Business Development Lead

Location: Coventry

Salary: £29,605 - £33,966 per annum

Contract: Full-time and Permanent (Part-time considered)

Coventry University Students’ Union is a charity dedicated to improving the experience of students at the Coventry University Group, operating across 7 campuses in Scarborough, London and Coventry.

Are you a dynamic, results-driven individual with a passion for commercial growth and partnerships? The Students’ Union is seeking a Business Development Lead to play a pivotal role in driving revenue and enhancing our branded merchandise range. This role will be key in the scope and delivery of all commercial events and activity on campus, engaging regularly with our members and understanding their needs. If you have a flair for business development and want to add real value, then get in touch.

Our ideal candidate will have previous experience in a similar role, demonstrating a solid understanding of business functions and customer service principles. We have an entrepreneurial spirit and have instilled a culture where we see collaborators before competitors. You will need to be highly organised with strong interpersonal skills, enabling you to communicate clearly and empathetically with individuals from diverse backgrounds. You must have a high standard of written communication skills and embrace the use of new technology in the advancement of efficient administration processes.

Coventry University Students’ Union’s values are to be helpful, inclusive and ethical and these are reflected in our progressive and people focused rewards and benefits. We offer generous annual leave, an agile working scheme and place a high level of importance on staff support, development, inclusivity, and wellbeing.

Key duties will include:

  • Lead the development, sourcing, and sales of branded merchandise, ensuring a diverse and attractive product range that appeals to students.
  • Identify, develop and secure relationships with potential partners, sponsors, and advertisers to support the Students’ Union and CUSU Services.
  • Coordinate commercial events, fairs, and campaigns designed to increase student engagement and enhance revenue.
  • Support the operational delivery of our media partnership agreement.
  • Network with other SUs to identify trends, opportunities, and risks within the student market.

Salary Details

The salary is £29,605 – £33,966 pa. It is usual to start at the bottom of the grade and increase incrementally on an annual basis. The salary advertised is the full time salary, if the role is taken on a reduced hour basis the salary (and holiday entitlement) will be calculated pro-rata accordingly.

Working Hours and Location
This post is a permanent role and is available as a full-time position (37.5 hours per week). We are open to accepting applications from candidates looking for a reduced hours contract, although a minimum of 4 days a week will be required. As an organisation, we have an agile working programme which supports some working from home. 3-4 days in the office (central Coventry) and 1-2 working from home day (if full time) can be offered in this role.

Application Process

You will be asked to complete an application form listing your previous work experience and qualifications as well as some application questions for you demonstrate how you meet our shortlisting criteria.

We encourage you to read the job description and person specification (accessible in the top-right of this page), which contains the shortlisting criteria for this role. The applications that most closely match our shortlisting criteria will be invited for interview.

When you are ready to apply, please click "Apply for Role" at the bottom of this page. 

Applications Close: Monday 9th December 2024 at 9am

Interview Date: Wednesday 18th December 2024

If you have any questions or would like an informal conversation before applying, please contact hr.su@coventry.ac.uk. 

Focus on Diversity and Inclusion

We are an equal opportunities employer and actively committed to promoting equality and diversity, and expect all staff, students, and volunteers to share this commitment.

We are especially keen to encourage expressions of interest from people currently under-represented within the organisation, these include but are not limited to those from the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and those from a Global Majority background.

We are a disability confident employer and candidates with a disability will be guaranteed an interview, providing they meet in full all of the essential requirements of the post.

Staff Benefits:

Our benefits offered to staff include:

  • Occupational Pension Scheme, employer contributions matched up to 6%
  • Generous annual leave; this role attracts 31 days holiday plus bank holidays (2 additional days after 2 years’ service and a further 3 additional days after 5 years’ service) per annum
  • Free 24/7 access to our Employee Assistance Programme offering confidential advice and support
  • Mental Health First Aiders, colleagues who have received training to support others
  • Life Insurance 3 x salary
  • Discounted Gym membership (in Coventry)
  • Eye care and Flu vouchers
  • Staff reward and recognition schemes
  • Agile working scheme
  • Volunteer days, up to 2 paid per year
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Find out more about Your Students' Union here: https://yoursu.org/