Business Development Manager - Learning Disabilities & Autism

Business Development Manager

Location: Remote but based in the South East or East Midlands

Contract: Full-time

Salary: £55,000-65,000 OTE

Drive Our Next Phase of Growth

About Us

Glenholme is a specialist healthcare provider supporting adults with learning disabilities, autism, and complex needs across 22 services nationwide. With over 700 staff and more than two decades of growth, we are a values-led organisation in an active phase of expansion — filling capacity, opening new services, and developing new sites. Growing the right services, in the right places, for the people who need them is central to our mission.

The Role

We are looking for a commercially driven Business Development Manager to lead growth across our services. Reporting to the CEO, you will build the relationships, pipeline, and property partnerships that turn referrals into live, operational services — working fluently across commissioning, property, operations, clinical, and finance to deliver person-specific care for people with high-acuity needs.

This is a strategic, externally facing role with significant autonomy. It requires regular travel across our regions and target growth territories.

Key Responsibilities

Commissioner and stakeholder engagement

• Build and maintain senior-level relationships with local authorities, integrated care boards (ICBs) and case managers, alongside property investors, developers, housing associations and Registered Providers.

• Work fluently across both ICB and local authority commissioning, including joint-funded packages, maintaining and expanding contact networks through ICB mergers and consolidations.

• Develop strong, well-established relationships in key growth territories, building Glenholme's profile and presence across new regions.

Commercial growth and revenue generation

• Generate and secure referrals that grow service delivery and occupancy, increasing the number of specialist support packages we provide.

• Identify and evaluate tender and framework opportunities, building business cases and negotiating pricing and contract arrangements with operational and finance teams.

• Drive sustainable revenue and gross margin growth while protecting profitability.

Property-led and housing solutions

• Develop and embed a property-led growth strategy, creating partnerships with property investors and developers to deliver person-specific accommodation for high-acuity needs.

• Source and negotiate property acquisitions, leases and development partnerships, acting as the strategic link between commissioners, property, operations, clinical and finance functions.

• Design housing solutions for complex cases, including flat and apartment-based models that offer flexible, scalable service options.

Service mobilisation and pipeline delivery

• Manage the full referral-to-mobilisation process, from initial enquiry through to a live, operational service, with a clear understanding of what robust mobilisation requires.

• Project-manage new service developments and oversee referral pathways, contract management and stakeholder engagement throughout the growth cycle.

• Present pipeline forecasts, growth opportunities and performance data to senior stakeholders and Board-level audiences.

Leadership, strategy and team development

• Develop national growth strategies aligned to organisational objectives and contribute to wider strategy through Senior Leadership, Executive Leadership and Board forums.

• Lead and develop the commercial team to support sustainable national growth.

About You

Essential

• A proven track record of business development and revenue growth within the specialist care, supported living or health and social care sector.

• Strong, demonstrable relationships across local authority and ICB commissioning, including experience of joint-funded packages.

• Commercial acumen — building business cases, negotiating pricing and contracts, and managing growth to protect margin and profitability.

• Experience of property-led growth: sourcing accommodation and working with investors, developers, housing associations and Registered Providers.

• End-to-end experience of the referral-to-mobilisation process for new services.

• Confident presenting pipeline, forecasts and performance data to senior and Board-level audiences.

• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across our regions and target territories.

Desirable

• Experience designing housing solutions for complex, high-acuity cases, including flat and apartment-based models.

• A frontline-to-leadership career grounding that gives credibility with operational colleagues and a practical understanding of how commercial decisions translate into delivery.

• Experience leading or developing a commercial / business development team.

What We Offer

• A high-autonomy, strategic role with direct access to the CEO and Board.

• The opportunity to shape and own Glenholme's growth agenda during an active expansion phase.

• A values-led culture in a specialist sector where the work genuinely matters.

• Competitive salary and benefits package.

Safeguarding

Glenholme is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the people we support. All appointments are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check and references.

Job Code: GHETO1