A21 Business Partnership (Development) Manager

ROLE SUMMARY:

Job Title: Business Development Manager – East Midlands, Academy21 (Permanent / Full Time – 37.5 hours / week

Company: Academy21, part of the Inspired Education Group, UK B2B Divisio

Location: East of England / London / South East (Hybrid Remote) - You will be based at your home address with travel required within the defined region. Occasional national travel to events/conferences will also be required

Salary: £38,000 - £41,000 per annu

Commission: Up to £17.5K bonus OTE, with an uncapped additional bonus for exceeding target

Car Allowance: £400/mont

Additional Benefits: Pension, Life Assurance, Employee Assistance Programme, Healthcare Cashback, Additional Service-Related Annual Leave

This is an exceptional opportunity to join the UK B2B division within Inspired Education as a Business Development Manager for Academy21, the UK’s leading online alternative provision specialist and the first DfE accredited provider in this space

Academy21 is dedicated to supporting vulnerable and disengaged students, particularly those facing mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression, and those experiencing Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA). By providing a safe and flexible online learning environment, we help students to re-engage with their education, build confidence, and achieve their full potential despite the barriers they face

As a result of rapid growth and the increasing demand for Alternative Provision (AP), we are expanding our team to drive new business and build strategic partnerships

Your primary responsibility will be to implement and deliver a dynamic business development strategy across your region. Your focus will be on identifying and pursuing new business opportunities, driving growth, and building strong relationships with Local Authorities, Multi-Academy Trusts, Schools, and Local AP Centres/Pupil Referral Units (PRUs).

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

New Business Development: Identify and pursue new business opportunities within the region, leveraging industry insights and market trends to drive growth. Prospecting into target accounts using a range of contact methods

Sales Targets: Ensuring delivery of sales targets in line with Company objectives and financial plans based on monthly and quarterly performance

Sales and Growth Forecasting: Accurately forecast sales and growth, ensuring alignment with business objectives

Strategic Account Management: Develop and implement a comprehensive account management strategy for clients, ensuring sustained growth and customer satisfaction

Relationship Building: Cultivate strong, long-term relationships with key stakeholders across Local Authorities, Multi-Academy Trusts, Schools, and PRUs through consultative selling approach, positioning Academy 21 as the go-to provider for online alternative education

Market Penetration: Drive the expansion of our AP offerings by strategically positioning Academy21’s services within new and existing markets

Reporting: Presenting regular performance data for the B2B team and line manager

Marketing Collaboration: Feeding insights and opportunities to the Marketing department to support marketing planning as well as fulfilment of local and regional campaigns

Tender Submissions: Supporting the Bid Manager with tender submissions, ensuring compliance with procurement frameworks and driving successful outcomes

CRM Tracking: Maintain and update CRM systems with all lead and sales pipeline data, activity, and ensuring alignment with business development processes

Quality Assurance: Support ongoing quality assurance processes, staying informed on regulatory changes and developments in the education sector to inform decision-making

Improvement initiatives: working with colleagues across teams on improvement projects that support business growth and process improvement.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL HAVE:

The successful candidate will be a graduate with proven experience in B2B business development and a strong track record in driving growth. Experience in the UK state education sector or edtech industry is highly desirable, while a deep understanding of the alternative provision landscape would be a significant plus

The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker with a passion for identifying and capitalising on new business opportunities

Skills and Experience

Demonstrated success in new business development with a proven ability to proactively identify, nurture, and convert leads into long-term clients as well as drive growth

Commitment to delivering against revenue targets and KPIs

Experience managing a pipeline of opportunities in a CRM and forecasting future sales and growth

Strong commercial acumen with a results-driven mindset

Excellent relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels

Strategic account management experience, with a focus on driving growth within key accounts

Analytical skills with strong attention to detail, enabling you to translate customer needs into tailored service offerings

Confidence in leveraging emerging technologies to enhance educational outcomes

Highly adaptable with a collaborative approach, thriving in a fast-paced, dynamic environment

Strong interpersonal communication skills with the ability to form good relationships both internally and externally with respective customers and partners. Ability to work both independently and as part of a team, with excellent interpersonal communication skills. Experience of working in a fully remote role is desirable.

SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT

Inspired Education Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers and other third parties to share this commitment. Safer recruitment practices and pre-employment background checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.