***THIS JOB VACANCY HAS NOW CLOSED***
This is a full time, permanent position based in Aylesford, Kent with travel.
Salary: circa £70,000 per annum dependant upon experience
Overview of the Role & Team:
RBLI’s successful RBLI Social Enterprises provide employment opportunities to veterans and people with disabilities. This position which reports directly to the Managing Director of RBLI Social Enterprises, is key within the charity’s leadership team. The Head of Sales Signs for generating sales and margin across the division with a combined annual turnover in excess of £5m.
The individual will take the lead on all business development, tendering and sales opportunities, and be responsible for maximising income with new and existing customers, both locally and nationally. They will also be responsible for providing leadership and direction to the divisional sales teams to ensure that customers receive the best quality products and service to ensure their continued commitment to RBLI.
This role will be responsible for the performance of the wider sales team but will directly line manage the following positions; the Head of Customer Service and x2 Signs Sales Team Staff.
The Charity is also keen to develop new profitable signs markets and this role will be responsible for identifying these markets, market engagement and development of this growth.
Main Purpose of the Role:
To lead the Sales and Business Development Department of RBLI’s award winning Social Enterprises. This role is responsible for overseeing all signs sales activities across the Signs Division including the management and development of the sales and business development teams, with a focus on seeking and winning new contracts and tenders as well as driving new and sustainable growth for the division(s) from the existing client base. In addition, the role holder will be capable of growing the division into new profitable markets maximising additional production potential as a result of new investment in both factories.
Your Key Responsibilities:
Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
People
- Lead and motivate the sales team to meet /exceed the agreed targets
- Ensure that direct reports have clear and measurable objectives
- Train, coach and mentor staff to create a dynamic and commercially focused team.
- Develop an open and honest culture throughout area of responsibility promoting a ‘great place to work’ environment.
- Undertake all HR related activity in relation to the Sales Team including absence management, performance management, training and development and annual appraisals.
- Undertake recruitment as and when necessary in order to ensure that a balanced, skilled and flexible workforce is maintained now and in the future.
- Implement Investors in People in the division as part of a Company-wide initiative.
- Ensure a safe working environment for all employees, providing training as appropriate and health and safety measures as required in order to comply with legislative requirements.
- Promote by example the high standards that RBLI expects of its employees and volunteers when representing RBLI, and support staff and volunteers to understand and reach these standards.
- Undertake HR related activity, including supporting with investigations and disciplinary and grievance hearings, as requested by the HR Department and SLT
Budget and targets
- Work with the Director of Finance, Performance and Planning to create the annual sales and margin targets
- Maximise use of resources to meet agreed expenditure budgets
- Regularly review prices and margins to ensure maximum returns
- Devise, implement and manage strategies for driving sales growth across all functions of the division
- Manage own departmental salary, expense and marketing budget.
- Ensure the production of accurate and relevant management information enables decisions to be made in a timely a manner.
Sales and Business Development
- Create sales and business development strategies to meet financial targets
- Negotiate and manage sales contracts with existing and new customers and ensure there is customer profitability
- Identify tender opportunities and manage the collation and submission process.
- Maintain an in-depth understanding of existing markets, customers and opportunities
- Develop and implement an effective process for measuring and analysing competitors’ performance
- Identify market opportunities for new customers and develop appropriate approaches
- Analyse existing approaches to the development of business and make changes for improvements where appropriate.
- Form strategic partnerships with other companies to leverage their existing networks, contacts and business opportunities.
- Continuously market RBLI’s profile as the ‘supplier of choice’ through the CSR/Disability/Military Covenant narrative designed as appropriate.
Customer Service
- Develop and implement account management plans to secure long term customer relationships
- Continuously identify key areas for improvement in the sales process.
- Create a robust customer feedback mechanism, analyse departmental customer service feedback and process and take action accordingly.
- Monitor customer satisfaction with existing clients to ensure service delivery
Other
- Attend industry events and conferences to generate new business leads.
- Act as a spokesperson for the organisation at sales events and conferences.
- Network with other directors in order to generate new business for the company.
- Work closely with internal stakeholders to implement new business initiatives
- Work with the marketing team to devise marketing materials and tools to support new business teams.
- Work with the marketing team to identify new products for development
- Work with the Managing Director of RBLI Social Enterprises to develop an environmental policy that meets our customers’ current and future requirements.
- Work with the Head of Operations to ensure customer contractual SLA/KPI’s are met
Working Environment:
- This role will be based in Aylesford, with national travel and potentially overnight stays away from home
- This role may require evening and weekend work on occasions.
Personal Attributes:
- Ability to inspire and motivate sales teams
- Commercially driven with sound business acumen
- Self-motivated with good team ethics
- Detail orientated with an analytical eye
- Desire to enable vulnerable people or people with a disability to contribute to society
- Ability to develop partnerships and generate new business
Skills & Experience Required for the Role:
Essential:
- Excellent leadership and team management skills
- Strong Numerical and IT skills (particularly in Microsoft Office suite)
- Strong commercial awareness
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Proven experience in a senior sales leadership role
- Proven experience of collating, submitting and winning large scale tenders
- Proven track record of achieving targets and driving sales growth in a business.
- Demonstrable experience of leading and inspiring multifunctional teams to deliver targets
- Proven experience of dealing with financial data including budget and income management.
- Previous experience and understanding of customer experience management
- Experience of analysing customer data to facilitate continuous improvement
Desirable:
- Knowledge of Commercial print or Infrastructure industries
- Knowledge of multichannel sales
- Proven experience in a senior management position within the manufacturing or construction sector
- Experience of working with the armed forces community
- Experience of working with vulnerable adults
Note: This job role requires a completed DBS check before the candidate starts. The level of check required for this role is BASIC
Benefits:
25 days annual leave + bank holidays, a Group Flexible Retirement Plan and Life Assurance.
To Apply:
If you wish to be considered for the above role, forward your CV and covering letter including a supporting statement to recruitment@rbli.co.uk. RBLI is an equal opportunities employer.
RBLI is an accredited Disability Confident Leader. We guarantee to interview disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role. If you consider yourself to have a disability and would like more information of how to apply for the above role under our disability confident scheme then please visit https://rbli.co.uk/disability-confident/ for more information. Alternatively please call us on 01622 795917.
* RBLI reserves the right to remove a vacancy at any time prior to the published closing date.
CLOSING DATE: 23 February 2024
