Business Development Manager (Academy21)

ROLE SUMMARY:

Partnership Manager – Business Development – Academy21 

Working Pattern: Permanent / Full Time – 37.5 hours / week

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

Salary: £38,000 - £44,000 plus commission 

Location: Remote - You will be based at your home address with occasional travel required around the North and East Midlands area. It is desirable you are based in and around this area. Occasional national travel to events/conferences will also be required.

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.

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 schools (secondary & primary), Local Authorities, Multi-Academy Trusts, Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), and other education providers.

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, utilising networks (internal and external) to build pipeline, working closely with the Partnership Development team to identify regional opportunities for new business
• Sales Targets: Ensuring delivery of sales targets across product lines 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.
• Relationship Building: Cultivate strong, relationships with key stakeholders across schools, Local Authorities, Multi-Academy Trusts, and PRUs. through consultative selling approach, positioning Academy 21 as the go-to provider for online alternative education. Being highly responsive to prospect and customer needs at all stages in the sales and customer management cycle.
• Customer onboarding: with the support of the Customer Success team, onboard new customers, taking ownership for the initial nurturing of the relationship (up to 12 months), before hand over to the Partnership Development team.
• Relationship management – internal: working positively with the Customer Success team to ensure new customers are onboarded in the most effective and efficient way; working with colleagues from the Education team to resolve customer queries and address Quality Assurance requirements.
• Reporting: Tracking the key performance metrics for your region, reporting weekly, monthly and quarterly to your line manager, peers, and Exec team as required.
• 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 team with tender submissions, ensuring compliance with procurement frameworks and driving successful outcomes.
• CRM Tracking: Maintain CRM systems with all sales pipeline data, managing opportunities in a timely and accurate manner, and ensuring alignment with B2B team processes.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL HAVE:

The successful candidate will be a graduate with proven experience in B2B new business development and a strong track record in driving growth. Experience in the UK state education sector or edtech industry is highly desirable, while an 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.

• 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.
• Proven ability to achieve and exceed 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.
• Analytical skills with strong attention to detail, enabling you to translate customer needs into tailored service offerings.
• Broad experience, willingness and ability to use CRM and data tools to manage the end to end sales process.
• Strong desire and ability to follow established processes, policies, guidance and documentation.
• Confidence in leveraging emerging technologies to enhance the sales process.
• 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 prospects, customers and colleagues.
• 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.