Business Development Professional - Apprenticeships

NU London; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Parental leave

Private medical insurance

Season ticket loans

Cycle to work scheme

25 days holiday + winter break

Group life assurance

Pension schemes

Job summary

NU London is seeking a proactive Business Development Professional to promote work-related programmes including Degree Apprenticeships, Apprenticeship Units, and short courses. You will build partnerships with employers across sectors to generate income and support NU London’s wider network.

The role requires experience with apprenticeship programmes, strong relationship-building with HE and business communities, and an ability to craft funding proposals while ensuring compliance with funding

Qualifications

• Honours degree or equivalent professional qualification.
• Experience building and facilitating strong HE-employer relationships for apprenticeships.
• Ability to secure funded projects and manage funding compliance.
• Strong communication, project management and data/reporting skills.

Responsibilities

• Identify organisations for partnerships and develop proposals.
• Drive income growth through apprenticeship programmes and short courses.
• Plan and manage partner engagement and reporting of income targets.
• Ensure compliance with funding rules and quality assurance.

Skills

Relationship building

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Project management

Education

Honours degree or equivalent

Tools

Maytas / MIS

Job description

About the Opportunity

Position overview: Department: Business and Partnership Development & Apprenticeships / Innovation & Enterprise

Location: London / Remote (Hybrid working in line with business need - typically 50% of working week on campus)

Term: Full-time; Ongoing

Salary Range: £40,000 - £45,000 per annum, depending on experience

Benefits

• The university supports staff maintaining a good work/life balance
• Offers flexible working and parental leave opportunities
• Employee Assistance Programme which provides free, confidential advice on both home and work concerns
• Optional private medical insurance
• Season ticket loans and being part of the cycle to work scheme
• 25 days holiday allowance plus winter break 27th to 31st December (excluding Bank Holidays)
• Group life assurance
• Group income protection
• Pension schemes and optional private healthcare
• Flexible working options

Line Management Responsibility: None

Reports to: Associate Director, Innovation & Enterprise (Currently to Director of Business Development – Interim cover for Maternity Leave)

Start date: (dependent on successful completion of relevant checks) Immediate

The Role

Northeastern University London (NU London) wishes to appoint a Business Development Professional to be responsible for promotion of work-related programmes which include a portfolio of Degree Apprenticeships, Apprenticeship Units, short courses and other non-degree, non-credit bearing offerings. This will require working with employers across all sectors as a part of workforce planning. Proactive and results-driven, the role holder will identify and secure income generating opportunities for NU London and, where appropriate, NU’s wider Global Network. Experience working with Apprenticeship programmes is a must. You will also have considerable experience of developing and facilitating relationships between the HE sectors and the business community and will possess an in-depth understanding of the importance of innovation in a business context. With renewed pressure on the delivery of innovation services within the sector, the successful candidate must have the skills and experience to develop winning funding proposals to build further capacity. The externally facing aspects of this role involves contact in person, via web-conference, email and on the telephone, with organisations whose relationships are highly valued by Northeastern University. Through your ability to champion, inspire and communicate opportunities for business collaboration, the role holder will be a key appointment in NU London’s external business development activities. The role is field based and suitable for hybrid working with a need to travel within the UK and attend the London-based office when required.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Identifying organisations with potential synergies to the University’s expertise and developing a proposal for targeting this business.
• Identifying business needs and issues aligned to workforce planning and lifelong learning, facilitating business liaison and business development activities with the objective of turning prospects into income generating projects.
• Proactively search out and secure funded project ideas and proposals that will build capacity within the business development team.
• Developing and implementing an operational plan that clearly defines the relationship between Northeastern University London and business that will bring professionalism and consistency to the interface.
• Excellent communication skills, able to clearly articulate the University’s offerings and how these benefits align to an organisation’s needs.
• Planning and managing new marketing initiatives for the Business Development portfolio of programmes, including editing, and supporting the production of all resources and publicity material, including websites, events, etc.
• Report income generation data, targets, and forecasts on a regular basis.
• Drive demonstrable growth in income arising from apprenticeship opportunities.
• Support internal operational teams in implementing partner engagements.
• Acquire, and maintain, the knowledge required to ensure that apprentices/learners and the associated administration complies with the quality assurance processes for NU London, OfS, Ofsted, Ofqual and DWP.
• Help ensure evidence packs for apprentices/learners are complete and accurate in accordance with the DWP and Data Protection regulations, particularly in respect of contracts and eligibility/registration requirements.
• Ensure compliance with End Assessment regulations as prescribed by the DWP.
• Have a full professional knowledge of the requirements for learner academic and pastoral support, ensuring an understanding of NU London systems and services for delivery: dealing with correspondence and maintaining confidential files.
• Attending relevant training as required.
• Participate in committees and working groups as appropriate and when required.
• Any other duties commensurate with the level of responsibility of this post in support of the Director of Business and Partnership Development & Apprenticeships or their nominee, for which the post holder has the necessary experience and/or training.

Person Specification Criteria

• Qualifications: Honours degree or equivalent professional or vocational qualification and/or extensive relevant business development experience [E]
• Key Skills & Experience: Experience of developing and facilitating strong relationships between the HE sectors and the employer community, specifically in the context of apprenticeship programme development and growth [E]
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with employer partners to support apprenticeship recruitment, programme design, and ongoing account management [E]
• Knowledge and hands-on experience of the administrative and compliance requirements of apprenticeship programmes, including funding rules and learner management processes, ideally within Higher Education or Further Education [E]
• Experience of managing reporting requirements [E]
• Experience in the use of database and management information systems—such as Maytas, or equivalent MIS platforms—with an ability to create and maintain records, and to extract and report data to support funding compliance and quality assurance [E]
• Experience of engaging with a broad range of external stakeholders, including employers, DWP, Ofsted, and end-point assessment organisations, with the ability to quickly understand stakeholder needs and work flexibly to deliver solutions that meet both commercial objectives and regulatory compliance requirements [E]
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) [E]
• Strong project management capabilities with excellent organisation and time management skills, demonstrating an ability to work flexibly and to deadlines while maintaining a high level of accuracy and attention to detail [E]
• Able to work without close supervision and with autonomy, using own initiative, but also collaboratively as a team member, being flexible and adaptable, and with a willingness to embrace change [E]
• High degree of professionalism and personal integrity; ability to exercise complete discretion and maintain confidentiality [E]
• Excellent record keeping and maintenance, with awareness of Data Protection and GDPR [E]
• Resilient, with a can-do attitude and an ability to thrive, remaining calm and measured under pressure [E]
• Competent in the use of IT, especially MS Office [E]
• Willingness and capacity to undertake continuous professional development [E]

About Business and Partnership Development & Apprenticeships

The Business and Partnership Development & Apprenticeships section of NU London is dedicated to designing and delivering work-related learning throughout the UK and internationally. The majority of the team largely work remotely, using innovative pedagogical approaches and best practice in digital education and collaboration to ensure an excellent learner experience for individuals or groups of learners, wherever they are based. The team currently delivers a growing portfolio of work-related learning in the form of apprenticeships, online degrees, Skills Bootcamps, and other short course offerings, all aligned to digital transformation, data science, artificial intelligence, and project management.

Enquiries

Informal enquiries may be made to Emma Kelly ([e-mail]). For further information, you can also contact Emma Kelly at [e-mail].

Additional Information

Job sponsorship: Please note that this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Position Type: General Administration

Salary Range: £40,000 - £45,000 per annum, depending on experience.

We welcome applications from all underrepresented groups, including the Global Majority.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.

Founded in 2012, Northeastern University London (formerly known as New College of the Humanities) has established itself as a prestigious higher education institution based in the heart of London. Northeastern University London is part of Northeastern University’s Global Campus Network. Positioned as a top ranking in the USA, Northeastern has campuses in Arlington, Boston, Charlotte, Miami, Oakland, San Jose, and Seattle in the USA, and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. After becoming part of Northeastern University’s global network in early 2019, the University has undergone a period of rapid growth, having been granted Taught Degree Awarding Powers in February 2020 and moved to a new, state-of-the-art campus in 2021. Northeastern University London offers a vibrant, collegiate community delivering broad and academically rigorous degree programmes, designed to equip graduates with the combination of skills and knowledge that are increasingly desired by organisations, employers, and society. It offers state-of-the-art audio visual technology in its teaching and meeting spaces across the organisation.