Business Development Manager - Children's Residential

Job Title: Business Development Manager

Location: Hybrid Working (Office based 2 days per week)

Salary: £55,000 per annum

Working Hours / Shift Pattern: Full-time

Employment Type: Permanent

Service: Children’s Social Care

Service Users: Children and Young People within Supported Accommodation and Residential Children's Homes

Qualifications

Required:

Relevant qualification in Social Care, Business Development, Housing, or a related field

Experience

Required:

Minimum 3 years’ experience in a business development, commissioning, or strategic leadership role within children’s social care, particularly in supported accommodation and/or residential children’s homes

Our client is seeking an experienced Business Development Manager to drive the growth and development of their Ofsted-regulated services. This role requires a commercially minded professional with a strong understanding of children's social care, commissioning processes, local authority partnerships, regulatory frameworks, and placement management. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading the placements function, developing strategic partnerships, identifying growth opportunities, supporting operational teams, and providing key business intelligence to senior leadership.

• Act as a strategic business partner to regional operational teams to support occupancy growth and service development.
• Lead and manage the Placements Team, including two Placement Officers.
• Oversee high volumes of referrals across supported accommodation and residential services.
• Manage the end-to-end referral and matching process.
• Develop and maintain relationships with local authority commissioners and key stakeholders.
• Identify and secure new business opportunities within the children's social care and education sectors.
• Conduct market analysis and competitor research to support strategic decision‑making.
• Represent the organisation at sector events, forums, and strategic meetings.
• Provide expert guidance regarding Ofsted regulations and compliance requirements.
• Produce weekly trading reports and performance dashboards for senior leadership.
• Monitor referral activity, conversion rates, occupancy levels, market trends, and business opportunities.
• Support service development in response to changing commissioner needs and regulatory developments.

Our client is an established provider operating within children's social care services, delivering supported accommodation and residential care services for young people.

This is an opportunity to join a growing organisation where business development plays a central role in shaping future services and improving outcomes for young people. You will work closely with senior operational leaders and executive teams, influencing strategic direction, service growth, and partnership development across the organisation.

The role offers the opportunity to work directly alongside senior leadership teams including Directors and Executive Leaders, providing significant exposure to strategic decision‑making and organisational growth initiatives.

• £55,000 annual salary
• 10% KPI performance bonus
• Hybrid working arrangement
• Strategic leadership exposure
• Opportunity to influence service growth and development
• Collaborative working environment across operational and executive teams

Our client is committed to delivering high‑quality, compliant, and responsive services that meet the evolving needs of children, young people, commissioners, and local authority partners. They place a strong emphasis on partnership working, continuous improvement, data‑driven decision making, and maintaining excellent standards across all services.

Sponsorship is not available.

For more information or to book a confidential chat, please contact: