Business Development Advisor

Suffolk New College; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution in Ipswich is seeking a Business Development Advisor to engage with major employers, coordinate CRM usage, and match training needs. The ideal candidate will possess strong communication and organizational skills, and a commitment to fostering an inclusive learning environment. This is a full-time, permanent role with a starting salary between £29,007 and £32,172 per year.

Qualifications

• Confident in engaging with employers.
• Highly organized and good team player.
• Experience in employer engagement.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate CRM database management for employer engagements.
• Engage with strategic employers and maintain links.
• Conduct Internet research to inform employer engagement.
• Assess businesses' training needs and match them to the College offer.
• Support delivery of externally funded projects with employer focus.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Organizational skills

Team player

Engaging professional manner

Job description

Job Overview

Recruiter: Suffolk New College, Location: Ipswich [Suffolk], Salary: £29,007 - £32,172 Per Year, Starting salary is £29,007 per annum, Posted: 07 Oct 2025 13:40, Closes: 27 Oct 2025 23:59, Sector: Further Education, Job Level: Adviser, Specialism: Employer Engagement / Partnerships, Contract Type: Permanent, Hours: Full Time

This is an exciting and diverse role joining a dynamic, growing Directorate within our thriving College. You will be joining a friendly team, keen to support you to flourish in your role.

As our Business Development Advisor you will –

• coordinate the effective development and use of our CRM database to manage and report on employer engagements across the college.
• work as part of a college-wide employer engagement team, with a particular focus on assisting the Department Director to engage effectively with major strategic employers and maintain and develop existing links.
• conduct Internet research and collate employer information to inform employer engagement.
• work with businesses to assess their training needs and match these with the College offer, brokering bespoke training where appropriate.
• support and enable the delivery of externally funded projects with a strong employer engagement focus.

The ideal candidate will be confident in engaging with employers and have strong communication skills. You must also be highly organised, a good team player, and have an engaging professional manner with stakeholders. You will keep the learner experience at the centre of everything you do.

Due to the nature of this role, access to personal transport is essential. If using your own vehicle, it is a requirement for your car insurance to cover business use and evidence of this will be requested by finance before any travel claims are paid.

* Suffolk New College is a multi-campus site and therefore whilst you will have a main base, you may be required to work at and travel between campuses. We have campuses in Halesworth, Leiston, Otley and Ipswich. Please state clearly in your application form your preferred main base.

At Suffolk New College, we promote the culture of BeSNC. Implementing BeSNC is not just a choice; it's a commitment to providing the best possible environment for our learners to thrive. It's a commitment to nurturing an inclusive and supportive community where each student, staff and community member can reach their full potential.

This College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. As part of our on-going commitment to Equality and Diversity, Suffolk New College guarantee to short list all applicants from a black or ethnic minority group who meet the essential criteria and all applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria. All appointments are subject to Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.