New Business Development

• Lead new business development at a strategic level.
• Identify where the organisation should grow, why it should grow, and who it should partner with.
• Generate opportunities through strategic relationships rather than relying solely on existing placement demand.
• Identify potential new services, geographical markets, and customer groups.
• Develop and maintain a strategic pipeline of growth opportunities.
• Work with the Head of Business Development to ensure strategic opportunities are appropriately developed and progressed.
• Support the development of business cases, proposals, and commercial propositions where required.
• Ensure opportunities are assessed against strategic fit, commercial potential, risk, and organisational capacity.

Government, Policy & Commissioning Intelligence

• Maintain a strong understanding of government policy and developments affecting children's social care and education.
• Monitor changes to legislation, funding, commissioning structures, and regional strategies.
• Identify potential opportunities before they become established markets.
• Develop relationships with emerging commissioning structures and regional bodies.
• Provide insight to the senior leadership team regarding market developments and potential future opportunities.
• Use external intelligence to inform business development and organisational strategy.

Commercial Development

• Work closely with the Commercial Director and Head of Business Development to turn strategic relationships into commercial opportunities.
• Support the development of commercially viable partnership propositions.
• Ensure strategic opportunities are aligned with organisational financial and growth objectives.
• Contribute to pricing, proposition development, and commercial strategy where appropriate.
• Develop opportunities that provide sustainable, long-term revenue rather than short-term transactional growth.
• Support negotiations and strategic commercial discussions with key partners.

External Profile & Reputation

• Build and enhance the organisation’s external profile within children's social care and education.
• Position the organisation as a credible, innovative, and trusted strategic partner.
• Identify opportunities to increase visibility and influence across relevant sectors.
• Attend and contribute to sector events, conferences, forums, and networks.
• Develop relationships with influential stakeholders and sector leaders.
• Identify opportunities for the organisation to contribute to sector discussions, consultations, and strategic initiatives.
• Act consistently as a positive ambassador for the organisation.

Internal Collaboration

• Work closely with the Commercial Director, Head of Business Development, and wider leadership team.
• Ensure external intelligence and relationship development inform internal strategy.
• Share market insight, opportunities, and stakeholder intelligence with relevant teams.
• Work collaboratively with operational, commissioning, marketing, finance, and senior leadership colleagues.
• Ensure new partnerships are operationally deliverable and aligned with organisational values.
• Support colleagues in developing relationships and opportunities where appropriate.

Key Objectives

The Head of Partnerships will be expected to:

• Create new strategic routes to market.
• Develop a strong and influential external network.
• Identify and unlock new markets and growth opportunities.
• Build sustainable strategic partnerships.
• Increase the organisation’s visibility and influence within children's social care and education.
• Develop relationships with senior decision-makers and emerging commissioning structures.
• Generate a strong pipeline of strategic opportunities.
• Convert relationships into tangible commercial and organisational outcomes.
• Anticipate market changes and position the organisation ahead of competitors.
• Support the organisation’s long-term growth strategy.

Person Specification

Essential

• Significant experience in business development, partnerships, strategic relationships, or commercial growth.
• Strong understanding of children's social care and/or education.
• Proven experience building relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Experience working with Local Authorities and/or public sector organisations.
• Strong understanding of commissioning and public sector decision-making.
• Demonstrable ability to identify and develop new business opportunities.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to operate confidently at senior and strategic levels.
• Strong commercial awareness.
• Ability to develop and maintain a substantial external network.
• Ability to think strategically while also delivering measurable outcomes.
• Highly credible, professional, and confident in external environments.

Desirable

• Experience working with Mayors, Combined Authorities, or regional commissioning structures.
• Experience across multiple areas of children's social care.
• Experience within education, health, or the voluntary/community sector.
• Experience developing innovative partnerships or new service models.
• Experience working within changing regulatory, policy, or commissioning environments.
• Existing senior-level network across children's social care and/or education.