About this role
As one of the UK’s leading charitable leisure trusts, we’re proud of our mission of Improving Lives Through Leisure. We’re here to help communities live healthier, happier lives by making our centres welcoming, inclusive and accessible to everyone - because everyone deserves to feel good. We’re all about delivering amazing customer service and creating spaces where people feel at home, supported and inspired.
We are seeking an accomplished and commercially astute sport and leisure professional to provide leadership for Freedom Leisure’s business development function. As Head of Business Development, you will play a central role in shaping and delivering the organisation’s growth strategy, strengthening our market position and securing sustainable opportunities that advance our charitable purpose.
You will bring strong commercial and financial acumen, extensive experience of leading complex bids and tender submissions and the judgement to ensure that every proposition is tailored to the strategic priorities of each prospective client. You will also provide informed oversight of business cases, financial proposals, project mobilisation and associated governance.
Reporting to the Business Development Director, you will lead, develop and performance manage a team of Business Development Managers, setting clear priorities and ensuring a consistent, high-quality approach across the opportunity pipeline. You will be expected to exercise sound judgement, manage competing strategic priorities and build trusted relationships with colleagues, partners, local authorities and other key stakeholders.
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate a substantial record of senior business development experience, successful team management and the delivery of measurable commercial outcomes within the sport, leisure or public-service environment.
Your key responsibilities will include:
- Leading business development delivery to drive sustainable growth.
- Managing the business development team and oversee performance.
- Leading the full opportunity and bid process from identification to mobilisation.
- Delivering high-quality, commercially viable bids and proposals.
- Building strong client relationships and represent Freedom Leisure externally.
- Overseeing market analysis, commercial modelling and risk assessment.
- Providing strategic insight and reporting to senior leadership.
If you’re driven and strive for excellence, then we’d love to hear from you.
In the event that a high volume of suitable applications are received, the post may close prior to the specified closing date.
Hours: 37 hours per week
Requirements
- Significant senior business development experience within leisure, public services or related sectors.
- Proven leadership and performance management of business development or similar professional teams.
- Strong track record of delivering successful complex bids, tenders and funding applications.
- Excellent commercial and financial expertise, including business case and proposal development.
- Ability to manage multiple high-value projects while maintaining quality, governance and risk control.
- Strong communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
- Collaborative leadership style with the ability to work effectively across a multidisciplinary team.
- Mobility to travel to meet business needs.
Benefits
We want you to love coming to work, feeling healthy, happy and valued. That's why we've developed a benefits package with you in mind, so what can we offer you?
- Company pension
- Cycle-to-work and car leasing tax-efficient schemes
- Discounted staff membership (including family members)
- Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 confidential, independent and professional counselling
- Incremental annual leave entitlement
- My Staff Shop employee benefits scheme, offering discounts on cinema tickets, travel, high street e-vouchers, gift cards, days out, leisure activities and everyday spending
Closing date: 9th October 2026
Salary: up to £75,000 per annum
At Freedom Leisure, we believe a diverse workforce strengthens our organisation and enhances the services we provide. We welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.