Head of Business Development & Growth

Hours:

37 hours per week; salary and contract terms to be confirmed

Probationary Period: 1 month during probationary period, thereafter 2 months

Base:
Spring North, Suite 102, 1 Exchange Street, Blackburn, BB1 7JN
Flexible/hybrid working, with regular travel across Lancashire & South Cumbria and other service areas as required.

Closing Date: 01/12/2026

2. Role purpose

The Head of Business Development & Growth is a senior leadership post responsible for developing and delivering Spring North's growth and income generation strategy across health, social care and the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector. The postholder will identify opportunities, create compelling service propositions and secure sustainable funding through competitive tenders, grants, trusts and strategic partnerships. The role also provides direct line management and senior operational oversight of Spring North's EHWP+ offer, ensuring high-quality delivery, contractual performance and strong partnership working.

Working closely with the CEO, Senior Leadership Team, commissioners and member organisations, the postholder will personally lead high-quality bids and proposals, turn evidence of unmet need into deliverable services, and build a robust pipeline that strengthens Spring North's impact across Lancashire and South Cumbria. The postholder will work with EHWP+ delivery partners to strengthen, extend and grow the offer across Lancashire, building on evidence of need, outcomes and commissioner priorities.

3. Scope and senior accountability

• Hold senior accountability for business development, income generation, bid quality and the management of a qualified opportunities pipeline. This includes senior accountability for the EHWP+ service and its designated staff.
• Lead the development and submission of tenders, grant and trust applications, expressions of interest, business cases and partnership proposals.
• Test opportunities for strategic fit, measurable impact, delivery capacity, commercial viability, partnership benefit and organisational risk.
• Contribute to organisational leadership, sustainability, reputation and strategic decision-making as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

4. Key accountabilities

4.1 Business development strategy and growth

• Develop and implement a clear, ambitious business development strategy aligned with Spring North's mission, organisational priorities and income diversification objectives.
• Maintain an active, prioritised pipeline of commissioned contracts, grants, charitable trusts, strategic investments and partnership opportunities.
• Set clear prospecting, conversion and income targets; regularly report progress, risks, forecasts and decisions required.
• Identify opportunities to extend successful existing services and develop new offers across health, social care, prevention and community support.
• Track changes in commissioning, policy, funding and market conditions and translate intelligence into practical growth plans.

4.2 Tendering, grant applications and bid leadership

• Personally lead and write high-quality tenders, grant applications, charitable trust bids, expressions of interest and funding proposals from inception to submission.
• Interpret specifications, eligibility requirements and scoring criteria; coordinate compliant, persuasive and timely responses.
• Develop compelling narratives, methodologies, delivery plans, mobilisation arrangements, partnership structures and measurable outcomes.
• Work with finance and operational colleagues to develop accurate budgets, pricing, value-for-money cases, risk assessments and delivery assumptions.
• Gather robust evidence, case studies, lived-experience insight and impact data to strengthen proposals and demonstrate credibility.
• Manage bid timetables, approvals, quality review and submission processes, capturing feedback and learning from outcomes.

4.3 Service innovation and proposition development

• Identify gaps in local provision through population data, community intelligence, commissioner priorities and feedback from VCFSE members.
• Translate unmet need into practical, evidence-informed service models with clear pathways, target populations, staffing, costs and outcomes.
• Develop proposals that bring together VCFSE expertise, statutory partnerships and innovative approaches to prevention and early intervention.
• Explore opportunities for digital tools, scalable delivery models and improved access where these offer genuine value and measurable…