Job Title: Head of Business Development
Head of Business Development West
Head of Business Development North
United Response is seeking two exceptional individuals to join us as Heads of Business Development—one for the North and one for the West.
Location: remote with travel
Hours: 35 hours per week
Salary: £70,000
We are seeking dynamic Head of Business Development to drive growth, enhance partnerships, and ensure the delivery of outstanding, person-centred services.
About Us:
United Response is a leading national charity passionate about enabling individuals to live fulfilling lives. We are dedicated to promoting independence, inclusivity, and equality for all, breaking down barriers to ensure everyone can live, work, and socialise in their communities.
Our core values—Creativity, Strength, Honesty, Responsiveness, and Unity—are at the heart of everything we do.
Key Purpose of the Role:
To ensure the satisfaction of our customers and to grow our business in targeted Local Authorities by coordinating services across directorates. The role focuses on delivering contracts efficiently and maximizing the well-being and independence of the individuals we support.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead and coordinate local teams to meet strategic business and contractual goals.
- Build strong relationships with commissioners, local authorities, and external partners.
- Develop and implement growth plans to expand services and improve outcomes.
- Negotiate contracts and identify new business opportunities aligned with our mission.
- Drive income and margin growth while managing referral pipelines and service capacity.
- Act as a senior account manager, ensuring exceptional delivery and compliance with contracts.
About you:
- Proven experience building successful relationships with commissioners.
- Extensive experience in negotiation, utilising various techniques across different situations.
- Leadership experience in a dispersed, national organisation, with a demonstrated ability to engage and motivate a multicultural team.
- Skilled in developing referral pipelines, conducting assessments, and collaborating with operational teams to fill service voids.
- Expertise in fostering a ‘high performance’ culture by setting and monitoring measurable outcomes aligned with corporate objectives and customer goals.
- Strong understanding of delivering social purpose in a business-like manner, coupled with financial planning skills and a track record of meeting financial targets while managing business risks.
- Experience engaging with a range of stakeholders, including public sector commissioners.
- Commitment to co-production with individuals we support, their families, and advocates.
Benefits:
At United Response, we value and reward our team with:
- Annual Leave: 25 days paid leave plus 8 bank holidays (pro-rated for part-time roles).
- Career Development: Fully paid training and access to recognized qualifications.
- Health: Private health care
- Financial Security: Pension and life assurance benefits, along with enhanced maternity and paternity pay.
- Wellness Support: Free access to occupational health, physiotherapy, and counselling services.
- Recognition Programs: Celebrate achievements through our UR Stars Recognition Scheme.
- Discounts: Enjoy savings with over 3,500 retailers via our online shopping platform.
- Travel Support: Season ticket loans available for commuting needs.
- Referral Incentives: Receive rewards for referring friends to join our team.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
United Response is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As a Disability Confident Leader, we ensure a supportive recruitment process, guaranteeing interviews for disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria. If you require assistance with your application, please email gill.fay@unitedresponse.org.uk.
This role is subject to a DBS check, with costs covered by United Response. Please note, we may close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to
Disability Confident.
