Job Overview
Bill Quay Education provides alternative education and SEND opportunities in a unique working farm environment. Our learners gain practical skills, confidence, qualifications and work experience through real activities across our farm, horticulture, animal care, hospitality, catering and retail enterprises.
Working closely alongside our Director of Education & Business Development, we are looking for an ambitious, highly organised and commercially minded Business Development Lead to take responsibility for growing our education provision and developing strong relationships with schools, local authorities, colleges, SEND teams and other referral partners.
This is not simply a marketing role. We are looking for someone who can turn relationships into referrals, referrals into placements and opportunities into sustainable income.
You will take ownership of our business development and referral pipeline, identifying new opportunities, building relationships with key decision-makers and ensuring opportunities are followed through from initial contact to placement.
Responsibilities
- Develop and implement a clear business development strategy to support the growth of Bill Quay Education.
- Generate new education referrals and placement opportunities.
- Build and maintain relationships with schools, academies, SENCOs, alternative provision leads, local authorities, SEND teams, EHCP coordinators, colleges, social care professionals and other referral partners.
- Promote our KS3, KS4, Post-16 and SEND provision.
- Identify new funding, commissioning, partnership and long-term contract opportunities.
- Arrange and attend meetings, presentations, networking events and professional visits.
- Coordinate visits to the farm for potential referral partners and organisations.
- Maintain an accurate business development and referral pipeline, including organisations contacted, key decision-makers, meetings, potential referrals, expected start dates, student days, estimated income and probability of conversion.
- Ensure all opportunities are actively followed up and that clear next actions and follow-up dates are in place.
- Develop opportunities for repeat referrals and long-term partnerships.
- Work with the wider team to ensure our education offer is clearly and professionally presented.
- Support the development of prospectuses, referral information and promotional materials.
- Identify opportunities to raise the profile of Bill Quay Education.
- Provide regular updates on activity, pipeline opportunities, referrals, placements, partnerships and income generated.
- Identify priorities, barriers and opportunities requiring management support.
Skills
We are looking for someone who has strong business development and relationship-building skills, with the ability to confidently communicate with professionals and decision-makers.
You will ideally have experience in business development, sales, account management, education partnerships, commissioning, referrals or a similar relationship-led role.
The successful candidate will be:
- Highly organised and able to manage multiple opportunities at different stages.
- Confident building relationships and developing new business opportunities.
- Proactive, self-motivated and comfortable working independently.
- Commercially aware, with the ability to understand and track potential income and opportunities.
- Strong at managing a pipeline and following opportunities through to completion.
- An excellent communicator, both verbally and in writing.
- Comfortable presenting our services and representing the organisation professionally.
- Able to use CRM systems, spreadsheets or similar tools to manage and report on activity.
- Results-driven, with a focus on generating referrals, placements, partnerships and sustainable growth.
- Passionate about creating positive opportunities for young people, particularly those who may benefit from alternative and SEND provision.
This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in the growth and future development of Bill Quay Education. You will have the freedom to develop relationships and create new opportunities, while seeing the direct impact of your work through increased referrals, placements and sustainable income.
If you are a driven and organised business development professional who enjoys building relationships, creating opportunities and turning them into real results, we would love to hear from you.
Pay: Up to £21,333.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Gateshead NE10 0UE
