adult social care or a related property environment.




• Working with care providers, local authorities, housing providers or property partners.




• Coordinating scheme mobilisation, property onboarding or portfolio transfers.




• Supporting service agreements, commercial proposals or contract processes.




• Understanding occupancy, voids and the relationship between housing quality, partner confidence and sustainable income.

We welcome relevant experience from other sectors where you can demonstrate strong commercial judgement, relationship management and delivery.

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