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General Information

Service name
Home based
Job type
Full-Time
Employment type
Permanent
Salary
£88,850 - £99,500 per annum

Description and requirements

Location: England - Home-Based | Permanent | Full-time 

Reports to: Executive Director of Operations / Chief Executive Officer 

About the Role 

Transform Commercial Strategy. Drive Sustainable Growth. Shape the Future of Social Care.

Leonard Cheshire is one of the UK’s most recognised Social Care and disability charities, supporting individuals across Supported Living and wider social care services. We are seeking an exceptional Director of Commercial and Growth to lead modernisation and transformation, turning strategy into growth, opportunity into income, and change into sustained organisational improvement.

This is not a traditional “Head of Bids” role. This is a strategic commercial leadership position, where you’ll transform a major UK charity’s commercial model from transactional to partnership-based commissioning. Managing a large number of relationships with Local Authorities and Integrated Care Boards across England you’ll drive sustainable income growth while ensuring commercial decisions are viable, balancing growth ambition with delivery discipline, safeguarding, and long-term sustainability. 

Key Responsibilities 

  • Develop and lead our commercial and business development strategy aligned to organisational priorities, financial sustainability and risk appetite
  • Drive income growth across Supported Living and wider social care services, ensuring opportunities are viable, deliverable and sustainable
  • Provide authoritative commercial insight and reporting to the Executive Team and Board on growth, income performance, pipeline strength and contract risk
  • Lead strategic relationships and negotiations with Local Authorities (England), ICBs and commissioners, securing fee uplifts, contract variations and sustainable funding arrangements
  • Oversee bids, tenders and frameworks, ensuring high-quality submissions and strong conversion rates
  • Strengthen contract sustainability; identifying margin pressures, managing risk and protecting income across existing services
  • Oversee the referrals pipeline, ensuring opportunities are assessed consistently and aligned to clear viability criteria
  • Establish strong commercial governance, decision thresholds and approval processes 
  • Lead and develop the Business Development, Bids & Tenders and Referrals teams
  • Work in close partnership with Operational, Finance, Property and Quality to ensure commercial ambition is grounded in operational reality

About You 

With exceptional commercial and financial acumen, you’ll be a credible communicator with excellent negotiation and influencing skills, strong governance, risk and programme oversight capability and the ability to convert complex data into clear executive decisions. 

Essential: 

  • Proven senior commercial or business development leadership experience within Social Care/Health or Commissioned setting in England
  • Demonstrated success securing and managing multiple Local Authority England and commissioner contracts
  • Strong track record leading bids, tenders and framework submissions 
  • Experience negotiating fee uplifts, contract variations and income protection arrangements
  • Deep understanding of commissioning models, funding pressures and market dynamics

What we offer

  • Generous contributory company pension scheme with competitive life cover benefit
  • 25 days holiday per year, increasing one day per year to a maximum of 30 days plus bank holidays
  • Flexible annual leave, with the option to buy or sell (salary sacrifice)
  • Private Health Insurance or Cash Health Plan membership
  • Group Income Protection Insurance
  • Access to cycle-to-work benefits (salary sacrifice)
  • Comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
  • Free Blue Light Card
  • Stream, access earned pay before pay day and support to manage finances more effectively
  • Long Service Awards and so much more!


Why Join Us 

This is a rare opportunity to shape the commercial future of one of the UK’s leading providers of social care for disabled people.  Your leadership will directly influence how we grow sustainably, protect vital income streams and modernise services to meet changing demand — ensuring we continue to deliver high-quality, person-centred support nationwide.  

If you are an accomplished commercial leader who thrives on strategic influence, complex negotiation and delivering measurable growth with purpose, we would love to hear from you. 

Apply now with your CV 


Criminal records check statement 

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk. A satisfactory disclosure check is required for this post. References will be obtained for all roles.   

Equal Ops Statement 

Leonard Cheshire welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We actively encourage applications from people with a disability, supporting where possible, your requirements for reasonable adjustments.