Senior Business Development Manager , Midlands - Academy21

ROLE SUMMARY:

Job Title: Senior Business Development Manager, Midlands
Company: Academy21, part of the Inspired Education Group, UK B2B Division
Contract: Permanent 
Working Hours: Full time – 37.5 hours 
Location: Midlands (Hybrid Remote) You will be based from your home address with frequent travel required within the Midlands region. Occasional national travel to events/conferences will also be required.
Salary: £45,000 - £48,000 per annum
Start date: 24 February 2025
Commission:  £25,000 OTE, with opportunity to participate in a discretionary bonus scheme as an incentive for exceeding targets
Car Allowance: £4,800 per annum
Additional Benefits: HealthShield, EAP, GP Anytime, Staff Discount Scheme, Health & Wellbeing App, Life Cover, Health Cash Plan, 3% ER Pension, Additional Service-Related Annual Leave

This is an exceptional opportunity to join the UK B2B division within Inspired Education as a Senior 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. 

This is a player-manager role reporting to the Executive Head of Business Development. Your primary responsibilities will be to implement and deliver a dynamic business development strategy across the Midlands region, and to lead a team of two or more BDMs/AMs to meet and exceed new business and retention targets. You will focus 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).

This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in the growth of Academy21, contributing to the transformation of online alternative education across the UK. If you are a proactive and results-oriented business development professional with a passion for education, we would love to hear from you.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• New Business Development: Identify and pursue new business opportunities within the region, leveraging industry insights and market trends to drive growth.
• Strategic Account Management: Develop and implement a comprehensive account management strategy for clients, ensuring sustained growth and customer satisfaction.
• 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.
• Team leadership & development: lead, motivate and inspire a sales team to achieve targets; engage in regular sales coaching to improve performance; implement development plans to support the growth of team members; set and monitor performance objectives and KPIs. 
• Relationship Building: Cultivate strong, long-term relationships with key stakeholders through a 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 to your 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 LA tender submission process, ensuring compliance with procurement frameworks and driving successful outcomes.
• CRM Tracking: Maintain and update CRM systems with all lead and contract conversions, 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 strategic decision-making.

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. A good understanding of the Alternative Provision landscape would be a significant advantage. 

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 identify, nurture, and convert leads into long-term clients as well as drive growth.
• Experience working to and delivering against revenue targets and KPIs.
• Experience maintaining 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.
• Team management and leadership experience, with a proven ability to develop others while managing their own quota. 
• 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.
   

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.