Business Development Manager

Leeds, West Yorkshire Joining Careers Education Business Development Manager – Education Services 2 Days per week in Leeds Office About the Role We are seeking an experienced and commercially focused Business Development Manager to lead the growth and development of our Ofsted-regulated Education Services. The successful candidate will have a strong background in specialist education, SEND provision, commissioning, and referral management, with extensive experience working alongside Local Authorities, commissioners, and multi-agency professionals. You will possess a thorough understanding of EHCP processes, placement commissioning, education funding pathways, and the wider education and children’s services landscape. This strategic role is integral to driving occupancy across our education settings, managing referral and placement activity, developing commissioner relationships, and identifying sustainable growth opportunities that support positive outcomes for children and young people. Working closely with operational leaders, school leadership teams, and executive stakeholders, you will play a key role in increasing referrals, securing placements, strengthening local authority partnerships, and ensuring our services remain compliant, responsive, and aligned to sector needs. The Role Strategic Business Development Lead the business development strategy across our specialist education services to achieve sustainable growth and occupancy targets. Partner with Regional Directors, Headteachers, and Operational Leaders to align business development activity with service capacity and educational outcomes. Identify market opportunities, emerging commissioning priorities, and regional demand trends. Develop strategic growth plans that support both operational delivery and long-term organisational objectives. Provide market intelligence and commissioner insights to inform service development and expansion opportunities. Referrals, Placements & Occupancy Management Lead and oversee the end-to-end referrals and placements process across all education settings. Manage high-volume referral pipelines, ensuring timely assessment, review, and placement decision-making. Build effective relationships with SEN Teams, SEND Case Officers, Commissioning Teams, and Placement Panels to maximise referral opportunities. Ensure all placements are appropriately matched to individual learner needs, EHCP outcomes, and available provision. Monitor referral conversion rates, occupancy levels, waiting lists, and placement trends to identify opportunities for growth and improvement. Work collaboratively with school leaders to maintain optimal occupancy levels whilst ensuring quality and suitability of placements. Commissioning & Local Authority Partnerships Develop and maintain strong relationships with Local Authority Commissioners, SEND Commissioners, Education Placement Teams, and wider stakeholder networks. Act as a key point of contact for commissioning discussions, placement negotiations, and strategic partnership development. Promote services through commissioner engagement, provider events, networking forums, and sector meetings. Support participation in commissioning frameworks, approved provider lists, procurement opportunities, and tender submissions. Maintain an in-depth understanding of local authority commissioning priorities and funding arrangements. Market Development & Growth Identify, develop, and secure new business opportunities across specialist education, SEND, and children’s services sectors. Conduct market analysis and competitor reviews to support service positioning and strategic decision-making. Develop targeted engagement plans to increase awareness of services amongst commissioners and referral partners. Support new service mobilisation and expansion opportunities through market research and stakeholder engagement. Compliance & Regulatory Leadership Maintain expert knowledge of Ofsted regulations, SEND legislation, EHCP requirements, and commissioning frameworks. Ensure all placement activity and business development practices remain compliant with regulatory and contractual requirements. Provide guidance to operational teams regarding sector developments, legislative changes, and commissioning expectations. Support continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen service quality and outcomes. Reporting & Performance Management Develop and deliver comprehensive weekly and monthly performance reports for Executive Teams, Managing Directors, and the COO, providing insight into: Referral volumes, sources, and conversion rates Occupancy and capacity across all education settings Placement pipelines and forecasted growth opportunities Local authority engagement activity Commissioning opportunities and contract developments Market intelligence and competitor activity Risks, challenges, and strategic growth recommendations About You We are looking for a commercially driven professional who combines strong education sector expertise with excellent relationship-building and commissioning experience. You will have: * Extensive experience in Business Development, Commissioning, Placement Management, or Strategic Growth within specialist education, SEND, or children’s services. * Proven experience working within the education sector, ideally within independent schools, specialist education, alternative provision, or SEND services. * Strong understanding of EHCP processes, SEND legislation, education funding, and placement commissioning. * Demonstrable experience managing referrals, placements, occupancy, and high-volume referral pipelines. * Established relationships with Local Authorities, SEND Commissioners, SEN Teams, Placement Officers, and wider education stakeholders. * Experience participating in commissioning frameworks, procurement exercises, and contract development activities. * Strong commercial awareness with a track record of increasing referrals, occupancy, and revenue growth. * Excellent communication, negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills. * Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret referral data, market trends, and commissioning intelligence. * Experience supporting service development and growth strategies in response to changing market and commissioner needs. * Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. * A relevant qualification in Education, Social Care, Business Development, Management, or a related discipline