Coyne Recruitment are pleased to be working on behalf of a successful and highly regarded Ofsted Grade 2 training provider as they enter an exciting new chapter in their growth.

The organisation has built its reputation around quality, employer relationships and creating a best-in-class learning environment, with quality sitting firmly at the centre of what they do.

They have ambitious plans for the next 12 months, with a number of exciting collaborations with employers and strategic partners already secured. As a result, they are now looking to appoint a Head of Sales & Business Development to help turn that opportunity into sustained commercial growth.

This is a role for someone who enjoys being close to the action.

You will lead a team of five initially, with further growth planned, but this is very much a player-manager position. You will be expected to lead from the front, develop your own employer relationships and opportunities, whilst setting the standard for the wider business development team.

Alongside the day-to-day sales leadership, you will form part of the Senior Leadership Team, helping shape and deliver the organisation’s wider commercial strategy as it continues to grow.

The Opportunity

This is more than simply managing a sales team.

You will take responsibility for developing the organisation’s employer engagement strategy, identifying new commercial opportunities and building long-term relationships with employers who see apprenticeships and skills development as an important part of their workforce strategy.

You will work across both Levy and SME markets, developing new accounts while strengthening existing employer partnerships.

You will also play an important role in helping the organisation respond to changes across the apprenticeship and skills landscape, ensuring its commercial approach continues to reflect what employers need and where the market is heading.

As part of the Senior Leadership Team, you will have a genuine voice in the future direction of the organisation.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading, coaching and developing a business development team of five, with plans for further growth.
• Setting clear sales expectations, KPIs and activity levels and ensuring the team delivers against agreed targets.
• Taking a hands-on approach to business development and personally developing key employer relationships and opportunities.
• Identifying and securing new Large Levy and SME employer accounts.
• Developing strategic relationships with employers, partners and other key stakeholders.
• Promoting the organisation’s full portfolio of Apprenticeship and commercial training provision.
• Understanding employer workforce requirements and developing solutions around their recruitment, skills and workforce development needs.
• Building senior-level relationships and presenting training and commercial propositions to decision makers.
• Supporting employers to understand Apprenticeship Levy funding, apprenticeship delivery and changes across the funding landscape.
• Working closely with delivery, quality and operational colleagues to ensure employer commitments translate into successful learner starts and outcomes.
• Monitoring the sales pipeline, forecasting future starts and identifying areas for further growth.
• Using market intelligence and sector knowledge to identify new opportunities and potential partnerships.
• Reporting regularly to the Senior Leadership Team on sales performance, pipeline, forecasts and commercial opportunities.
• Contributing to the development and delivery of the organisation’s wider commercial strategy.
• Keeping up to date with changes in apprenticeship policy, funding and employer expectations.

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for an experienced apprenticeship sales professional who understands that successful business development is about much more than generating leads.

You will already have a strong track record within the apprenticeship and training sector, ideally operating at Head of Sales, Head of Business Development, Sales Director or similar level.

You’ll need to be commercially driven, comfortable talking to employers at senior level and, importantly, still enjoy getting involved yourself.

We’re particularly interested in people who can demonstrate:

• Significant experience in sales, business development or employer engagement within the Apprenticeship landscape.
• A proven track record of achieving or exceeding targets for apprenticeship starts and commercial growth.
• Experience securing new Levy and SME employer accounts.
• Strong understanding of the apprenticeship funding and employer landscape.
• Experience managing, coaching and performance-managing a sales/business development team.
• A genuine player-manager approach – someone who will lead from the front rather than simply manage from the sidelines.
• Confidence presenting propositions and building relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to identify and convert new opportunities.
• The ability to work collaboratively with operational, delivery and quality teams.
• A full UK driving licence and flexibility to travel as required.

Why this role?

There is a lot happening here.

The organisation has a strong reputation, a clear commitment to quality and an ambition to create genuinely excellent learning experiences for its learners and employers.

With new employer relationships and collaborations already secured for the next 12 months, the foundations are in place. The opportunity now is to build on them.

For the right person, this is an opportunity to join at a point where you can make a real commercial impact, develop and grow a team, help shape the organisation’s sales strategy and play a key role in its next stage of development.

The role is hybrid, with travel to the organisation’s Midlands HQ expected alongside the flexibility of working remotely. You’ll need to be comfortable travelling to meet employers, partners and colleagues as the role requires.

If you’re an apprenticeship sales leader who still enjoys picking up the phone, opening doors, sitting in front of employers and winning business — but you’re also ready to have a bigger influence on the overall commercial direction of an organisation — this could be a very interesting next move.

Coyne Recruitment are managing this appointment exclusively.

To find out more or arrange a confidential conversation, please get in touch.