Business Development Manager (Permanent)

Falcon House Care Ltd is seeking a commercially focused, analytical and proactive Business Development Manager to support the continued development and sustainable growth of the business.

This is a key commercial role with responsibility for identifying and developing new business opportunities, strengthening referral relationships, increasing prospective resident enquiries and admissions, supporting sustainable occupancy levels and contributing to the longer-term commercial strategy of the organisation.

The role will also involve reviewing and scrutinising service agreements, proposed commercial arrangements and internal business processes from a business and commercial perspective, identifying potential risks or areas requiring further consideration and providing clear recommendations to the Directors.

The successful candidate will work closely with the Directors and Registered Manager and will be expected to combine strong business development and relationship-management capabilities with sound analytical, commercial and organisational skills.

A UK degree in Law, Business, Management or a closely related discipline is essential for this position.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development and Growth

• Develop and implement a structured business development strategy aligned with the organisation's commercial objectives.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities and potential sources of referrals.
• Develop initiatives aimed at increasing appropriate resident enquiries, referrals and admissions.
• Support the organisation in achieving and maintaining sustainable occupancy levels.
• Identify new markets, partnerships and referral opportunities that can contribute to sustainable business growth.
• Develop business proposals and recommendations for consideration by the Directors.
• Monitor the effectiveness of business development activities and recommend improvements where appropriate.
• Establish measurable business development objectives and regularly report on progress and outcomes.

Referral and Partnership Development

• Build and maintain strong professional relationships with local authorities, NHS organisations, hospital discharge teams, social workers, commissioners and other relevant organisations.
• Develop relationships with community organisations, healthcare professionals and other potential referral partners.
• Identify and develop new referral channels while strengthening existing professional relationships.
• Promote awareness of Falcon House Care Ltd's services and available capacity within relevant professional and community networks.
• Act as a professional commercial point of contact for prospective referral partners.
• Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships and longer-term commercial relationships.

Enquiry and Referral Pipeline Management

• Manage and monitor the prospective resident enquiry and referral pipeline.
• Maintain accurate records of enquiries, referral sources, outcomes and conversion rates.
• Ensure enquiries are responded to promptly and professionally.
• Coordinate prospective resident visits and ensure appropriate follow-up communication.
• Maintain professional communication with prospective residents, families and referral partners throughout the enquiry process.
• Analyse unsuccessful enquiries and referrals to identify trends, barriers and opportunities for improvement.
• Monitor enquiry-to-admission conversion rates and recommend measures to improve performance.
• Prepare regular pipeline reports and forecasts for senior management.

Commercial Agreements and Business Arrangements

• Review and scrutinise proposed service agreements, referral arrangements and other commercial documentation from a business and commercial perspective before they are presented to the Directors for approval.
• Review commercial terms associated with new business opportunities and identify obligations, risks, inconsistencies or areas requiring further clarification.
• Assess whether proposed commercial arrangements are consistent with the organisation's business objectives and operational requirements.
• Research relevant matters arising from proposed business arrangements and prepare clear summaries and recommendations for senior management.
• Assist the Directors in evaluating the commercial implications of proposed agreements, partnerships and business relationships.
• Maintain appropriate records relating to commercial agreements, negotiations and business arrangements.
• Monitor key commercial commitments and ensure relevant information is communicated to the appropriate members of management.
• Liaise with external professional advisers, where authorised, when specialist legal, regulatory, financial or contractual advice is required.

Internal Business Processes

• Review existing internal business processes relating to business development, referrals, enquiries, service agreements and commercial record keeping.
• Identify inefficiencies, inconsistencies or areas where internal processes could be strengthened.
• Recommend practical improvements to increase efficiency, accountability and consistency.
• Assist with developing and documenting appropriate business development procedures and internal workflows.
• Support the implementation of agreed process improvements.
• Monitor the effectiveness of new or revised processes and report findings to the Directors.
• Help ensure that business development information and commercial documentation are maintained accurately and systematically.

Market and Competitor Analysis

• Research local demand for residential care services and identify emerging market opportunities.
• Monitor competitor services, pricing, market positioning and other relevant commercial developments.
• Analyse local demographic, referral and commissioning trends that may affect future demand.
• Identify changes within the market that may present commercial opportunities or risks.
• Prepare competitor and market analysis reports for senior management.
• Use market intelligence to support business planning, pricing considerations and development strategies.

Marketing and Profile Development

• Develop marketing initiatives designed to strengthen the organisation's profile and generate suitable enquiries.
• Work with relevant internal or external marketing support to develop appropriate campaigns and promotional materials.
• Support community engagement, professional networking and promotional activities.
• Identify appropriate opportunities to promote the organisation to potential referral partners and prospective residents.
• Monitor the effectiveness of marketing activities and assess their contribution to enquiries, referrals and admissions.
• Recommend adjustments to marketing activity based on performance and market information.

Commercial and Financial Performance

• Monitor occupancy-related income and relevant commercial performance indicators.
• Assist with the preparation and management of approved business development and marketing budgets.
• Prepare commercial forecasts relating to enquiries, admissions, occupancy and anticipated income.
• Monitor business development expenditure against agreed budgets.
• Identify commercial risks that may affect occupancy, revenue or future growth.
• Analyse relevant performance data and provide recommendations to the Directors.
• Prepare regular business development reports, forecasts and management information.
• Provide commercial information and market intelligence to support strategic decision-making.

Working with Senior Management

• Work closely with the Directors on business development priorities and longer-term growth strategies.
• Work closely with the Registered Manager to align business development plans with the home's capacity and operational priorities.
• Maintain regular communication with senior management regarding enquiries, prospective admissions, occupancy trends and emerging business opportunities.
• Ensure that commercial commitments are appropriately considered before agreements or arrangements are finalised.
• Provide clear, evidence-based recommendations to the Directors on business opportunities, commercial arrangements and process improvements.
• Contribute to strategic planning and the sustainable development of the organisation.

This is an opportunity to take on a commercially important position and make a measurable contribution to the continued development of Falcon House Care Ltd.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work closely with senior management, develop professional and referral networks, evaluate commercial arrangements, contribute to improvements in internal business processes and identify new opportunities for sustainable growth.

We offer:

• Salary of £35,000 – £40,000 per annum, depending on experience.
• Full-time, permanent employment.
• A responsible and commercially focused management position.
• Opportunity to work directly with the Directors and senior management.
• Scope to develop and implement business development initiatives.
• Opportunity to establish and develop key external relationships.
• Involvement in the review and improvement of commercial processes and business arrangements.
• Opportunity to contribute directly to the future growth and commercial sustainability of the organisation.

Essential

• A UK degree in Law, Business, Management or a closely related discipline, or an equivalent recognised qualification.
• Strong analytical ability and the capacity to understand and scrutinise detailed commercial information and documentation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

A legal academic background is particularly relevant to the analytical aspects of the position, including the ability to carefully scrutinise service agreements, contractual terms and business processes. However, this is a commercial business development role rather than a legal practitioner position.

Skills and Experience

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate:

• Strong business development, sales, account management or commercial management capability.
• Ability to identify and develop new business opportunities.
• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder-management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong analytical and research abilities.
• Ability to review and understand commercial documentation and contractual terms.
• Ability to identify commercial risks, obligations and areas requiring further investigation.
• Good negotiation, influencing and presentation skills.
• Strong commercial and financial awareness.
• Ability to undertake market research and competitor analysis.
• Ability to manage business pipelines, targets and performance measures.
• Ability to analyse business performance and make practical recommendations.
• Ability to prepare business plans, forecasts, reports and management information.
• Strong organisational and planning skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively to agreed objectives.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of business development activities.
• Ability to work collaboratively with Directors, managers, external organisations and professional advisers.
• A proactive, professional and results-focused approach.
• Good IT, reporting and record-management skills.
• Ability and willingness to develop a strong understanding of the organisation's services, market, referral pathways and wider business environment.

Key Attributes

We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:

• Commercial awareness and sound business judgement.
• Strong analytical thinking.
• Attention to detail.
• Confidence in scrutinising information and challenging inconsistencies where appropriate.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving ability.
• Confidence in developing new professional relationships.
• Strong interpersonal and networking skills.
• Initiative and self-motivation.
• Ability to identify opportunities and convert them into measurable outcomes.
• Professionalism when dealing with prospective residents, families, external organisations and stakeholders.
• Ability to communicate effectively with individuals at different levels.
• Accurate record keeping and reporting.
• Commitment to achieving agreed business objectives.