Aston, Birmingham (based at Make UK’s Apprentices & Skills Training Centre, with some regional/national travel)
Permanent
Competitive salaries and excellent benefits including up to one day's paid leave each year to undertake volunteering opportunities
About Make UK
At Make UK, we champion and celebrate British manufacturing and engineering. We support over 20,000 businesses across the UK, helping them to innovate, compete, and grow. As part of our continued commitment to developing the next generation of talent, we deliver high-quality apprenticeships and skills training that shape the future of the manufacturing workforce.
About the role
We’re looking for a commercially driven and strategic leader to join Make UK as our next Commercial Manager for Apprenticeships & Skills.
This is a pivotal role with overall responsibility for delivering a high-impact commercial strategy, ensuring Make UK remains the provider of choice for industrial apprenticeships and a leading training centre for technical upskilling.
You’ll lead business development activity, shape innovative training solutions, and work collaboratively across the organisation to drive growth, performance, and customer satisfaction.
- Developing and delivering a forward-thinking commercial strategy aligned to market needs
- Leading and managing the Business Development team to achieve sales, recruitment, and delivery targets
- Identifying opportunities to create and launch new apprenticeship and skills offerings
- Working closely with Sales and Marketing to design and execute effective campaigns and go-to-market strategies
- Building strong relationships with clients, stakeholders, and internal teams to support solution-led selling
- Overseeing onboarding and delivery to ensure an excellent customer experience and full compliance
- Monitoring performance, analysing market trends, and reporting on progress and opportunities
- Representing the function at senior level, including presenting to the Executive team
What we’re looking for
Experience & knowledge
- Proven commercial success, ideally within the Apprenticeships & Skills or training sector
- Strong understanding of market trends, competitor landscape, and customer needs
- Experience within engineering, manufacturing, or a related sector
- Knowledge of government training programmes and funding
Skills & capabilities
- Strategic thinker with the ability to turn insight into action
- Strong sales and commercial acumen with a track record of delivering growth
- Inspiring leader who can motivate, develop, and lead high-performing teams
- Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building skills
- Confident communicator with strong influencing and negotiation ability
- Professional, credible, and values-driven
- Collaborative and consultative in approach
- Proactive, resilient, and solutions-focused
- Committed to equality, diversity, and safeguarding
SAFEGUARDING INFORMATION
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. It is therefore a mandatory requirement that the successful candidate agrees to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.
Individuals barred from working in this sector are reminded it is a criminal offence to submit an application.
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