Business Development Lead- Apprenticeships

Business Development Lead- Apprenticeships

Salary: up £40,000

Contract: Permanent

Benefits: 25 days annual leave + Birthday Leave + additional company benefits

Help shape the next stage of apprenticeship growth with commercial clients.

Cognition Evolve is growing its apprenticeship offer and we are looking for an ambitious Employer Engagement Partner to help build relationships with commercial clients. Initially, the role will focus on creating high-quality Business Administrator apprenticeship opportunities, with a clear remit to support the future development of wider business and digital pathways.

This is an exciting opportunity to join at an early stage as we expand our apprenticeship provision nationally. The role will focus on developing employer relationships across commercial sectors, including:

Commercial employers seeking to build business administration capability, improve operational effectiveness, support early-career talent and create progression routes into future digital and technical roles. Additional business, customer service, project management and digital pathways may be developed as the service grows.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building trusted relationships with commercial employers, opening new opportunities and helping organisations use apprenticeships to attract, develop and retain skilled business support and future digital talent.

This is primarily a new business and growth role focused on generating Business Administrator apprenticeship starts and building a national commercial employer pipeline that can support future pathway growth.

The Role

You will take ownership of developing new relationships with commercial employers, identifying workforce development opportunities and converting interest into apprenticeship starts.

Working alongside recruitment, delivery and apprenticeship colleagues, you will help employers understand business support, administration and digital skills needs, matching apprenticeship solutions that support organisational performance and learner success.

You will retain ownership of employer relationships beyond initial onboarding to support repeat opportunities, future cohorts and longer-term growth across business and digital apprenticeship pathways.

This is a national role. Most engagement activity is expected to take place remotely.

Key Responsibilities

• Employer Growth & Business Development
• Identify, engage and develop new commercial employer relationships nationally
• Generate Business Administrator apprenticeship opportunities and convert employer interest into apprenticeship starts
• Build and maintain an active pipeline of commercial employers across agreed sectors and pathway priorities
• Carry out consultative workforce discussions and training needs analysis with commercial clients
• Develop repeat opportunities within employer accounts, including future cohorts and progression into additional business and digital pathways

Relationship Management

• Become a trusted advisor to commercial employers exploring apprenticeship solutions
• Build referral routes and partnership opportunities through existing commercial networks, sector groups, employer communities and strategic partnerships
• Provide a positive experience from first enquiry through to onboarding
• Retain ownership of employer relationships to support continued growth activity

Performance & Delivery

• Work towards agreed targets focused on apprenticeship starts, employer engagement activity and pipeline growth
• Maintain accurate CRM records and forecasting information
• Track opportunities, progression and conversion activity
• Share employer insight to support service development, curriculum relevance and future business and digital pathway planning

Collaboration

• Work closely with Candidate Engagement colleagues to align Business Administrator vacancies, candidate supply and employer demand
• Work collaboratively with apprenticeship delivery teams to ensure smooth onboarding and successful starts for learners and commercial employers
• Support cohort planning and growth discussions

What Success Looks Like in Year One

In your first year you will:

• Build a strong commercial employer network for Business Administrator apprenticeships
• Create sustainable Business Administrator apprenticeship opportunities with employers who have clear workforce needs
• Develop repeat commercial employer relationships and future cohort opportunities
• Achieve personal apprenticeship growth targets and contribute toward team objectives
• Support the launch and growth of future business, customer service, project management and digital apprenticeship pathways
• Help shape employer engagement processes as the service expands.

Requirements

About You

We are interested in people who enjoy creating opportunities, building partnerships and understanding the workforce challenges faced by commercial employers. You may currently work within:

Commercial employer engagement, apprenticeship business development, recruitment, early careers, funded learning, workforce development or training sales.

Essential skills and experience:

Experience generating new business opportunities, employer relationships or recruitment activity

Proven ability to work towards targets and convert opportunities into starts, placements or recruitment outcomes

Commercial awareness and understanding of employer needs across business support, administration or digital capability

Desirable

Confidence managing relationships, pipelines and CRM systems, with funded learning knowledge desirable

Why Join Cognition Evolve?

This is an opportunity to join at an important stage of growth, helping build something new while working alongside apprenticeship delivery, recruitment and learning teams.

Please submit:

CV

Cover letter (maximum two pages)

Your application should demonstrate how you meet the criteria outlined in the person specification.

Closing date: Monday 3 August 2026 at 5pm.

Interview week commencing: 10 August 2026.

Please note vacancies may close earlier depending on application volumes.