Business Development Manager – Children's Social Care & Education

Business Development Manager – Children's Social Care & Education £55,000 – £65,000 + 10% Performance Bonus Hybrid | South England (Croydon / Surrey / Kent) with occasional travel to Leeds

Diamond Search Recruitment is proud to be partnering exclusively with a well-established and growing provider of Ofsted-regulated education and children's social care services, to appoint a Business Development Manager to lead growth across their South Schools portfolio.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced business development or commissioning professional from the children's social care or independent special education sector to take ownership of a high-impact regional role, working closely with operational leaders, commissioners and senior stakeholders to shape the future of vital services for young people.

About the Role

As Business Development Manager, you will act as a strategic partner to Regional Operations Teams, driving service growth, improving occupancy and ensuring business development activity aligns with operational capacity. You'll lead the Placements Team, overseeing a high volume of referrals, and build strong relationships with Local Authority commissioners and stakeholders across the South of England.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner strategically with regional operations teams to drive growth and occupancy
• Lead and manage the Placements Team, overseeing referral and matching processes
• Monitor pipeline, conversion rates and placement activity, reporting to senior leadership
• Identify and secure new business opportunities within the education and social care sector
• Build and maintain relationships with Local Authority commissioners and key stakeholders
• Maintain expert knowledge of Ofsted regulations (2023) and EHCP processes
• Deliver weekly trading packs and reporting dashboards for MDs and the COO
• Represent the organisation at sector events, forums and strategic meetings

What We're Looking For

Minimum 3 years' experience in business development, commissioning or strategic leadership within children's social care or education, ideally within Independent Special Schools

Proven experience business partnering with operational teams

Experience managing placements functions or teams handling complex, high-volume referrals

A strong track record building partnerships with Local Authorities and commissioners

Strong commercial acumen and analytical/strategic thinking skills

Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management skills

Understanding of commissioning frameworks, funding pathways and procurement in children's services

A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly across South England

What's on Offer

£55,000 – £65,000 basic salary (dependent on experience)

10% performance-related bonus

Hybrid working with regular regional travel

The opportunity to make a genuine difference to outcomes for vulnerable young people

A senior, high-visibility role reporting directly to the Commercial Director

Keywords: Business Development Manager, Commissioning Manager, Children's Social Care, Independent Special Schools, SEND, EHCP, Ofsted Regulated Services, Education Sector, Local Authority Commissioning, Placements Manager, South England, Croydon, Surrey, Kent

Interested? Apply now via CV-Library or contact Diamond Search Recruitment for a confidential discussion about this exclusive opportunity.

Diamond Search Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.