Coyne Recruitment is working on behalf of a specialist government contract business to appoint a Business Development Director – Health Contracts to establish, grow and scale its presence in the UK public health market.

This is a genuinely exciting opportunity for an experienced commercial leader who knows how to turn relationships with public sector commissioners into contracts.

And this is important – this isn’t an advisory or purely strategic role.

We’re looking for someone who has actually done this before.

Someone who has entered a market, built relationships with commissioners, secured those first contracts, developed follow-on opportunities and turned a pipeline into a sustainable portfolio.

The Opportunity

As Business Development Director – Health Contracts, you’ll take ownership of the organisation’s UK public health market entry and commercial growth strategy.

You’ll identify opportunities, develop relationships, shape propositions, lead bids and ultimately win the work.

You’ll be operating with senior stakeholders across local authorities, public health, ICBs, NHS organisations and wider public sector bodies, establishing the organisation as a credible and trusted delivery partner.

Initially, the role will be an individual senior commercial appointment, with the opportunity to build a team as the UK health portfolio develops.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading the organisation’s entry into the UK domestic public health market
• Developing and executing a clear market entry and growth strategy
• Identifying priority local authorities, geographies, service areas and commissioning routes
• Building a sustainable portfolio of commissioned public health services
• Turning market intelligence and existing relationships into commercial opportunities
• Developing senior relationships with Directors of Public Health, Heads of Commissioning, ICB leaders, elected members and provider organisations
• Engaging with commissioners ahead of formal procurement to understand and influence emerging opportunities
• Personally leading opportunities from qualification through bid, negotiation, contract award and mobilisation
• Building and managing a strong forward pipeline with clear conversion targets
• Developing strategic partnerships and consortia to support market entry and scale
• Securing initial contracts and growing them through extensions, repeat commissions and additional services
• Providing strategic leadership to programmes once contracts have been won
• Monitoring pipeline performance, conversion rates and portfolio growth
• Contributing to the wider health strategy and market positioning of the organisation

What We’re Looking For

This role requires someone with genuine, hands-on experience of the UK public health commissioning market.

You’ll ideally have:

• 5 + years’ experience within UK health, public health or a closely related environment
• A proven track record of building a UK domestic public health portfolio from the ground up
• Direct experience winning and delivering contracts with UK local authorities
• Evidence of converting senior commissioner relationships into awarded contracts
• Strong knowledge of local authority public health commissioning
• A good understanding of the relationship between local authorities, ICBs and NHS organisations
• Practical knowledge of public sector funding, procurement routes and decision-making
• Experience leading complex public sector bids and successful mobilisations
• Strong commercial understanding, including pricing, negotiation and risk management
• Experience with digital or technology-enabled health services and partnerships
• The credibility to engage confidently with senior commissioners and public sector decision-makers

We’re Looking for a Market Builder

This is probably the most important part of the role.

You might currently be working in a senior business development, commercial, commissioning or market development position within public health, healthcare, government services or a related environment.

But we’re less interested in the job title and more interested in what you’ve actually achieved.

Have you entered a market?

Have you won the first contract?

Have you turned that contract into further opportunities?

Have you built a sustainable pipeline with repeat commissioners?

If you can demonstrate that track record, we’d like to hear from you.

You’ll need to be commercially driven, well connected within the public health landscape and comfortable taking an opportunity from an initial conversation right through to contract award and mobilisation.

You’ll also need the independence and drive to create opportunities rather than simply wait for them.

Why This Role?

This is an opportunity to take genuine ownership of a new and growing market.

You’ll have the backing of an established specialist government contract business, while having the freedom and responsibility to help build its UK public health proposition.

You’re not being brought in to manage an existing book of business. You’re being brought in to build one.

Location

Largely remote, with regular travel across the South East of England and the ability to attend an England office location when required.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Interested?

If you’re an experienced public health business development professional with a proven record of winning local authority contracts and building commercial portfolios, we’d be very interested in speaking with you.

Coyne Recruitment is managing this appointment on behalf of our client.