Director of Partnership Development

Director of Partnership Development

Impact Food Group

At Impact Food Group, we’re more than just a school caterer. We’re on a mission to create a positive food culture and help more students enjoy healthier, better-quality food. Making a positive social impact is at the heart of everything we do. We’re constantly learning, evolving, and improving — every way, every day.

We one of England’s fastest-growing school food providers, serving around one million students every day across more than 1,500 schools. We are dedicated to delivering high-quality, nutritious meals that support student wellbeing and enjoyment. 

Our brands include Innovate, Cucina, Chapter One (Independent Schools), Hutchison, and Dolce, reflecting our breadth of experience and reach across the school catering sector. 

Guided by our values, integrity, bold, impactful, humble and community; you will help us shape a workplace and culture we can all be proud of.

The Role

The Director of Partnership Development leads IFG's client retention strategy and is responsible for protecting one of the company's most valuable assets—its existing partnerships. The annual target will be 96% retention rate against companywide budget. This has been met annually for the past 7 years so is achievable.

Reporting to the Client Relationship Director, this role provides strategic leadership across all retention activity, ensuring IFG has the right people, plans and resources.

The Director will oversee the retention roadmap, lead cross-functional collaboration, and ensure IFG continues to achieve industry-leading retention performance.

What you’ll be Doing

Strategic Leadership

• Own and develop IFG's annual Retention Strategy.
• Prioritise business risk through CRM analysis and contract planning.
• Allocate retention resource based on contract value, risk and opportunity.

Team Leadership

• Executive Partnership Development Chef (South)
• Partnership Development Chef (North)
• Partnership Bid Coordinator

Client Retention

• Lead strategic support for major contract renewals.
• Work alongside Regional Operations Directors on retention plans. (Conduct monthly retention review calls)
• Support key client presentations and extension negotiations.

Budget Management

• Manage the annual Retention Refresh Budget, supporting ‘at risk’ partnerships.
• Allocate investment to maximise client impact and retention.
• Measure ROI from engagement initiatives and investment projects.

CRM & Business Intelligence

• Own the integrity and development of the CRM retention platform.
• Monitor contract risk, extension opportunities and client engagement.
• Produce reports and insights for the Executive Team.

Business Leadership

• Present at National Conferences, Leadership Events and Regional Meetings.
• Champion IFG values and promote a culture centred around Quality, Partnership and Relationships.

What Success Looks Like

• Industry-leading contract retention.
• Increased contract extensions secured ahead of tender.
• Strong client satisfaction and engagement.
• Effective deployment of retention resources.
• High-performing, collaborative retention team.
• CRM recognised as the single source of truth for contract risk.
• Measurable return on retention investment.

What’s in It for You?

• The opportunity to build a career you can be proud of in a growing business.
• Access to a wide range of free training, qualifications, and development opportunities
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Staff discount scheme across 850+ retailers
• Pension scheme and other great company benefits
• Monthly incentives and recognition for top performers

#Join Our Team #makeanimpact

If you’re looking for your next step and want to be part of an organisation that genuinely makes a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

IFG are committed to the safeguarding of children, and our employees share this commitment. Successful candidates are required to undergo an enhanced DBS check, which IFG will pay for.

We are a committed equal opportunities employer - if you require any assistance for the interview process, please detail within your application. All information is kept confidential and in compliance with GDPR requirements.