Business Development Manager

Sovereign & Bale; Peterborough; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Sovereign & Bale is seeking a motivated Business Development Manager to build relationships with employers and secure paid work placements for young people across Cambridge, Peterborough, Norfolk and Suffolk. Salary is £32,000–£35,000, with an office-based role and responsibilities spanning business development, account management and stakeholder engagement.

The role supports an employment programme for 18–24-year-olds on Universal Credit, offering fully subsidised six-month placements of up to

Qualifications

• At least one year of successful B2B sales, business development or account management.
• Experience working towards performance targets.
• Ability to build and maintain professional relationships with employers and stakeholders.
• Strong communication, negotiation, networking and influencing skills.
• Good understanding of the local recruitment market and opportunity spotting.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Willingness and ability to travel across Cambridge, Peterborough, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Responsibilities

• Identify and convert new business opportunities across the region.
• Engage with employers to secure placements and maximise repeat business.
• Understand employers' recruitment needs and communicate programme benefits.
• Coordinate placements and update internal trackers.
• Match participants with suitable employers for placements.
• Provide post-placement support with Career Coaches.
• Monitor performance data and report to management.
• Identify ways to improve service delivery and grow opportunities across the region.

Skills

B2B sales

Account management

Communication

Negotiation

Networking

Time management

Influencing

Job description

Business Development Manager
Salary: £32,000–£35,000
Location: Office-based, covering Cambridge, Peterborough, Norfolk and Suffolk

We are looking for a motivated and commercially minded Business Development Manager to develop employer relationships, identify new business opportunities and secure paid work placements for young people.

The Role
As a Business Development Manager, you will be responsible for sourcing and securing suitable work placement opportunities across Cambridge, Peterborough, Norfolk and Suffolk. You will work closely with employers, programme participants and internal teams to develop business opportunities, build lasting relationships and ensure employers have access to the support they need.

The role supports an employment programme for 18–24-year-olds who have been receiving Universal Credit for 18 months or more. The programme provides fully subsidised, six-month paid job opportunities of up to 25 hours per week at minimum wage, helping young people gain valuable work experience and move towards sustainable employment.

This is a varied, people-focused role combining business development, account management, customer service and stakeholder engagement. You will play a key part in matching participants with suitable employers, helping businesses access talent and supporting individuals to overcome barriers to employment.

Key Responsibilities
• Business Development: Identify and convert new business opportunities across the region, promoting the benefits of the placement programme and securing suitable opportunities with employers.
• Employer Engagement: Build and maintain strong relationships with new and existing employers, maximise repeat business and identify opportunities in growth sectors.
• Account Management: Understand employers' recruitment needs, communicate programme benefits effectively and ensure their expectations are consistently met.
• Customer Service and Relationship Management: Work collaboratively with internal teams and programme participants to promote opportunities across key industry sectors and ensure service delivery meets agreed performance targets.
• Placement Coordination: Maintain accurate and up-to-date placement information on internal systems, update shared trackers and communicate opportunities promptly to relevant teams.
• Participant Matching: Provide clear, high-quality information to support effective matching between participants and employers, ensuring outstanding opportunities are highlighted.
• Post-Placement Support: Work with Career Coaches to help employers understand and implement appropriate in-work adjustments for participants with health conditions or disabilities.
• Performance Reporting: Provide feedback to colleagues, monitor employer engagement activity and collate performance data for management.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify ways to improve service delivery, strengthen employer engagement and maximise placement opportunities across the region.

Skills and Experience
You will ideally bring:
• At least one year's experience of successful business-to-business sales, business development or account management.
• Experience of working towards performance targets and achieving measurable results.
• The ability to build and maintain professional relationships with employers, stakeholders and colleagues.
• Strong communication, negotiation, networking and influencing skills.
• A good understanding of the local recruitment market and the ability to identify and maximise business opportunities.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and work independently.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to use market intelligence and performance data to inform decisions.
• The ability to work collaboratively with service delivery teams and colleagues responsible for delivering the services you have sold.
• A good understanding of recruitment practices and employment legislation, or the willingness to develop this knowledge.
• A proactive, flexible and solutions-focused approach, with the resilience to overcome challenges and adapt to changing priorities.
• Honesty, integrity, accountability and a commitment to working effectively as part of a team.
• A genuine interest in people, career development and supporting individuals who may face barriers to employment.
• A willingness and ability to travel throughout Cambridge, Peterborough, Norfolk and Suffolk, including access to your own car where required.