Strategic Partnerships & Policy Lead – Maternity Cover

UK Coaching; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

UK Coaching is seeking a Partnership and Policy Manager (Maternity cover) to lead a defined portfolio of strategic partners, shaping policy-aligned delivery and growing commercial opportunities. The role blends leadership, policy insight and hands-on relationship management to strengthen sector impact and income streams.

Based in a hybrid setup, you will manage partnerships, drive funded programmes, and collaborate with product, marketing, and policy colleagues to translate insights into

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership for a defined portfolio of strategically significant partners, building trusted, long‑term relationships that deliver policy‑aligned impact, commercial income and/or funded outcomes.
• Acts as the senior point of contact for priority partners, leading high‑quality engagement, negotiation and issue resolution across complex and high‑value relationships.
• Develops deep insight into partner contexts, priorities and system challenges, using this intelligence to shape new projects, contracts, funded programmes and commercial opportunities.
• Leads the identification, development and progression of income‑generating opportunities, including proposals, bids and tenders, securing sales in line with agreed income targets and delegated authority.
• Ensure partnership activity and funded or commercial delivery is managed in line with contractual terms, funder requirements, organisational standards and risk appetite, escalating material commercial, contractual or delivery risks as required.
• Work collaboratively with product, marketing, operations and policy colleagues to translate partner and policy insight into effective propositions, delivery models and high‑quality customer experiences.
• Support the mobilisation and successful delivery of funded and commercial programmes, providing senior oversight and problem‑solving across teams.
• Maintain robust oversight of partnership pipelines, performance and forecasting, ensuring accurate use of CRM systems, high‑quality reporting and disciplined commercial judgement.
• Ensure contracts and partnership documentation are accurate, appropriate and aligned with organisational frameworks and pricing structures.
• Represent UK Coaching credibly and professionally across the coaching, sport and physical activity system, contributing to sector forums, presentations and strategic conversations.
• Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of sector developments, policy direction, competitor activity and emerging opportunities, embedding learning into partnership and organisational practice.
• Shapes and facilitates organisational thinking, providing policy insight & analysis, and aligns partnership work to national and sector priorities.
• Acts as the organisational lead for policy insight into the Partnership Team, ensuring learning is translated into partnership approaches, propositions and delivery models
• Represents the organisation externally within agreed strategic positioning and partnership priorities set by the Head of Partnerships and/or Head of Policy.
• Provides policy insight and intelligence to inform product development, partnership development and organisational strategy.
• Develops strong understanding of policy contexts affecting coaching, workforce development, and education systems.
• Monitoring sector trends, policy developments, competitor activity, and emerging opportunities.
• Represents UK Coaching in policy aligned forums and contributing to national conversations about coach learning and development.
• Ensures policy priorities are integrated into partnership and product work, aligning delivery with strategic direction and current and potential funded outcomes.
• Works across the organisation to share and embed policy intelligence into planning and decision making.
• Holds delegated authority for day‑to‑day decision‑making, prioritisation and performance management for direct reports and designated partnership activity, escalating strategic or high‑risk issues as required
• Works with the Head of Partnerships to develop and implement sector and partner plans across the team.
• Use regular reporting, analysis and insight to present on progress and performance, suggesting adaptations to the plans as required to meet objectives.
• Leads good communication practices across the team to ensure individuals have clarity and focus.
• Understands required team competencies and capability against these. Develops individuals so they have the skills and behaviours required to be successful in role.
• Develops capability and capacity in the team, leading to fulfilling roles for individuals and manages single points of failure for the business.
• Promotes cross company working and positive and inspiring behaviours across the team
• Promotes and aligns own behaviours to UK Coaching company values
• Supports the development and standardisation of partnership and policy management processes.

Job description

UK Coaching is seeking a Partnership and Policy Manager (Maternity cover) to lead a defined portfolio of strategic partners, shaping policy-aligned delivery and growing commercial opportunities. The role blends leadership, policy insight and hands-on relationship management to strengthen sector impact and income streams.

Based in a hybrid setup, you will manage partnerships, drive funded programmes, and collaborate with product, marketing, and policy colleagues to translate insights into