Business Development Manager in Manchester, Greater Manchester

Field-based, hybrid | £30,000-£35,000 base + uncapped commission (OTE £45,000+) | Full-time, permanent

Are you a proven B2B seller? Every recruitment agency has candidates it can't place, and some belong at university. Build the partnerships that get their unplaced candidates to university. Recruitment agency sales experience is ideal, but we'll train the right person.

My client is a student recruitment consultancy, that helps adults who missed out on university the first time round get onto foundation year and degree programmes at partner universities. The admissions team supports every student from their first call through to their first month of classes.

The role

• You'll build and run a network of recruitment agencies that refer candidates who want to go to university. Agencies earn a referral fee for every candidate who enrols, at no cost to them.
• Prospect agency owners and branch managers by phone and in person, focusing on high-volume and temp desks (industrial, driving, hospitality, care, cleaning, security)
• Sign agencies to a simple referral agreement
• Run short in-branch briefings so consultants know who to refer and how
• Keep partners active with regular check-ins, intake deadlines and referral tracking
• Make sure every partner follows our introduction-only process: they pass on interested candidates with their consent, and our admissions team handles all advice on courses and funding
• You'll be measured on agencies that refer every month, not names on a list.

What you'll need

• A proven track record in B2B new-business sales, with numbers to back it up
• Confidence cold-calling decision-makers and meeting them face to face
• Good organisation, CRM habits and consistent follow-up
• A straight-talking style: you don't overpromise to partners or candidates
• Happy to travel across Manchester, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, and London, with the right to work in the UK

What would make you stand out

• Experience selling into recruitment agencies, for example job boards, recruitment software, payroll or umbrella services, vetting and compliance, or rec2rec
• Agency recruitment experience with business development responsibility, especially on high-volume or temp desks
• Knowledge of UK higher education or student finance

What we offer

• £30,000-£35,000 base plus uncapped commission (OTE £45,000+)
• A bonus from month one on active partner agencies, so you earn while your enrolment pipeline builds
• Full training on how recruitment agencies work and on our admissions process
• An easy yes for agencies: no cost to them, and a new revenue line from candidates they'd otherwise lose
• Admissions and retention teams who take over after every introduction
• A new channel to build and own, reporting directly to the founder