Partnership Sales Manager | Education Recruitment | £50k

Partnership Sales Manager – Education Recruitment

Salary: Up to £50,000 basic + competitive bonus
Location: Remote & field-based, UK-wide
Office Requirement: Nottingham – 1 day every 2 weeks
Sector: Education Recruitment
Experience Required: Significant education recruitment experience
Focus: Multi-Academy Trusts | GCA Framework | Lot 1 | Lot 2 | MSP | Strategic Partnerships

Partnership Sales Manager – Job Overview

Fox Search is recruiting a Partnership Sales Manager for a leading UK education recruitment business operating across Lot 1 and Lot 2 of the GCA Supply Teachers and Education Recruitment framework.

This is a newly created, senior consultative sales role focused on building strategic relationships with Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) across the UK.

The Partnership Sales Manager will develop relationships with senior Trust stakeholders, ensuring the business remains front of mind and becomes a trusted first point of contact for education recruitment and workforce requirements.

Working across existing and prospective Trust partnerships, you will identify opportunities to increase engagement through GCA Lot 1, while nurturing suitable relationships towards larger, longer-term Lot 2 Managed Service Provision (MSP).

This is not traditional school-by-school recruitment business development. It requires an experienced and polished education recruitment professional who understands Trust-level relationships, education recruitment frameworks and consultative sales.

Partnership Sales Manager – Key Facts

• Up to £50,000 basic salary
• Competitive bonus structure
• Remote and field-based role
• UK-wide remit
• Nottingham office just 1 day every 2 weeks
• Significant education recruitment experience essential
• Multi-Academy Trust relationship development
• Senior and C-suite stakeholder engagement
• GCA Lot 1 and Lot 2 focus
• Consultative rather than transactional sales
• Newly created national position

What Does a Partnership Sales Manager Do?

The Partnership Sales Manager will build and develop strategic relationships with Multi-Academy Trusts operating within the education recruitment framework.

Trusts may have access to multiple approved recruitment suppliers, so success isn’t simply about being on a framework.

Your objective is to develop relationships strong enough that your business is front of mind when recruitment requirements arise.

You’ll build relationships with multiple contacts within Trusts, understand their structure, recruitment challenges, workforce plans and current use of recruitment partners, and identify where your business can provide greater support.

This could involve increasing engagement across an existing Trust partnership, developing relationships with additional decision-makers or introducing services into other areas of a Trust.

Longer term, you will identify and nurture opportunities where a Lot 1 relationship could develop into a more strategic Lot 2 Managed Service Provision.

GCA Lot 1 and Lot 2 Partnership Development

A strong understanding of education recruitment frameworks will be important in this role.

The Partnership Sales Manager will need to understand how Trusts procure recruitment services and be able to hold credible conversations about both direct agency supply and managed service solutions.

You will use this knowledge to identify where a Trust’s current recruitment arrangements could be developed into a broader strategic partnership.

Previous knowledge of the current GCA framework and earlier education recruitment frameworks would therefore be highly advantageous.

Key Responsibilities

• Build strong, long-term relationships with Multi-Academy Trusts across the UK
• Become a trusted first point of contact for key Trust stakeholders
• Ensure the business remains front of mind for recruitment and workforce requirements
• Develop relationships with multiple decision-makers across individual Trusts
• Engage confidently with senior and C-suite education stakeholders
• Understand each Trust’s recruitment strategy, challenges and future workforce requirements
• Increase engagement within existing Lot 1 partnerships
• Identify and develop new strategic Trust relationships
• Conduct consultative partnership meetings and reviews
• Identify opportunities to develop suitable relationships towards Lot 2 MSP solutions
• Maintain a detailed understanding of the GCA framework and education recruitment procurement landscape
• Build and manage a national pipeline of strategic partnership opportunities
• Provide market intelligence and client feedback to the wider business
• Work closely with Branch Managers, Regional Managers, Directors and operational teams
• Ensure internal stakeholders remain informed as Trust relationships and opportunities develop
• Coordinate activity internally to provide a joined-up approach to national Trust partnerships
• Represent the business professionally at senior client meetings, networking opportunities and industry events

What Experience Does a Partnership Sales Manager Need?

Previous education recruitment experience is essential.

This is not an entry-level business development position. The successful candidate needs sufficient sector knowledge and credibility to represent an established education recruitment business in meetings with senior Trust stakeholders.

We are particularly interested in candidates with:

• Significant education recruitment experience
• Strong knowledge of the UK education recruitment market
• Experience building relationships with Multi-Academy Trusts
• Experience dealing with senior and C-suite stakeholders
• Knowledge of the GCA and/or previous education recruitment frameworks
• An understanding of Lot 1 agency supply and Lot 2 managed service models
• Strong consultative sales experience
• Excellent relationship-building skills
• Strong commercial awareness
• Excellent presentation and communication skills
• Experience developing longer-term strategic opportunities
• The confidence and credibility to represent a major recruitment business externally
• The ability to work autonomously across a national remit
• Excellent organisation and internal stakeholder management skills

Experience of MSP, managed service, framework agreements or large-scale education recruitment partnerships would be particularly valuable.

Who Would This Partnership Sales Manager Role Suit?

Because this is a newly created and relatively unique position, there isn’t one specific previous job title we’re looking for.

The role could suit an experienced:

• Education Recruitment Business Development Manager
• Senior Education Recruitment Consultant
• Branch Manager
• Regional Manager
• Education Recruitment Sales Manager
• Strategic Partnership Manager
• Senior Account Manager
• Client Solutions Manager
• Recruitment Director
• MSP / Managed Service Business Development Manager

More important than your current title is your ability to build credibility with senior education leaders and turn relationships into strategic commercial partnerships.

You may currently be in a senior operational or leadership position within education recruitment but particularly enjoy the relationship-building and commercial side of your role.

Internal Stakeholder Management

This isn’t a role that operates in isolation.

As Trust relationships develop, you’ll work closely with teams across the wider recruitment business, including:

• Branch Managers
• Regional Managers
• Directors
• Recruitment Consultants
• Service Delivery teams
• Compliance and operational functions

You’ll feed information back into these teams, ensure they understand developments within key Trust partnerships and help coordinate the business’s approach.

Strong internal communication and stakeholder management will therefore be just as important as your external relationship-building skills.

Why Join?

This is an opportunity to take your education recruitment experience and use it at a much more strategic level.

You’ll receive:

• Up to £50,000 basic salary
• Competitive bonus structure
• Fully remote working
• UK-wide field-based remit
• Just one day every two weeks in Nottingham
• Significant autonomy over your diary
• Established infrastructure and operational support
• Access to major Multi-Academy Trust partnerships
• Senior-level exposure across the business
• Opportunity to influence a newly created role
• Genuine scope to develop major long-term managed service partnerships

Rather than managing a traditional recruitment desk or spending your day making transactional sales calls to individual schools, you’ll focus on developing high-value, long-term relationships with Multi-Academy Trusts.

Partnership Sales Manager FAQs

Is the Partnership Sales Manager role remote?

Yes. The role is predominantly remote and field-based with a UK-wide remit. You will be required to attend Nottingham approximately one day every two weeks and travel to meet Trust stakeholders where required.

What is the salary for the Partnership Sales Manager role?

The basic salary is up to £50,000, depending on experience. A competitive bonus structure will also form part of the package.

Is education recruitment experience essential?

Yes. Significant education recruitment experience is essential because you’ll be representing the business in strategic conversations with senior stakeholders across Multi-Academy Trusts.

Do I need experience working with Multi-Academy Trusts?

Previous experience building relationships with Multi-Academy Trusts or other large education organisations is highly desirable. You’ll need to be comfortable dealing with senior decision-makers rather than focusing solely on individual school relationships.

Do I need GCA framework experience?

A good understanding of the GCA Supply Teachers and Education Recruitment framework, Lot 1 and Lot 2 would be highly advantageous. Experience of previous education recruitment frameworks will also be relevant.

What is the difference between Lot 1 and Lot 2?

Lot 1 enables education organisations to appoint temporary or permanent workers directly through one or more recruitment agencies. Lot 2 is Managed Service Provision, where a managed service provider oversees staffing requirements and may fulfil them directly or through a supply chain.

Is this a traditional education recruitment business development role?

No. This is a strategic and consultative partnership sales role. Rather than focusing on high-volume calls to individual schools, you’ll build relationships with senior stakeholders across Multi-Academy Trusts and develop longer-term commercial partnerships.

Will I be responsible for delivering recruitment vacancies?

The primary focus is strategic sales and partnership development rather than running a traditional recruitment desk. You’ll work closely with Branch Managers, Regional Managers, Directors and delivery teams who support the operational recruitment activity.

Is this an account management role?

No. Although you’ll build strong relationships with existing Trust partners, this is a sales and growth position. Your objective is to increase engagement, develop opportunities and build relationships capable of becoming broader strategic partnerships.

What type of person will succeed in this role?

Someone polished, credible and commercially minded who understands education recruitment and genuinely enjoys relationship-led sales. You’ll need to be confident speaking with senior stakeholders, able to navigate complex organisations and capable of nurturing opportunities over a longer sales cycle.

Apply for the Partnership Sales Manager Role

If you’re an experienced education recruitment professional who enjoys the commercial and relationship-building side of recruitment and wants to operate at a more strategic level, we’d love to hear from you.

This is a rare opportunity to move beyond transactional school-level recruitment sales and focus on national Multi-Academy Trust partnerships, GCA framework opportunities and long-term managed service growth.

Apply today or contact Fox Search for a confidential discussion.