Business Relationship Manager

Ecclesiastical Planning Services Limited; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

Pension

Bonus scheme

25 days annual leave + holidays

Job summary

Ecclesiastical Planning Services Limited is recruiting a Business Relationship Manager to lead strategic partnerships across the UK. The role is remote/field based, requiring travel to partner sites and face-to-face meetings with executives and branch teams.

You will develop growth plans, drive sales growth for funeral plans, and deliver performance insights to shape business priorities. We offer a competitive package with car allowance, pension, bonus, generous leave, private healthcare and

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing strategic partnerships or key accounts within a regulated commercial environment.
• Demonstrable ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all organisational levels, including executive leadership teams.
• Strong relationship management skills with a track record of long-term collaboration.
• Commercially astute with the ability to analyse performance data and translate insights into growth opportunities.
• Excellent communication, presentation and facilitation skills for boardroom and field settings.
• Knowledge of regulated sales environments and delivering positive customer outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Act as the main relationship lead for selected partners, building trusted relationships across stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain relationships with COOs, Funeral Directors, Regional Managers and branch teams.
• Create and deliver growth plans aligned to strategic objectives to increase sales and engagement.
• Lead regular business reviews with performance insights and recommendations.
• Use data to identify trends, risks and opportunities and translate insights into actions.
• Drive funeral plan sales growth through engagement, training and campaigns.
• Represent partner needs internally to shape priorities.
• Support implementation and adoption of products and digital tools.
• Ensure governance and compliance across partner activity.
• Represent EPS at partner events and industry forums.

Skills

Strategic partnerships

Stakeholder management

Relationship management

Sales growth

Communication

Regulated environments

Job description

Working hours: 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Duration: Permanent

Location: Remote

Job Ref: 205289

About The Role

Ecclesiastical Planning Services, who are proudly part of Benefact Group, are looking for a Business Relationship Manager. This role will be remote / field based.

What you'll be doing

• Act as the main relationship lead for selected partners, building trusted relationships across executive, operational and branch-level stakeholders. This will include regular travel and face to face meetings at locations across the the UK.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers, including COOs, Funeral Directors, Regional Managers, Area Managers and branch colleagues.
• Create and deliver joint growth plans aligned to strategic objectives, identifying opportunities to increase funeral plan sales, customer engagement and operational performance.
• Lead regular business reviews, providing performance insights, recommendations and updates on agreed objectives.
• Use sales, conversion and operational data to identify trends, risks and opportunities, turning insights into actions that deliver results.
• Drive funeral plan sales growth through colleague engagement, sales support, training and targeted campaigns.
• Represent partner needs and feedback internally, helping to shape business priorities and continuous improvement.
• Support the implementation and adoption of products, services and digital tools.
• Ensure effective governance and oversight of partner activity, maintaining compliance with regulations, customer outcome expectations and business standards.
• Represent EPS at partner events, conferences and industry forums to strengthen relationships and enhance the organisation's reputation.
• Manage and oversee Appointed Representative relationships, ensuring regulatory compliance and achievement of performance standards.

What you'll need to have

• Proven experience managing strategic partnerships or key accounts within a regulated commercial environment.
• Demonstrable ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all organisational levels, including executive leadership teams.
• Strong relationship management skills, with experience building long-term collaborative partnerships.
• Commercially astute with the ability to analyse performance data and convert insights into growth opportunities.
• Excellent communication, presentation and facilitation skills, suitable for both boardroom and operational environments.
• Strong understanding of sales development, colleague engagement and performance improvement initiatives.
• Knowledge of regulated sales environments and the importance of delivering positive customer outcomes.

What makes you stand out

• Any previous experience within the funeral sector would be advantageous.

What we offer

• A competitive salary - let's discuss it
• Car allowance
• Group Personal Pension - up to 12% employer contribution
• Generous annual bonus scheme: on-target bonus between 6% and 24%.
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, and a holiday buy and sell scheme
• An array of health and wellbeing benefits, including private healthcare, income protection and life assurance
• £200 annual personal grant to a charity of your choice
• Encouraged to take at least one volunteering day per year
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Full study support to gain professional qualifications
• Access to virtual GP
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

Hear from the hiring manager

"You'll be joining a genuinely brilliant team that's ambitious, collaborative, and full of energy, but has never lost the close-knit, supportive culture that makes Ecclesiastical Planning Services such a special place to work. It's one of the best companies and teams I've had the privilege to be part of; we challenge each other, celebrate our successes, and always support one another. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who loves building relationships, spotting opportunities, and turning ideas into results. You'll have the chance to make your mark, shape key partnerships, and play a meaningful role in our growth journey, all while working alongside talented people who are passionate about what they do and excited about the future we're building together."

About Us

Ecclesiastical Planning Services (EPS) work with a UK-wide network of funeral directors to provide pre-paid funeral plans. Our business is based on trust, so we focus on personal service, offering guidance and support to funeral directors and families when they need it most.

Benefact Group is a unique international financial services Group made up of over 30 businesses. We are owned by a charity and have been the 3rd largest UK corporate donor over a decade*, having given away £250 million since 2014. We have ambitious plans to become the UK’s number one corporate donor, with strategic objectives in place to double the Group’s size.

We believe it’s essential to attract, empower, grow and reward talented people, offering fantastic opportunities for career and personal development. Our giving ethos, 135-year history and the diversity of what we do, has enabled us to build a culture of kindness, great ambition, and of passionate people driven to do better and be better.

At Benefact Group, we are committed to creating an inclusive culture and building an environment where each and every one of us feels valued and respected. We are a community made up of people with a range of different backgrounds, abilities, perspectives, beliefs and interests and we value the strength this brings to us as a Group. We welcome applications from everyone.

If you need any additional support during the recruitment process, then please let us know.

• Directory of Social Change’s UK Guides to Company Giving 2017-26