Are you a resourceful, imaginative business development all-rounder with the commercial sharpness and warmth to help fix the digital divide—for good? We’re looking for a new Business Development and Partnerships Manager to drive high-value corporate income and strategic partnerships, ensuring everyone has the connection, confidence, and support needed to participate fully in a digital world.
You will be a disciplined pipeline builder and consultative relationship creator, adept at identifying high-value opportunities, translating complex social impact into compelling investment cases, and closing deals that matter. You will enjoy the craft of business development: taking ambitious propositions to market, pitching to senior decision-makers, and negotiating transformational arrangements — from corporate funding and public sector social value partnerships to device donations for our National Device Bank.
This exciting position takes the lead on generating crucial revenue and non-cash value, diving deep into our nation’s social infrastructure for digital inclusion to shape tailored, highly persuasive pitches. By bringing commercial acumen, sound judgment, and persistent drive to our team, you will win vital support for life-changing work, positioning Good Things Foundation for a sustainable, innovative, and impactful future.
Role description
We are looking for a resourceful, imaginative business development all-rounder. We want you to secure income for the charity aligned with our goals - whether from fundraising with corporate and other partners, winning commercial tenders, or sponsorship. You will be able to sell social impact with commercial sharpness, warmth and credibility, and have the judgement and drive to make things happen.
Good Things Foundation is the UK’s leading digital inclusion charity. Our mission is to ensure everyone can participate in our digital society, driving impact through the National Databank, National Device Bank and National Digital Inclusion Network - the nation’s social infrastructure for digital inclusion.
People need three things to participate in digital society:
- Connection: access to data and devices.
- Confidence: training and skills, including digital, AI and media literacy and online safety.
- Support: trusted, local help at the point of need.
Our 2026-2028 strategy has three priorities:
- delivering data, devices and skills training at scale through our 9,000-strong National Digital Inclusion Network, whose local organisations work directly with people facing digital exclusion across the country;
- building evidence about what works by running pilots and testing new approaches in towns and cities, then sharing the findings through the What Works? Co-Lab for Digital Inclusion; and
- advocating for fairer digital systems through partnerships and policy change.
Delivering our strategy depends on building ambitious, long-term corporate partnerships. Securing them requires consultative, relationship-led business development: understanding what matters to each organisation and translating measurable social impact into a compelling case for investment.
You will drive corporate business development from opportunity creation through to close and growth. Your core mandate is to secure unrestricted income for Good Things’ wider work, funding for ambitious digital inclusion programmes and innovation at scale, and device donations for the National Device Bank.
You will also develop and take to market Good Things’ consultancy offer; secure funded roles for Good Things as a social value partner in major public-sector procurements; and build innovative partnerships that unlock pro bono expertise, donated products and services, joint go-to-market opportunities and other non-cash value. These partnerships should strengthen our products, services and operations, extend our reach or release budget for mission delivery.
This is an external-facing role, centred on face-to-face relationship building, networking, events, pitching and public speaking. You will be able to work autonomously and be trusted to shape propositions, make decisions and take proportionate risks, while working across Good Things to ensure every offer is strategically aligned, credible and deliverable.
The role is permanent and sits within the Partnerships and Fundraising Team. Corporate funding and partnerships are the clear priority; direct government tenders and trusts and foundations are occasional supporting responsibilities.
Important details
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Location: Hybrid/Home Working. Good Things Foundation is headquartered in Sheffield. We welcome candidates based in Sheffield, London or somewhere with practical access to both. Staff work flexibly across home and face-to-face settings. The role requires regular UK travel, particularly to Sheffield and London, for meetings, networking, events and public speaking. Travel to Sheffield to fulfil your role duties is considered normal commuting and the costs or time will not be reimbursed.
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Salary: £39,000-£44,100 depending on experience, plus excellent benefits
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Contract: Full-time. Flexibility of working patterns may be discussed with candidates if required
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Closing date: 11.55pm Sunday 6th September
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Provisional interview dates: 1st stage, informal chat - Thursday 17th September; 2nd stage, interview - Thursday 24th September
Please read our note to candidates on the use of AI in your application.
Please note, we are not currently in a position to offer remote working from abroad or provide sponsorship at this time. We will only be able to consider applications from candidates based in the UK who already have the right to work full time hours.
How to apply
Please email your application to recruitment@goodthingsfoundation.org by the closing date and time of Sunday 6th September 11:55pm. Please attach your CV and a supporting statement, of no more than two sides, that sets out:
- Tell us why you want to be Good Things Foundation’s Business Development and Partnerships Manager?
- How will your skills and experience directly contribute to our mission and strategic aims?
- Explain the main challenges facing people experiencing social / digital exclusion and how Good Things can help overcome those challenges in the next three years?
Applications which do not include both a CV and covering letter will not be considered.
We would also be grateful if you would complete the Equality and Diversity monitoring form on the online application process. This form is for monitoring purposes only and is not treated as part of your application.
Safeguarding statement and pre-employment checks
Here at Good Things Foundation, we work with vulnerable adults and are fully committed to ensuring their safeguarding and welfare at all times, in line with our Safeguarding Policy and Procedures. All of our employees, contractors and volunteers will be expected to comply with the policy and procedures. Upon a conditional offer of appointment being made, all employees will also be required to satisfy our pre-employment screening process, which for this position may include (either immediately or in the future):
- An identity check (photo ID)
- Receipt of two satisfactory references
- Documentary evidence of right to work in the UK
- A finance check
- A satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.