Partnerships Account Manager

Demand for our specialist tutoring programmes for Children Looked After, those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) continues to increase and we are seeking an excellent addition to our team to support the increased demand for our provision and to support the continued scaling of our organisation.

The Organisation

Equal Education is a social enterprise working to improve outcomes and narrow the attainment gap for disadvantaged and vulnerable learners, including Children Looked After, those with SEND, and unaccompanied asylum seeking children. We have 12 years’ experience delivering 1:1 tuition, working with hundreds of schools and Local Authority partners across the country, reaching hundreds of pupils annually. 

As a member of the Fair Education Alliance, we provide meaningful provision to students whose needs may not be best met within a traditional classroom environment, those who aren’t currently accessing education, or who benefit from additional 1:1 support. We work with qualified teachers to provide individual tutoring and mentoring for children of all ages. Our programmes will help the students to overcome barriers to learning, help them build trusted relationships, increase their aspirations, and fulfil their potential. We are passionate about our cause and are looking for people who are motivated by a strong desire to address educational inequality and improve outcomes. 

What is the Role?

The Partnerships Account Manager will drive business growth by securing new and managing existing key client accounts across designated regions. With a focus on building and sustaining long-term school and local council relationships, the Partnerships Account Manager will work closely with clients to understand their needs, expand our service offerings, and ensure the highest levels of satisfaction. 

The post holder will manage administrators who will provide essential bid-writing and admin support to facilitate effective client management.

The post holder would benefit from experience or an understanding of working in a small, high-growth organisation. 

The role will be suited to those who have held the title: SENCO, Head of Department, Advisory Teacher, Inclusion Coordinator or Designated Teacher. 

This role is ideal for an ambitious, client-focused individual, passionate about creating positive outcomes for vulnerable students. If you’re ready to contribute to a growing organisation that’s making a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities:

Client Acquisition and Relationship Management

• Proactively seek new business opportunities within assigned regions to grow the client base.
• Develop and maintain strong, positive relationships with key clients, ensuring their evolving needs are met and service offerings are aligned.
• Lead regular client review meetings to discuss progress, gather feedback, and identify additional service opportunities.
• Manage internal relationships to ensure what matters to clients is communicated internally using the proper channels, to allow for effective delivery by our Operations teams. 
• Maintain good internal stakeholder relationships with our Operations teams to ensure high client demands are balanced with our processes and team capacity. 

Strategic Planning and Development

• Collaborate with Senior Leaders to develop strategies for client retention and growth.
• Work closely with the wider partnerships team to align on strategic objectives and ensure seamless service delivery across functions.
• Participate in client and industry events to represent the organisation, expand networks, and identify new business opportunities.

Performance Monitoring and Reporting

• Monitor client engagement, satisfaction levels, and service outcomes; produce regular progress reports for management.
• Oversee tracking and analysis of client-related statistics to ensure targets are met and clients receive impactful, value-driven service.
• Manage and track client data and prospect pipelines using CRM systems, ensuring accuracy and up-to-date information.
• Report to SLT on accounts, Tenders, Bids, client meetings on a regular basis
• Be curious to explore our Salesforce system data, understanding and interpreting delivery and impact data 

Team Management and Support Coordination

• Lead, mentor, and manage two administrators focused on bid-writing, tender management, and client-related administration.
• Support administrators in producing and reviewing high-quality bid documents and responses that align with client requirements and enhance our partnership outcomes.
• Provide oversight to ensure that administrative tasks are completed efficiently, supporting smooth client interactions and consistent follow-through.
• Work with other leads like allocations and recruitment to ensure we can fulfil referrals
• Foster a strong working relationship between bid writers and recruitment to ensure we can find tutors and go for the right bids. 

Bid Management and Process Improvement

• Oversee the preparation and submission of tenders and bids, working closely with administrators to ensure high-quality and timely submissions.
• Continuously review and improve internal processes to optimise bid management, client onboarding, and service delivery.
• Report on bid submission performance, review client feedback to continuously improve. 

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Detailed knowledge of the UK Education Sector.
• Proven track record in client relationship management, with experience in sales or partnership development roles.
• Strong communication skills, particularly in face-to-face and telephone interactions, with the ability to build rapport quickly and maintain long-lasting relationships.
• Experience managing a small team, providing leadership, direction, and support to ensure high-performance standards.
• High level of empathy and commitment to supporting vulnerable and underserved communities.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet both short- and long-term deadlines effectively.
• Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) for tracking client data, leads, and progress.
• Proactive, problem-solving mindset, able to address issues independently and provide client-focused solutions.
• Able to work in a high pressure environment, whilst taking initiative, we would want the postholder to ask for support when needed.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Experience working in the education sector or with LAs, particularly in roles involving SEND or children’s services.
• Knowledge of safeguarding requirements and best practices for handling sensitive information.
• Experience in bid-writing, tender management, or grant applications.

General

The job is subject to having the right to work in the UK, two professional references and a basic DBS check.

Why Equal Education?

• Competitive salary
• Staff wellbeing benefits such as ClassPass membership, access to discounts via Perks at Work, eyecare vouchers, regular wellbeing sessions and team social events.
• Flexible, hybrid work environment with regular opportunities for in-person client engagement.
• Working alongside a passionate team working to make a positive impact.