Business Development Associate

The Business Development Associate is a professional qualifications and Organisational Design Consulting services specialist, responsible for identifying, shaping, and securing new employer partnerships, apprenticeship-funded programmes, and professional qualification and CPD pathways.

The role plays a pivotal part in delivering the organisation's growth agenda by developing employer relationships, creating new apprenticeship and PQCPD opportunities, and ensuring activity aligns with priority sectors, funding developments, professional body requirements, and long-term strategic objectives.

The Consultant will bring credible sector and market knowledge, including an understanding of the regulatory and professional standards that shape capability in insurance and financial services, and use it to position the organisation as a trusted strategic partner to employers, helping them see how apprenticeships and professional qualifications fit within a broader approach to developing their people.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead proactive business development activity across apprenticeship-funded and professional qualification markets, aligned with Industry Strategic Growth plans and with a particular focus on insurance and financial services.
• Identify and develop PQCPD opportunities, including professional body qualifications, CPD programmes, and competence frameworks for regulated roles.
• Apply a sound understanding of the insurance and financial services landscape, including regulatory expectations such as the FCA Training and Competence regime, the Senior Managers and Certification Regime, and Consumer Duty, to shape relevant and credible client solutions.
• Build and nurture influential relationships with employers, professional bodies, awarding organisations, and sector stakeholders across insurance and financial services.
• Engage senior HR, L&D, and business stakeholders to understand their workforce, skills, and talent challenges, positioning apprenticeships and professional qualifications as strategic solutions rather than solely a funding or compliance mechanism.
• Develop tailored proposals that reflect employer needs, workforce challenges, funding requirements, professional body standards, and relevant policy and regulatory drivers.
• Recognise when client challenges point to broader development needs, shape joined-up solutions across the full People Development capability, and bring the relevant specialists into client conversations to grow apprenticeship and PQCPD relationships into wider partnerships.
• Collaborate with colleagues across Growth, Client Success, and the wider People Development function to shape and progress opportunities, including effective client handover and onboarding.
• Contribute to go-to-market planning, proposition development, opportunity prioritisation, and the sharing of client, sector, and market intelligence across apprenticeship, PQCPD, and wider People Development propositions.
• Maintain accurate CRM records and contribute actively to internal sales, pipeline, and forecasting meetings.
• Represent the organisation externally at relevant insurance and financial services events, roundtables, professional body forums, and business development networks.
• Share client, sector, and market intelligence to support the continued development of apprenticeship, PQCPD, and wider People Development propositions.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

Essential:

• Proven track record in business development within apprenticeships, professional qualifications, CPD, or wider L&D.
• Sound understanding of the insurance and/or financial services sector, including its workforce and talent challenges, regulatory environment, role structures, professional bodies, and qualification routes.
• Strong understanding of apprenticeship funding models, policy requirements, and employer decision-making.
• Experience engaging employers and turning workforce and talent challenges into apprenticeship, qualification, or skills-based commercial opportunities.
• Strong stakeholder engagement across operational and senior levels, including HR, L&D, and talent leaders.
• Strong proposal writing and solution design, with a consultative and insight-led approach.
• Ability to interpret market intelligence, funding developments, and policy and regulatory trends to inform growth activity.
• Commercial awareness and disciplined sales management, including opportunity qualification, pipeline management, forecasting, CRM use, and data-driven reporting.
• Experience collaborating across teams to shape and progress client opportunities.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, tailored to different audiences.
• High emotional intelligence and professional integrity, with a values-led approach to partnership.

Desirable:

• A background in L&D, talent, or organisational development, either in-house or consultancy-side, giving credibility in conversations beyond funded learning.
• Strong, established industry connections with HR, L&D, and talent buyers in insurance and financial services.
• Experience developing apprenticeship or professional qualification opportunities within insurance or financial services.
• Experience with professional bodies, employer-provider partnerships, or sector organisations.
• Understanding of how commercial L&D is financed within client budgets and procurement cycles.
• Awareness of emerging learning technologies, including AI, and trends in professional development.
• Experience contributing to strategic marketing, proposition development, or thought leadership.
• Confidence representing the organisation at external events, forums, and roundtables.
• Coaching or mentoring experience in a business development or client-facing environment.
• A passion for inclusive workforce development and social impact.