Business Development Manager

Paragon Skills; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-based role

Uncapped commission

Flexible working

25 days annual leave

CPD and training opportunities

4pm Friday finish with flexible hours

Employee recognition and awards

Job summary

Paragon Skills is seeking ambitious Business Development Managers to drive growth of our Care Apprenticeships. This remote-based role supports clients in the South, with a 36.5-hour week and an uncapped commission structure that offers significant financial rewards.

You will identify and secure new clients, build strategic partnerships and develop tailored apprenticeship solutions while navigating funding and levy considerations. Travel nationwide is required as needed.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in business development, B2B sales or account management.
• The confidence to engage, influence and negotiate with decision-makers at all levels.
• A consultative sales approach with ability to understand client needs and develop tailored solutions.
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to articulate return on investment.
• Excellent communication, presentation and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to manage your own workload, pipeline and performance.
• Proactive, resilient and tenacious with drive to turn opportunities into results.
• Full driving licence and willingness to travel nationally, including occasional overnight stays.
• Experience of government-funded training, apprenticeship funding and sales methodologies would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Identify and secure new clients within the care sector and generate a strong apprenticeship pipeline.
• Drive commercial performance with targets including a minimum of 20 starts per month.
• Develop trusted relationships with business owners and key decision-makers for Paragon Skills as the training provider of choice.
• Take a consultative approach to understand client challenges and present tailored Care Apprenticeship solutions.
• Identify opportunities to grow existing accounts and introduce additional programmes.
• Articulate ROI of apprenticeships and benefits to clients’ people and business outcomes.
• Provide information on apprenticeship funding and the levy to help clients make informed decisions.
• Develop your own pipeline, win new business and nurture long-term relationships.
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure smooth onboarding and delivery.
• Work with SME owners to senior decision-makers in large organisations.

Skills

Business development

B2B sales

Account management

Negotiation

Consultative selling

Pipeline management

Relationship building

Communications

Presentation skills

Proactive/workload management

Job description

Uncapped potential. Market-leading commission. The opportunity to make a real difference.

Are you a driven, commercially minded sales professional who knows how to turn opportunities into business? Do you thrive on winning new clients, building lasting relationships and delivering results?

At Paragon Skills, we're looking for ambitious Business Development Managers to drive the growth of our Care Apprenticeships. This is an opportunity to combine your passion for sales with the chance to make a genuine difference, helping employers develop their workforces and supporting people to build rewarding careers in care.

Location:

Remote-based, supporting clients in the South

Hours:

36.5 hours per week (Monday - Friday)

Salary:

up to £38,000 per annum plus incredible bonuses

This is more than a traditional sales role, you'll be instrumental in expanding our Care Apprenticeships, identifying new markets, building strategic partnerships and helping employers understand how apprenticeships can transform their businesses, and with our market‑leading commission structure, your success has the potential to deliver significant financial rewards.

We're passionate about developing people, strengthening businesses and creating opportunities through apprenticeships. Our work helps employers build the skills they need while giving learners the opportunity to achieve their ambitions. Our values of Energy, Energise, Execute, Experience and Edge shape how we work, how we support one another and how we deliver for our customers.

Joining our Commercial team means becoming part of a business where your contribution matters and your success helps create opportunities for others. You'll take ownership of the full business development journey, from identifying and engaging prospective clients to securing new business and nurturing long‑term relationships.

Your focus will be on:

• Proactively identify, target and secure new clients within the care sector, generating a strong pipeline of apprenticeship opportunities
• Driving commercial performance, consistently working towards and exceeding agreed targets, with a minimum expectation of 20 starts per month
• Developing trusted relationships with business owners, senior leaders and key decision‑makers, positioning Paragon Skills as their training provider of choice
• Taking a consultative approach, understanding each employer's challenges and presenting tailored Care Apprenticeship solutions that deliver measurable value
• Identifying opportunities to grow existing accounts, introduce additional apprenticeship programmes and strengthen client partnerships
• Confidently articulating the return on investment of apprenticeships, helping employers understand the benefits to their people and businesses
• Providing information, advice and guidance on apprenticeship funding and the levy, helping clients make informed decisions
• Taking the lead in developing your own pipeline, winning new business and growing existing accounts
• Working closely with internal teams to ensure a smooth transition from initial engagement through to onboarding and delivery
• Working with everyone from SME owners to senior decision‑makers in large corporate organisations.

Requirements

• Proven experience in business development, B2B sales or account management, ideally within training, apprenticeships or a related sector.
• A successful track record of winning new business, developing sales pipelines and consistently achieving or exceeding targets.
• The confidence to engage, influence and negotiate with decision‑makers at all levels.
• A consultative sales approach, with the ability to understand client needs and develop tailored solutions.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to articulate return on investment.
• Excellent communication, presentation and relationship‑building skills.
• The ability to manage your own workload, pipeline and performance effectively.
• A proactive, resilient and tenacious approach, with the determination to turn opportunities into results.
• A full driving licence and willingness to travel nationally, including occasional overnight stays when required.
• Experience of government‑funded training, apprenticeship funding and sales methodologies such as SPIN or Challenger would be advantageous.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Motivated by achieving and exceeding targets, with a genuine appetite for success.
• Always looking for new opportunities, creative ways to generate leads and ways to grow revenue.
• Confident in presenting solutions, overcoming objections and negotiating successful commercial outcomes.
• Comfortable with challenges, able to bounce back from setbacks and persistent in pursuing opportunities.
• Passionate about building lasting partnerships and delivering an exceptional client experience.
• Motivated by the opportunity to make a difference to employers, learners and the wider care sector.

What's in it for you?

• 25 days annual leave, plus 3 volunteer days
• Be rewarded for your results with an unbeatable commission opportunity that recognises your commercial success
• Enjoy the flexibility of working remotely while engaging with clients nationally
• Recognition and long service awards to celebrate our colleagues'

Perkbox - a suite of discounts, lifestyle benefits and wellness tools

• 3% matched Employer Pension contribution
• In person team meetings and 1:1s
• Enhanced Maternity leave after 2 years of service
• Income protection and Life Assurance
• Recommend a colleague incentive schemes, where you can benefit £500 for referring great people to work with us
• CPD and training opportunities
• 4pm Friday finish with flexible working opportunities available
• Flexible and supportive team and with a great culture
• Employee Assistance Programme, with a dedicated People Team to support all colleagues

Ready to make your next move?

If you're a commercially driven Business Development Manager who loves winning new business, building relationships and being rewarded for success, we'd love to hear from you. If you'd like to see the full job description please contact [e-mail]

Bring your ambition. Build your pipeline. Win new business. Earn market‑leading commission.

The Knovia Group is committed to safeguarding, protecting and promoting the welfare of learners, children, young people and vulnerable adults. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

We expect all colleagues to share this commitment and to contribute to a culture where people feel safe, respected and able to achieve their potential. As part of our safer recruitment processes, appropriate pre-employment checks, including DBS, right to work, reference and social media checks where required, will be undertaken.

We're a Disability Confident Employer and have a guaranteed interview scheme in place to ensure that nobody is overlooked or discriminated against because of their disability. If you meet the minimum criteria when you apply and you have informed us in your application that you have a disability, you will be guaranteed an interview for that role.