BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Are you an experienced business development or sales leader looking for your next challenge?

Do you thrive on building relationships, opening doors, winning new business and exceeding targets? Are you an inspiring people leader who can motivate a team to deliver commercial growth and outstanding employer engagement?

East Sussex College Group is looking for an ambitious, commercially focused Senior Business Development Manager to lead our Business Development team and drive business growth, generate new income streams and develop strategic partnerships across Sussex.

This is not a traditional education sales role. We are looking for an experienced commercial professional who can identify opportunities, build high-value relationships, convert conversations into business and lead a team to deliver results.

Your background could be in B2B sales, account management, business development, recruitment, training, professional services or another fast-moving commercial environment. Experience in education, apprenticeships or skills provision is beneficial, but not essential. We are most interested in your ability to lead, sell, influence, develop relationships and deliver measurable commercial outcomes.

About the Role

As Senior Business Development Manager, you will lead and manage the College's Business Development team, providing clear direction, setting priorities and ensuring the team delivers against agreed income, growth and employer engagement targets.

You will play a key role in growing the College's employer engagement and commercial offer, while also developing the capability and performance of the Business Development team.

Working with senior business leaders across the region, you will identify workforce development needs, develop tailored solutions and secure new opportunities across apprenticeships, commercial training, adult skills programmes, industry placements and other business services.

You will also manage and develop key employer relationships and strategic accounts, while driving proactive new business generation through networking, referrals, partnership development and targeted business development activity.

Working closely with the Managing Director – Business and Skills, curriculum teams and operational colleagues, you will help turn the College's commercial strategy into measurable growth and ensure we are recognised by employers as a trusted partner for workforce skills and business support.

We're seeking an experienced commercial professional who is:

• Proven in generating new business, growing income and exceeding targets
• Experienced in B2B sales, account management or business development
• Experienced in leading, managing or developing a sales or business development team
• Confident engaging with senior stakeholders and business leaders
• A strong relationship builder with excellent communication and influencing skills
• Commercially astute, target-driven and opportunity focused
• Able to translate strategy into clear business development activity and measurable results
• Organised, proactive and comfortable managing a busy sales pipeline
• Resilient, self-motivated and driven to succeed in a fast-paced environment
• An effective people leader who can motivate, coach and develop others
• Comfortable working collaboratively across a complex organisation

Closing date: 1st November 2026 with interviews provisionally w/c 9th November 2026.

Locations: Eastbourne, Hastings & Lewes with travel across Sussex

Annual salary: circa £38,600 per annum

Hours: 37 hours per week, full year, permanent contract

We can offer you:

A competitive FE salary, generous annual leave & pension, access to funded teaching qualifications, apprenticeships and a range of other training courses to support career development, as well as many other benefits.

To apply please register or log in and complete the online form via the 'Apply' link below.

For any queries or to arrange an appointment to chat informally about the role please email [email protected] Please note we are unable to accept CVs in place of an application under our obligations for Keeping Children Safe in Education.

OTHER INFORMATION:

East Sussex College is a values-driven Further Education college with over 1,300 colleagues and 5,500 students across campuses in Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, and Newhaven. We offer a wide range of programmes including A Levels, T Levels, vocational courses, higher education, and adult learning.

Our ESC PROUD Values: Positivity – Respect – Opportunity – Unity – Diversity

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All roles require enhanced DBS checks and eligibility to work in the UK.

We are also committed to making our recruitment process accessible for all candidates. If you require adjustments or support to fully engage with any aspect of the process, please contact People Services at [email protected] and we will be happy to facilitate reasonable adaptations.

At East Sussex College, we celebrate individuality and strive for an inclusive, equitable workplace. We particularly welcome applications from underrepresented groups, including Black and minority ethnic communities, people with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Please note: Applications may be shortlisted on a rolling basis, and we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is appointed.

Recruitment Agencies

We prefer to hire our people directly, but we do have a preferred supplier list for when we require additional support. We will be in touch if we need you.