Business Development Manager

Salary: £52,000
Bonus: up to 10%
Location: Remote working anywhere in the UK, travel involved
Closing date: 3rd January 2024

Introduction

We are a rapidly growing social enterprise dedicated to the acceleration of gender equity in higher education. We believe that gender equality is taking too long and we don’t want to be talking to our grandchildren about the same challenges being faced today. Our mission is to support women to achieve fulfilment in their careers and to support universities to achieve systemic and cultural change.

We are seeking a highly motivated, experienced, reliable, and ambitious individual who can get stuck-in to our fast-paced start-up environment and deliver impact. You will be someone who sees possibilities and makes things happen. We are looking for a confident, entrepreneurial, highly independent person who loves to build relationships and network. Applicants must have experience with sales, fundraising or partnerships and be passionate about accelerating gender equality.

We spearhead key initiatives as well as hosting the first and only network for all women working in higher education. In the last year, we successfully launched two programmes to accelerate gender equity in UK higher education:

100 Black Women Professors NOW - our systemic change programme which works with 8 universities in parallel, bringing together Vice-Chancellors, senior leaders, heads of department and HR directors to unblock systemic and cultural barriers and in parallel supports black women academics’ career development.

Women’s Career Accelerator – our programme which is delivered at universities to rapidly support the achievement of greater career fulfilment and progression of women.

Furthermore, we have other programmes in early-stage development and growth including the Vice-Chancellor Incubator programme and opportunities to expand the reach of our programmes internationally. Going forwards, we will continue to invest in highly innovative and effective ways to deliver accelerated change across the sector.

Purpose

You will lead on all income generating activity for WHEN, responsible for delivering the strategic growth of our programmes and income supporting our mission to accelerate gender equity in the higher education sector. As such you will have annual financial targets associated with each area of growth.

The responsibilities of the Business Development Manager span three different areas:

1. University partners: These are our clients. We’re looking to work with a small number of Universities who are serious about achieving change. You will support our existing portfolio of clients to ensure they are getting the most out of WHEN as well as build our client base by bringing on board new Universities to benefit from our full range of products and services. You will also work towards creating a membership package for our university partners.

2. Strategic partners: These are our sponsors. We want to work closely with sponsors as enablers of change and make the most of their support and expertise, in doing so growing the overall financial support from sponsors. You will be responsible for creating a sponsorship package and bringing on board new sponsors.

3. Funding partners: These are opportunities. We have many ideas, but they require funding for us to be able to develop prototypes. You will develop proposals and bids to support increased funding and diversification of our income.

Person specification

We believe that exceptional talent comes in various forms, and we encourage individuals with diverse skills and experiences to apply for this opportunity, even if you don't meet every listed requirement. We recognise that a CV might not capture the full scope of your capabilities, and we're more interested in the unique qualities and perspectives you can bring to our team. We value innovation, creativity, and a commitment to growth. If you're passionate about gender equality and believe you can meaningfully contribute to our mission, we want to hear from you. Our goal is to build a team that reflects a wide range of backgrounds and abilities, and we understand that qualifications can be gained through various means. We are looking for individuals who are eager to learn, adapt, and contribute to the success of our organisation. Your potential is what matters most to us.

Strong commercial mind-set, with confidence and experience in sales or fundraising with the ability to deliver results
A track record of leading negotiations and securing income
Extensive experience of building successful income generating partner relationships
Exceptional stakeholder management skills and ability to represent WHEN at external events and functions
Experience in using and or developing online CRM systems
Exceptional written and oral communication skills with ability to communicate with a range of senior stakeholders
Results orientated with the ability to confidently and proactively identify problems, find solutions and implement change
Resilient. Remains positive under pressure and recovers from setbacks quickly
Team player, ready to roll up sleeves and support team at events and functions where needed
Commercial savvy, business case and cost-modelling experience
Experience of working in a start-up or similar fast paced environment
A demonstrable history of advancing diversity and developing inclusive cultures
Experience working within the higher education sector or consultancy/training and development environments

Working at WHEN

We are a small team comprising two other staff, a large team of volunteers and even bigger supportive network of allies and champions from across the sector.

Working with us

Our challenge is to accelerate gender equality for all women, not just some. To be effective, together we’re creating a culture where everyone, from any background, can do their best work.

We believe it is crucial that we reflect the communities we serve, as our decision-making should involve and be held to account by those with the personal experience of the barriers we’re here to break down.

As such we particularly welcome applications from candidates who are disabled; Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic; Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, non-binary, and related communities.

Working flexibly

We know our people and teams thrive when we trust each other to perform. No micromanagement or clock watching here! You get your work done in the way that works best for you, your team, and your life.

Our agile way of working gives you flexibility. Need to start late, finish early, or fancy a change of scenery? That’s fine, we focus on what you achieve, not presenteeism. And if you need a set and regular working pattern to support your life have a chat with us about flexible working options.

Supporting you to do your best work

We’ll give you 25 days holiday a year (excluding bank holidays). Because it’s important for all of us to rest, pause and reflect, the whole team will also be given an additional three days of leave during our Winter Shutdown.

We are committed to providing our employees with a supportive workplace pension scheme that is. For all employees, we have a Pension Plan with Nest. This plan allows employees to contribute a minimum of 5% of their qualifying earnings up to the maximum allowed within HMRC limits. And we will match your contribution, with 5% of pensionable earnings.

How to apply

Please send your CV and cover letter (max 2 sides of A4) to [email protected] by 5pm on 3rd January 2024. Please use the items in the person specification as headings and outline your experience under each area.

Interviews will take place in person in January in London. We are unable to accommodate virtual interviews.

If you do have any accessibility difficulties in relation to applying for the role or attending an interview please do let us know so that we can make suitable arrangements. For an informal discussion about the role please contact our COO by email to [email protected].

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