Head of Business Development & Partnerships

Specialist Adult Social Care Provider · East of England

Up to £75,000 + 30% annual bonus · Senior Leadership Team · Field-based with regular attendance at head office (Essex)

Some growth stories are about numbers. This one is about people — more of them, better supported, closer to the lives they want to live.

We're partnering with a specialist provider supporting adults with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs and complex care requirements to help them live as independently as possible. They're one of the most genuinely people-focused organisations we work with: quality of care comes first, values run deep, and the leadership team is being built from people who share that belief.

Following two acquisitions and an ambitious refurbishment pipeline, they're on a serious scale-up journey — heading from c.£10m toward a minimum of £50m turnover over five years. To get there, they're creating a brand-new central leadership function, and this is one of its most pivotal roles. You won't be slotting into an established structure; you'll be helping to build and shape it.

The opportunity

As Head of Business Development & Partnerships, you'll lead the organisation's strategic growth agenda — identifying, creating and delivering opportunities that enable them to support more people through sustainable growth, innovative service development and long-term partnerships across commissioning, housing, health and social care systems.

What you'll do

●      Lead the strategy — develop and deliver the Growth and Partnerships Strategy as an active member of the Senior Leadership Team.

●      Build the relationships — become a trusted partner to Local Authorities, ICBs, NHS organisations, commissioners and housing providers.

●      Spot the gaps — identify gaps in local provision and shape innovative, person-centred service models.

●      Win the work — maintain a robust opportunity pipeline and lead high-quality tenders, proposals and business cases.

●      Do the deals — lead commercial discussions and negotiations with commissioners and strategic partners.

●      Bring it to life — work with operational teams to mobilise new services and contracts.

What we're looking for

●      Senior leadership experience in business development, strategic partnerships, commissioning or growth within health or adult social care.

●      A proven track record of delivering sustainable growth and securing new business — ideally having helped scale a provider toward £50m+.

●      Strong relationships with Local Authorities, NHS organisations, ICBs and commissioners.

●      Demonstrable success leading tender submissions and competitive procurement.

●      Experience within regulated adult social care services.

●      A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across operational regions.

Above all, we're looking for someone who leads with values — a relationship-builder who genuinely cares about the people behind the services.

The package: Salary up to £75,000, plus a 30% annual bonus, and the rare chance to help build a scale-up care business from the ground up.