Head of Partner Finance

Job Specification

Job Title: Head of Partner Finance
Location: Northampton – Office-Based with UK-Wide Travel
Basic Salary: £50,000–£60,000 depending on experience
OTE: £100,000–£125,000+ | Uncapped earning potential
Job Type: Full-Time | Permanent

The Opportunity

Millbrook Business Finance currently arranges approximately £60 million of finance annually across business loans, asset finance and other commercial funding solutions.

A central part of that strategy is the development of Millbrook Partner Finance – a dedicated division designed to build a substantial network of strategic partnerships, vendor relationships, professional introducers and finance intermediaries.

We are now looking for an exceptional commercial leader to take ownership of this opportunity.

This is not a conventional sales management position. It is an opportunity to build a new business development and distribution function, establish relationships with influential organisations, recruit and develop a dedicated team, and create a significant recurring source of lending and brokerage revenue.

Working directly with the Managing and Sales Directors and wider senior leadership team, you will have the autonomy and responsibility to turn our Partner Finance Business Plan into a commercially successful operation.

Our ambition is to build a partner network that consistently generates significant lending opportunities, strengthens our distribution capabilities and creates commercial opportunities across the wider Millbrook Group.

We are looking for someone who wants to build something significant, rather than simply manage something that already exists.

What Makes This Opportunity Different?

You will have the opportunity to:

• Lead and develop an entirely new division within an established finance business.
• Build relationships with equipment suppliers, manufacturers, dealers and distributors.
• Establish partnerships with accountants, professional advisers, industry bodies and membership organisations.
• Develop relationships with business finance brokers, asset finance brokers and specialist intermediaries.
• Recruit and lead a dedicated Partner Finance business development team.
• Influence the development of embedded finance, partner technology and digital referral infrastructure.
• Play an important role in the wider development of Millbrook Group.

You will be given the opportunity to shape the strategy, develop the team, establish the relationships and take ownership of the commercial results.

The Role

As Head of Partner Finance, you will have overall responsibility for the strategy, commercial performance and development of the division.

Reporting directly to the Sales Director, you will work closely with our Sales, Marketing and Operations leadership teams to establish a high-performing partner acquisition and distribution function.

1. Partner Finance Strategy and Leadership

• Take ownership of the Millbrook Partner Finance Business Plan and lead its implementation.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive partner acquisition and distribution strategy.
• Establish clear commercial objectives, budgets, revenue targets and performance measures.
• Identify the most attractive sectors, partner categories and distribution opportunities.
• Develop a structured approach to partner segmentation, acquisition, onboarding and activation.
• Report regularly to the Managing Director and senior leadership team on performance, opportunities and strategic progress.
• Ensure the division develops into a scalable, commercially sustainable and profitable operation.

2. Vendor and Supplier Finance

A major priority will be developing relationships with businesses that sell equipment, machinery, vehicles, technology and other products or services to SMEs.

You will:

• Identify and secure relationships with equipment suppliers, manufacturers, dealers and distributors.
• Establish relationships with business owners, managing directors, commercial directors and senior decision-makers.
• Develop opportunities to integrate finance into suppliers’ sales processes.
• Demonstrate how finance can improve customer affordability, increase conversion rates and help partners increase transaction values.
• Develop commercial arrangements that make Millbrook an attractive and valuable finance partner.
• Identify larger-scale vendor opportunities capable of generating substantial recurring finance volumes.
• Explore opportunities for embedded finance and point-of-sale funding solutions.

Our objective is to make Millbrook an integral part of our partners’ sales processes, rather than simply another finance provider they occasionally refer business to.

3. Professional and Strategic Partnerships

Develop a substantial network of professional and strategic introducers, including:

• Accountancy practices and tax advisers.
• Solicitors and legal practices.
• Business consultants and corporate advisers.
• Professional associations and membership organisations.
• Industry bodies and established business networks.
• Other organisations with access to significant SME customer bases.

The objective is to establish mutually beneficial relationships that create consistent referral opportunities and position Millbrook as a trusted finance and business services partner.

4. Broker and Intermediary Partnerships

Develop a network of commercial finance brokers, asset finance brokers, specialist intermediaries and other finance providers.

You will:

• Identify established intermediaries with complementary customer bases.
• Develop relationships that introduce opportunities to Millbrook Business Finance.
• Establish appropriate commercial arrangements and referral frameworks.
• Build a distribution network that supports our longer-term ambition to operate as both a finance broker and principal lender.

5. Building and Leading the Team

You will initially work with our existing Account Management team to activate partner acquisition opportunities and establish the foundations of the division.

As the operation develops, you will be responsible for building a dedicated Partner Finance business development team.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Developing the structure, recruitment plan and performance expectations for the division.
• Recruiting, managing and developing high-performing business development professionals.
• Establishing individual and divisional acquisition and revenue targets.
• Implementing effective sales processes, training and partner acquisition methodologies.
• Creating accountability through regular performance reviews and reporting.
• Building a culture focused on quality relationships, commercial outcomes and long-term growth.

You must be capable of both leading from the front and developing a team that can replicate your success.

6. Commercial Proposition, Marketing and Operations

Working alongside our Marketing and Operations teams, you will ensure Millbrook has the resources and infrastructure required to attract, onboard and retain high-value partners.

This will include:

• Developing compelling partner propositions and commercial arrangements.
• Creating partner-facing presentations, sales materials and supporting resources.
• Establishing consistent onboarding and referral processes.
• Ensuring partners receive appropriate communication, support and visibility of their referrals.
• Working with Marketing to develop targeted partner acquisition campaigns.
• Working with Operations to improve referral handling, application progression and customer experience.
• Establishing reporting that measures partner activity, conversion, lending volumes and revenue.

7. Developing the Wider Millbrook Group Opportunity

An important part of the role will be developing relationships that create long-term commercial opportunities for Millbrook.

We want to build a partner network that delivers value beyond individual finance transactions, creating opportunities to develop deeper relationships with introducers, suppliers, professional advisers and other strategic partners.

You will play an important role in establishing and developing these relationships, identifying opportunities for collaboration and building a partner network that can support the continued growth and development of the business.

This is an opportunity to help shape a significant commercial channel within an ambitious and growing organisation.

One relationship. Multiple specialist services. One joined-up experience.

Your First 90 Days

We want someone who can make an immediate impact while building something sustainable.

First 30 Days – Understand, Assess and Establish

• Gain a detailed understanding of Millbrook, our finance proposition, lenders, funding capabilities and target customer base.
• Review the Partner Finance Business Plan and agree implementation priorities with the Managing Director.
• Assess existing introducer and partner relationships, identifying opportunities for immediate activation.
• Review our current sales team’s ability to identify and acquire partners.
• Identify priority sectors, target organisations and high-value commercial opportunities.
• Establish an initial partner acquisition pipeline and divisional performance framework.
• Agree the initial commercial proposition, investment requirements and reporting structure.

Expected outcome: A clear execution plan, agreed performance measures and an initial pipeline of priority partner opportunities.

Days 31–60 – Activate and Acquire

• Begin actively acquiring and onboarding new professional, strategic, vendor and broker partners.
• Personally lead key meetings and negotiations with high-value prospective partners.
• Activate the existing Account Management team to generate additional partner opportunities.
• Introduce consistent partner acquisition and onboarding processes.
• Develop targeted partner-facing marketing materials and commercial propositions.
• Identify candidates and establish the recruitment plan for the dedicated Partner Finance team.
• Establish regular performance reporting covering acquisition, activation and referral activity.

Expected outcome: An active partner acquisition programme, initial new relationships and a repeatable approach to partner onboarding.

Days 61–90 – Demonstrate Momentum and Scale

• Convert the initial pipeline into productive partner relationships.
• Demonstrate referral activity and measurable commercial contribution from newly acquired partners.
• Establish the recruitment and development programme for the first two Business Development Managers.
• Present a prioritised vendor and strategic partnership acquisition plan.
• Identify larger-scale opportunities with suppliers, manufacturers and established intermediaries.
• Agree the next-stage investment and infrastructure requirements.
• Present a 12-month divisional growth plan to the Managing Director and senior leadership team.

Expected outcome: An operational partner acquisition function, a growing pipeline of productive relationships, measurable commercial traction and a clear roadmap for scaling the division.

How Success Will Be Measured

We will measure the performance of Partner Finance through commercial outcomes, not simply the number of relationships established. Key performance indicators will include:

Partner Acquisition

• Number of new partners secured.
• Number of partners successfully onboarded.
• Time taken from initial engagement to activation.
• Quality and potential value of the partner pipeline.

Partner Productivity

• Number of active and productive partners.
• Referral volumes by partner and acquisition channel.
• Frequency and consistency of referrals.
• Partner retention and relationship development.

Commercial Performance

• Referral-to-application conversion.
• Finance completions and total lending volumes.
• Brokerage commission and lending revenue generated.
• Net revenue and commercial contribution.

Leadership and Development

• Recruitment and performance of the dedicated team.
• Delivery against agreed divisional objectives.
• Quality of internal processes and reporting.
• Progress against strategic development milestones.

The Person We Are Looking For

This is a senior commercial appointment. We are looking for someone with an established track record of building successful partner, vendor or intermediary distribution channels within financial services.

You will ideally have operated as a Head of Partnerships, Head of Vendor Finance, Head of Business Development, Commercial Director or senior channel leader.

Essential Experience:

• Significant experience in UK asset finance, vendor finance, equipment leasing, commercial lending or an associated financial services distribution market.
• A demonstrable track record of acquiring and developing high-value commercial partnerships.
• Established relationships with equipment suppliers, manufacturers, dealers, brokers, intermediaries or professional introducers.
• Experience generating significant lending volumes through third-party distribution channels.
• A strong understanding of asset finance and commercial funding products.
• Experience negotiating commercial agreements and establishing mutually beneficial partnership arrangements.
• Proven ability to develop and execute a business development strategy.
• Experience recruiting, leading and developing commercially focused teams.
• Strong commercial awareness, including an understanding of revenue, commission, pricing, margins and profitability.

Personal Attributes:

• Entrepreneurial, ambitious and commercially driven.
• Confident engaging with business owners, directors and senior decision-makers.
• An exceptional relationship builder and negotiator.
• Strategic in thinking but hands-on in execution.
• Comfortable operating with autonomy and taking ownership.
• Able to influence and work collaboratively across multiple business functions.
• Driven by building something significant and achieving measurable results.

The Network Matters

We are particularly interested in individuals who already have an established network of relationships within the UK asset finance, vendor finance, equipment leasing or commercial finance markets.

You should understand where the opportunities are, which businesses to approach, who the key decision-makers are and how to turn those relationships into productive commercial partnerships.

We are not looking to appoint someone who needs to learn the industry from scratch. We want an individual who can bring experience, credibility, commercial relationships and the ability to deliver.

What’s on Offer?

A senior leadership opportunity with significant commercial upside.

• £50,000–£60,000 basic salary, depending on experience.
• £100,000–£125,000+ realistic OTE.
• Uncapped performance-related earning potential.
• Additional incentives for major strategic partnerships and exceptional performance.
• 20 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Opportunity to earn additional annual leave through quarterly performance targets.
• Direct access to the Managing Director and senior leadership team.
• Autonomy to shape and develop an entirely new division.
• The opportunity to recruit and build your own dedicated team.

We are looking for someone who wants more than another sales leadership position. We want someone who wants to build a business, create a distribution network, develop a team and participate in the commercial success of what they help create.

Interview Process

Stage One – Initial Conversation

An introductory conversation to understand your experience, achievements, commercial network, leadership approach and motivations. We’ll explore your background in partner finance, asset finance, vendor finance or commercial lending, including the relationships you’ve developed and the results you’ve delivered.

Stage Two – Face-to-Face Interview & Practical Presentation

You’ll be asked to prepare and present a proposed 90-day plan outlining how you would approach establishing and developing Millbrook’s Partner Finance function. We’d like you to cover:

• Your approach to identifying, targeting and securing new introducer and strategic partnerships.
• How you would develop relationships with professional introducers, equipment suppliers, vendors, brokers and other potential referral partners.
• How you would position Millbrook’s finance proposition to prospective partners and differentiate us from competitors.
• How you would build an effective partner acquisition, onboarding and relationship management process.
• Your approach to generating consistent referral activity and turning newly established relationships into productive commercial partnerships.
• The KPIs and performance measures you would introduce to monitor partner acquisition, activity, conversion and revenue.
• How you would recruit, develop and lead a successful Partner Finance team as the function grows.
• How you would identify opportunities to develop deeper commercial relationships and support the wider growth of the business.

We’ll also explore examples of partnerships you’ve previously established, commercial relationships you’ve developed, teams you’ve managed and the results you’ve delivered.

Ready to Build Something Significant?

If you’ve successfully developed commercial partnerships, understand how to build productive referral networks and have the ability to turn relationships into meaningful business growth, we’d love to hear from you.

This is an opportunity to take ownership of an important commercial function, build something of your own and play a significant role in the continued growth of Millbrook Business Finance.

Apply today and help us build something exceptional.