Partnership Development Lead

Challenge Partners; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Challenge Partners is seeking a Partnership Development Lead to drive growth with schools and trusts. You will execute sales and marketing plans, build a prospect pipeline, and manage stakeholder relationships in a hybrid role with office days in London.

The role requires 37.5 hours/week, core hours 09:30–16:00, and a fixed-term contract for 12 months, with some travel and two days weekly at the Finsbury Park office.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of strong project management, ideally in sales pipelines and partnerships from prospect to close.
• Experience in stakeholder management with the ability to influence decision makers.
• Ability to prioritise effectively and manage multiple demands under pressure.
• Comfort with data-driven outreach and CRM usage to drive sales activity.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement sales plans aligned with growth strategy.
• Build and manage a pipeline of school and trust prospects.
• Engage stakeholders from organisations and local authorities to form partnerships.
• Collaborate with Marketing to ensure consistent messaging across channels.
• Lead planning and marketing of webinars and partner events.

Skills

Sales pipeline management

Stakeholder management

CRM expertise

Event planning

Communication skills

Tools

Salesforce

Google Suite

Microsoft Office

Job description

Partnership Development Lead

Salary: £32,005 - £34,515 per annum (Specific salary is dependent on experience - Please note that this may change as we are currently reviewing our salaries based on cost of living increase)

Contract: Fixed-term for 12 months in the first instance (with the possibility of a contract extension subject to funding and business need)

Start Date: As soon as possible (specific date to be agreed with consideration for your notice period)

Location: This is a blended-working role with two days per week at our office in Finsbury Park (Tuesday-Thursday) during term time and the flexibility to work from home during school holidays. Occasional travel to schools and events will be required.

Working Pattern: 37.5 hours per week. Our core hours are 09:30 - 16:00 from Monday to Friday.

Job Purpose

Established in 2011, Challenge Partners is a well-respected nationwide network of practitioners who engage in impactful collaboration and mutual accountability to ensure every school community can benefit from the combined wisdom of the education system.

Schools and trusts within Challenge Partners subscribe to an annual partnership, partaking in school and trust improvement programmes, engaging in collaborative networks at local, regional and national level, and becoming a member of a national partnership of education practitioners from Cornwall to County Durham.

The Partnership Development Lead will play a key role in driving growth and development within our partnership, devising and executing high impact sales and marketing plans aimed at schools and trusts new to the idea of Challenge Partners, and those considering rejoining it, that will result in accelerated growth of the partnership.

Key Responsibilities

Reporting to the Partnership Development Manager, the Partnership Development Lead will have the following key areas of responsibility and will be expected to undertake other responsibilities commensurate with the role:

Partnership Development and Reach

• Collaborate closely with the Partnership Development Manager to devise and implement sales plans that align with our growth strategy and the wider educational landscape
• Identify and pursue campaigns in high-growth opportunity areas, using data driven research and insights into Challenge Partners' existing relationships
• Build a pipeline of interested school and trust prospects through targeted activity to generate sales meetings for yourself and/or senior members of staff
• Contribute to the planning and delivery of strategies that enable current partners to effectively represent and endorse Challenge Partners
• Partner with the Marketing Team to ensure consistency of messaging across all channels and resources in line with Reach
• Empower colleagues across the team to confidently articulate Challenge Partners' value, and champion opportunities for wider staff to get involved in Reach activity

Stakeholder Management and Ownership

• Develop and maintain expert knowledge of Challenge Partners' networks and programmes, as well as their benefits and impact, to accurately and persuasively communicate value to prospective stakeholders
• Build and manage a portfolio of school and trust prospects, nurturing relationships and delivering high quality, consultative sales conversations, in-person and virtually
• Identify and engage stakeholders from organisations, local authorities and other relevant bodies to form partnerships and unlock ways to engage with schools and trusts

Data Management and Systems

• Become an expert in Challenge Partners' Salesforce CRM to track lead schools and trusts, leveraging data to drive sales and process automation
• Present regular reports on KPIs through data management and reporting, relating to the sales pipeline, conversions, and potential leads and opportunities
• Actively contribute to the development of our Salesforce CRM, ensuring systems support high standards of sales data tracking and management

Event Planning and Support

• Lead the planning and marketing of a series of introductory webinars for interested schools and trusts to hear an overview of the partnership from senior colleagues and partner speakers
• Scope and lead on supporting hub events and partner events where prospective schools and trusts can be invited to engage
• Coordinate prospective partner attendance at wider central team events, ensuring that they have excellent experiences of Challenge Partners on the day, while supporting events more generally

Matrix Management

At Challenge Partners, we work in a matrix structure which means that individuals collaborate across different work streams and are, at times, task managed by colleagues who are not their direct line manager. Therefore the Partnership Development Lead will:

• Provide consistent and high quality task management to all Partnership Coordinators supporting activities related to Reach, and cultivate strong relationships with all hub owners
• Provide consistent and high quality task management to all colleagues involved in school and trust Reach. This includes upwards management of Managers and the Leadership Team
• Support the provision of training and ongoing support to Partnership Coordinators in Reach and the articulation of Challenge Partners' value

Person Specification

Specific skills and attitudes we are looking for in an applicant are as follows:

• As one of our Leads, you will be a role model for our values at all times and a cultural leader within the team and whole organisation
• Proven track record of strong project management, ideally in sales pipelines and partnerships from prospect to close
• Experience in stakeholder management, with a clear approach to identifying and uncovering needs to influence decision makers and articulately communicating value
• Ability to prioritise effectively to meet competing demands and work under pressure, through excellent organisation and time management
• Outstanding attention to detail, and pride in your work
• Strong sense of proactivity, ensuring any issues are recognised and dealt with before they escal
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to deal with people diplomatically and appropriately, building rapport with those at varying levels of seniority
• Positivity, optimism and agility - we are a small organisation and all staff are expected to contribute across the organisation (and sometimes beyond their specific job role) to ensure our success and sustainability
• High information technology literacy - confidence and competence in using Google Suite, Microsoft programmes and Salesforce (or a similar CRM system) would be an advantage
• Proactive in seeking and applying feedback to continuously improve performance
• A genuine passion for the education sector, and a desire to make a difference
• The ability and willingness to travel across the country