Client Partnerships Manager (Maternity cover)

Role: Client Partnerships Manager (Maternity cover)
Contract: 12-Months Fixed Term Contract
Closing Date: Wednesday 19 November 2025, 09:00 GMT 
Salary: £42,000 (Manager, Point 1)
Location: London, hybrid
Interview: Tuesday 25 November 2025

An exciting opportunity to lead a new client-facing function at the BES

Are you a commercially-minded professional eager to bring strategic client-facing leadership to an organisation with a strategic mission to find ecological solutions for a planet under threat? 

The British Ecological Society is the world’s oldest ecological society. From the field and lab to the heart of government, the BES convenes expert voices, collates the evidence and makes clear recommendations to influence change through science.

We’re recruiting a Client Partnerships Manager to spearhead BES’s work with businesses, transforming ecological insight into impactful consultancy, partnerships and advertising. This role offers a rare chance to lead an entirely new revenue stream - owning the end-to-end business development pipeline, shaping key accounts, and delivering client projects that advance both impact and income.

About the role

This is a client-facing role wherebusiness development and sales will be your priority. You will take the lead in identifying new consultancy opportunities and corporate partnerships, building a healthy pipeline of prospects, and converting them through compelling proposals and winning pitches. You’ll also manage and grow our sponsorship and advertising income, developing creative packages that connect businesses with our audiences.

Alongside new business, you’ll act as account manager for our consultancy clients and partners, nurturing long-term relationships and ensuring that every project delivers value for clients while showcasing BES’s ecological expertise. You’ll oversee delivery - coordinating colleagues across the organisation, managing contracts and budgets, and ensuring projects are delivered on time and to a high standard.

This is a new, high-profile fixed term contract for the BES, and you will play a key part in shaping how we build commercial relationships that are financially sustainable, impactful, and aligned with our strategic goals.

About you

We’re looking for someone with:

• A proven track record in business development, sales or partnerships, ideally from an agency, consultancy or other commercial environment.

• Excellent skills in pitching, presenting and closing deals, with creativity in developing tailored proposals that bring in exciting projects and partnerships.

• Strong relationship management skills and the confidence to engage and influence senior stakeholders.

• Commercial awareness, with experience negotiating contracts, overseeing budgets and delivering profitable outcomes.

• Solid project management skills to ensure consultancy and partnership projects run smoothly.

Just as importantly, you’ll bring energy, creativity and the desire to use your commercial skills in a role with real meaning — helping to connect business and ecology to tackle the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

A full job description is available here.

Requirements

Essential

▪ Proven track record in business development and sales, with demonstrable success in securing new clients, generating income, and meeting or exceeding commercial targets.

▪ Strong presentation and pitching skills, with demonstrable experience of creating and delivering winning proposals that convert prospects into clients.

▪ Demonstrable experience building and maintaining a robust pipeline of prospects, using insight and creativity to identify new opportunities.

▪ Demonstrable evidence of excellent client relationship management skills, including nurturing accounts and growing long-term value once relationships are established.

▪ Commercial awareness, with demonstrable experience in negotiating contracts, managing budgets and ensuring financial sustainability.

▪ Demonstrable experience in project management, including coordinating multiple stakeholders, overseeing delivery, and ensuring projects are completed on time, on budget and to a high standard.

▪ Demonstrable experience in distilling complex or technical information into clear, impactful stories that resonate with business audiences.

▪ Confident communicator, both written and verbal, with demonstrable experience in influencing and engaging senior decision-makers.

Desirable

▪ Experience in an agency, consultancy, or client-facing commercial environment.

▪ Familiarity with consultancy or commercial delivery models.

▪ An interest in ecology, science and the environment

Application

To apply for this vacancy, please click 'Apply for this job' via our recruitment portal to submit:

1. Your CV - no more than 2x A4 sides detailing your education, training and work history, as well as any relevant key skills
2. A covering letter - no more than 1x A4 side explaining why you wish to undertake this role at the BES
3. Your Equality and Diversity information - this voluntary information helps us to assess the diversity of our recruitment and further improve recruitment processes in future. It has no bearing on the success of your application and is not considering as part of the shortlisting process.

We recognise that AI tools can support candidates in refining their job applications, particularly in improving clarity and language. If you choose to use AI to assist with your application, please remember that you are responsible for the content and quality of your application.

AI  may be used to improve - but must not replace - your own voice and experience.  Applications must reflect your own understanding, experience and suitability for the role. We encourage all applicants to review their submission carefully before sending.