Senior Business Development Manager (12 month maternity cover)

Sport4Life UK; United States; Remote; GBP 26,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking organization dedicated to making a difference in young people's lives as a Senior Business Development Manager. In this pivotal role, you will cultivate strategic partnerships and lead initiatives that unlock opportunities for youth across the nation. With a focus on income generation and impactful collaborations, you will inspire a talented team while driving national growth. If you are passionate about social change and possess a strong background in partnership development, this is your chance to make a lasting impact.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in managing strategic partnerships.
• Experience in income generation through business development.

Responsibilities

• Lead on developing impactful partnerships and collaborations.
• Build and maintain corporate relationships that support our mission.

Skills

Strategic Partnerships Development

Business Development

Fundraising

Team Leadership

Negotiation Skills

Youth Employment Knowledge

Job description

Drive growth. Forge powerful partnerships. Change young lives.

Are you a strategic thinker with a passion for creating impact? Join Sport 4 Life UK as our Senior Business Development Manager and play a pivotal role in shaping the future for young people across the country.

This is a high-impact leadership role where you’ll cultivate strategic partnerships, build strong corporate relationships, and lead national growth initiatives that unlock real opportunities for young people. You’ll be at the forefront of expanding our reach—generating income, opening doors to employment, and ensuring more young people benefit from our life-changing services.

With a values-led, coach-based leadership style, you’ll also inspire and guide a talented team, ensuring focus, accountability, and continuous progress.

What you’ll do:

• Lead on developing and delivering impactful partnerships and income-generating collaborations.
• Build and maintain corporate relationships that champion our mission.
• Spearhead the expansion of national impact partnerships.
• Unlock employment, training, and education opportunities for young people.
• Manage and motivate a high-performing team using our leadership and values-based approach.

If you’re passionate about making a difference and driven to create lasting social change, we’d love to hear from you.

Job description

Partnerships

• Identify and Cultivate Partnerships: Research potential partners and establish relationships with organisations and institutions that align with S4L’s mission.
• Negotiate Collaboration Agreements: Develop and negotiate agreements with partners to ensure mutual benefits and alignment with S4L’s goals.
• Manage Existing Partnerships: Maintain and nurture relationships with current partners, ensuring continued support and collaboration.
• Develop Partnership Strategies: Create and implement comprehensive strategies for partnership development, focusing on income generation and growth opportunities.

Corporate Relationships

• Identify and Approach Potential Corporate Partners: Research and identify potential corporate partners aligned with S4L’s mission. Initiate outreach and meetings to discuss opportunities for collaboration, sponsorship, and support.
• Develop Tailored Partnership Proposals: Create customised proposals for potential corporate partners, highlighting the mutual benefits of partnering with S4L. These proposals should emphasise the impact of their involvement and potential returns for their business.

LMA (Leadership Management Accountability)

• Lead people according to S4L’s approach of (i) servant leadership, (ii) coach-led approach, and (iii) values-led approach
• Manage people through delegated authority (as per Scheme of Delegation) and according to S4L’s approach of (i) structured PDRs, (ii) annual objectives and (iii) existing policies and processes
• Evaluate the work and performance of direct reports

General Duties

• Uphold and reflect S4L’s values
• Analyse and reflect on personal performance
• Work collaboratively with all stakeholders, colleagues and partners in the development of strategies
• Lead on your specific area of work’s tactical strategies
• Complete basic administrative duties
• Work with, support and assist the wider leadership team with any other duties, as required
• Follow and promote the health, safety and welfare of yourself and others at work in line with S4L
• Promote equal opportunities at all times in line with S4L’s Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies

Person Specification

Essential

• Proven track record of developing and managing strategic partnerships, particularly within the third, public, or private sector.
• Demonstrated success in income generation through business development, fundraising, or corporate partnerships.
• Experience creating and delivering partnership strategies and proposals tailored to diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge of youth employment, education, or training landscapes (or a strong interest in social mobility and youth development).
• Experience managing people and leading teams to deliver high performance.
• Understanding of leadership approaches including servant leadership, coaching styles, and values-led management.

Desirable

• Experience working at a senior level in a charity, social enterprise, or mission-led business.
• Existing networks or connections in the youth, education, employment, or corporate responsibility sectors.
• Understanding of monitoring, evaluation, and the measurement of social impact.

Employee Benefits

Contract: This is a 12 month maternity cover position

Salary: Starting from £26, 666 (based on £40,000-£45,000 pro-rota’d)

How to apply

Complete the application form in the link below. You will need:

1. Your CV
2. Your cover letter stating why you believe you are the right person for the job and how you meet the job and person specification (please limit this to one side of A4)

We recognise the importance of diversity within our teams and are fully committed to embracing and maximising talents. See also ourEquality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement. We will always seek to make appropriate adjustments, where possible, to recruitment, workplaces and work processes to be fully inclusive to people with different needs and working styles. If you need us to make any reasonable adjustments for you from application onwards, please contact us.