Overview and key points
Partners& is seeking an exceptional Head of Business Development to play a pivotal role in delivering the next phase of growth within our Wellbeing, Health & Protection business.
This is a high-impact leadership position, responsible for shaping and executing the commercial growth strategy across our Business Protection, Employee Benefits and Client Management functions. The successful candidate will be accountable for driving sustainable revenue growth, enhancing business development capability, identifying new market opportunities, and ensuring the business delivers against its ambitious three-year growth objectives.
The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution, requiring an individual who can inspire teams, build capability, create high-performing business development cultures, and successfully translate growth strategies into measurable outcomes.
As a Managing Partner, you will be a key member of the leadership team, influencing the direction of the business and ensuring commercial excellence is embedded throughout the organisation, whilst getting your hands dirty and leading by example.
Strategic Growth Leadership
- Develop and execute the Wellbeing, Health & Protection growth strategy, aligned to the business’s three-year objectives.
- Identify and evaluate new growth opportunities across sectors, client segments, propositions and distribution channels.
- Work closely with senior leadership to define strategic priorities and ensure successful execution.
- Lead initiatives that increase market penetration, improve client acquisition and Sales Velocity, and grow share of wallet across existing clients.
- Establish clear growth plans, performance metrics and accountability frameworks across the business.
Business Development Leadership
- Lead and develop the Business Protection and Business Development teams to deliver sustained commercial growth whilst always keeping our clients at the centre of everything we do.
- Create a high-performance business development culture focused on quality activity, conversion, revenue generation and client outcomes.
- Implement robust pipeline management and forecasting disciplines.
- Ensure business development efforts are aligned with strategic growth priorities and target markets.
- Drive collaboration across WH&P business development, business protection and client management teams, as well as our broader business divisions – General Insurance & Private Clients.
- Lead and develop our Lead Generation strategy across Individual and SME products.
- Increase virgin business penetration across WH&P and enhance sales velocity metrics.
Client Growth & Commercial Excellence
- Partner with Client Management leaders to identify and execute client growth opportunities across the existing portfolio.
- Develop strategies that enhance cross-selling, client retention and long-term value creation.
- Embed a consultative and opportunity-focused culture throughout client-facing teams.
- Provide leadership and support on major opportunities, strategic client relationships and complex negotiations.
Capability Development & Upskilling
- Identify capability and skills gaps across business development and client-facing teams.
- Design and implement training, coaching and development programmes to improve commercial effectiveness.
- Establish best practice sales methodologies, business development frameworks and performance standards.
- Build a culture of continuous learning, coaching and professional development.
- Develop future leaders and strengthen succession pipelines across the business.
Performance & Delivery
- Establish clear performance objectives and KPIs across business development and client growth functions.
- Drive accountability through regular performance reviews, data-led insights and coaching interventions.
- Monitor business performance against growth targets and implement corrective actions where required.
- Ensure the business maintains focus on both short-term revenue delivery and long-term strategic growth.
Campaigns, Marketing & Market Development
- Lead the development and execution of targeted growth campaigns across priority sectors, client groups and propositions.
- Work closely with marketing teams to create compelling demand-generation and lead-conversion activity.
- Analyse market trends, competitor activity and emerging opportunities to inform business strategy.
- Identify and activate key growth drivers across the business.
- Measure and optimise campaign performance to maximise commercial impact.
Leadership
- Act as a visible and influential leader within the Wellbeing, Health & Protection business.
- Contribute to wider business strategy as a member of the leadership team.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability and client-centricity.
- Champion the values and behaviours of Partners&.
Success in this role will be measured through:
- Achievement of annual and three-year revenue growth targets.
- Increased new business generation across Wellbeing, Health & Protection.
- Growth in Business Protection revenues and market presence.
- Enhanced client retention, cross-sell and client growth performance.
- Improved business development conversion rates and pipeline quality.
- Successful execution of strategic growth initiatives and campaigns.
- Measurable improvements in business development capability and commercial effectiveness.
- Development of high-performing and engaged teams.
We are looking for a leader who is:
- Commercially driven and growth orientated.
- Strategic in thinking and execution focused in delivery.
- Inspirational, engaging and capable of bringing people with them.
- Data-led and performance focused.
- Curious, innovative and opportunity seeking.
- Collaborative and team orientated.
- Resilient, adaptable and comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment.
- Passionate about developing people and building capability.
Essential
- Significant senior leadership experience within employee benefits, health & wellbeing, business protection, insurance or related financial services sectors.
- Proven track record of delivering substantial business growth and commercial performance.
- Experience leading high-performing business development and sales teams.
- Demonstrable success in developing and implementing growth strategies.
- Strong understanding of consultative selling, account development and client growth methodologies.
- Experience designing and delivering capability-building and coaching programmes.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to convert insight into action.
- Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
- Experience operating at executive or senior leadership level.
Desirable
- Deep understanding of the UK Employee Benefits and Business Protection markets.
- Experience leading large-scale commercial transformation initiatives.
- Strong network across insurer, intermediary and corporate client markets.
- Relevant professional qualifications within insurance, financial services or leadership disciplines.
Benefits
- 30 days holiday + bank holidays
- Generous pension contribution
- Private Medical Insurance
- Group Life Assurance
- Group Income Protection