Business Development Director

Job description

Job responsibilities

Are you a commercially driven leader with a passion for driving growth, maximising occupancy and leading high-performing teams? Join Elysium Healthcare as Business Development Director and play a pivotal role in delivering commercial performance across a national healthcare organisation while supporting the delivery of outstanding care.

In this senior leadership role, you will be responsible for the operational leadership and performance of Elysium Healthcare's Business Development and Central Referral Management functions. Working closely with the Commercial Director, Operations Directors, Clinical Directors and Commercial Finance teams, you will translate the Group Commercial Strategy into operational delivery, ensuring the effective generation, management and conversion of referrals to support occupancy, paid beds and sustainable revenue growth across all service lines.

You will lead the day-to-day commercial performance of the organisation, overseeing referral pipelines, commissioner engagement and conversion activity to support the achievement of occupancy and income targets. Leading the Central Referral Management Team and Business Development function, you will drive continuous improvement in referral responsiveness, customer experience, admission timescales, clinical matching and conversion performance, ensuring services remain commercially responsive and aligned to commissioner demand.

A key part of the role will involve building and maintaining strong relationships with NHS Trusts, Integrated Care Boards, Provider Collaboratives, Local Authorities and independent sector partners. You will work collaboratively with commissioners and operational teams to develop effective service solutions, provide market insight and ensure excellent customer service across the organisation.

Using data and commercial intelligence, you will monitor occupancy, paid beds, referral activity, conversion rates, market share and customer engagement, taking proactive action to improve performance and support underperforming services. You will also provide clear reporting and forecasting to support operational decision-making and contribute to the successful mobilisation of new services, ensuring occupancy plans are delivered effectively from launch.

As a senior leader, you will develop and inspire a high-performing national team, creating a culture focused on accountability, collaboration, customer service, continuous improvement and commercial excellence. You will lead recruitment, coaching, succession planning and performance management activities while fostering a culture where colleagues can thrive and deliver their best.

Key Responsibilities:

Business Development

• Lead national Business Development activity.
• Deliver annual occupancy objectives.
• Support delivery of commercial budgets.
• Develop commissioner engagement plans.
• Manage regional commercial performance.
• Support operational recovery plans.
• Maximise referral opportunities.
• Identify commercial risks and escalate where appropriate.

Central Referral Management

• Lead the Central Referral Management Team.
• Ensure consistent national referral processes.
• Monitor referral KPIs.
• Improve referral conversion.
• Maintain referral governance.
• Ensure high-quality customer service.

Performance Management

• Set objectives for Partnership Development Managers.
• Monitor regional performance.
• Conduct performance reviews.
• Support professional development.
• Develop future commercial leaders.

Commercial Governance

Ensure Business Development activity operates within agreed governance frameworks, delegated authority and organisational policies. Support compliance with:

• Information Governance
• Data Protection
• Clinical Governance
• Health & Safety
• Safeguarding
• Quality Standards

To be successful in this role, you will need:

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong understanding of NHS and social care commissioning.
• Excellent knowledge of referral management and occupancy planning.
• Strong commercial awareness.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills.
• Highly developed communication and influencing skills.
• Strong analytical capability.
• High-level CRM and reporting capability.
• Strong understanding of performance management.
• Ability to build trusted commissioner relationships.
• Excellent organisational and planning skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities within a fast-paced environment.

Experience

• Significant senior Business Development leadership experience within healthcare, social care or another regulated multi-site environment.
• Proven track record of delivering occupancy growth and sustainable commercial performance.
• Experience leading high-performing national or regional Business Development teams.
• Strong experience of referral management and customer relationship management.
• Experience working closely with Operations and Clinical teams.
• Experience presenting commercial performance to Executive leadership.
• Demonstrable success in improving commercial processes and operational performance.

What You’ll Get

At Elysium Healthcare, we believe in taking care of the people who care for others, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, growth, and future:

• Competitive annual salary 
• £5,000 car allowance
• The equivalent of 33 days annual leave (including bank holidays) – plus your birthday off and the option to buy additional annual leave, in our annual selection window.
• Career development and training to help you achieve your professional goals
• Access to our Rewards & Benefits platform Ely-Vate; Your one-stop destination for everyday savings, exclusive benefits, and wellbeing hub!
• Wellbeing support and activities to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Access to Blue Light Card, which provides a range of exclusive offers and discounts
• Life Assurance, for added peace of mind
• Stream – instant access to earned wages when you need it, plus access to save, directly from your wages, alongside financial wellbeing support.
• 24/7 GP service and second medical opinion, to ensure you are the best you can be
• Enhanced Maternity Package, so you can truly enjoy this special time
• Pension contribution, to help secure your future
• Free/subsidised meals and onsite/local free parking

About us:

Elysium Health care has over 8,000 employees and a unique approach to the delivery of care. With a network of over 80 services across England and Wales covering Mental Health, Neurological, Learning Disabilities & Autism, Children & Education, there is opportunity for you to grow and move. 

Elysium Healthcare is part of Ramsay Health Care with a global network that extends across 10 countries and employs over 86,000 people globally. 

Elysium Healthcare follows safer recruitment of staff for all appointments and is a Disability Confident employer, committed to inclusive and accessible recruitment. It is a requirement that all staff understand it is each person’s individual responsibility to promote and safeguard the welfare of service users. All candidates will be subject to a DBS disclosure.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Strong understanding of NHS and social care commissioning, excellent leadership and people management skills, high-level CRM and reporting capability, track record of delivering occupancy growth, and significant senior business development experience within regulated environments.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Elysium Healthcare

Address

Elysium Healthcare

Remote (Home based)

WD6 1JN

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.elysiumhealthcare.co.uk/