Head Of Business Development & Philanthropy

Salary:  up to £55,000 (dependent on experience), plus generous pension scheme, flexible working culture    

Contract: Permanent, subject to a six-month probation period 

Hours: 35 per week full-time. Applications for job shares, part-time and flexible working will also be considered. 

Location: London/Hybrid. In person attendance for certain meetings is required (including all staff/team meetings and governance/committee meetings that take place in person). Travel within the UK and internationally may be required. 

About the RSS and this role

The Royal Statistical Society (RSS) is one of the world’s leading organisations advocating for the importance of statistics and data, which have never been more vital. We’re looking for an exceptional, experienced Business Development professional who can help us increase our impact.

The main purpose of this role is to create and manage a pipeline of customers, from initial research, through to strong leads, and ultimately sales. Working closely with teams within the Society to research, follow up and develop strong leads, you will participate in events and marketing activities as needed, and develop and maintain a working database of contacts within our CRM system, to enable effective logging and tracking of potential customers.

The Society offers a diverse range of products from training, sponsorship and professional accreditation and you will be expected to understand these business models and work with teams to maximise their revenue generating potential.

As this is a new role, you’ll have the unique opportunity to build the role around you, with flexibility to play to your strengths and manage your own projects independently. The work will be varied, and you’ll work with a variety of partner types, so this role is perfect if you’re looking to put your Business Development skills to the test.

You will be required to act as an ambassador of the charity in everything you do; we are looking for someone who is going to embody the charities ethos and who will keep the charity at the heart of all the decisions that are made.

We are particularly keen to hear from individuals who really want to work for a charity or not for profit organisation. While not essential, some familiarity with developments within data science, statistics, machine learning, AI and related subject areas would be an advantage.

Our Head of Business Development will:

• Work with wider RSS staff to develop our understanding of the preferences and needs of key internal and external markets to ensure our services align with those preferences and needs.
• Monitor emerging trends in statistics/data science/AI and keep track of competitors to ensure RSS services remain relevant and current.
• Understand key policy and strategy objectives of the RSS and develop, plan and where appropriate implement sales strategies to support those objectives, working closely with other colleagues as required.
• Understand the range of products delivered by the Society and create Business Development strategies and plans to maximise their commercial value.
• Work with the Director and other colleagues as required to help to shape the Society’s marketing strategy.
• Support development of the commercial aspects of strategies and plans across the organisation. Create and manage a pipeline of customers, from initial research, through to strong leads, and ultimately sales.
• Work with teams to identify new potential revenue streams, sponsorship opportunities and customer types to contact.
• Look for and exploit opportunities to expand our current products to increase revenues.
• Understand key policy and strategy objectives of the RSS and develop, plan and where appropriate implement sales strategies to support those objectives, working closely with other colleagues as required.
• Explore and develop opportunities to extend the reach of the RSS brand and sub-brands to grow partners and sponsors.

Your skills and experience will include:

• A track record of success in sales or Business Development in the service sector.
• Experience working with different types of products, ideally including sponsorship.
• Experience developing strategies and plans to maximise commercial value
• Ability to communicate with a wide range of people.
• Excellent organisation and planning skills – ability to identify and respond to changing priorities.
• Desire to establish and develop an extensive network of external contacts in the industry.
• Able to make sound commercial decisions and identify commercially viable/profitable projects.
• Collaborative team worker – works with colleagues to achieve strategic, operational and commercial objectives.
• Happy to work on own initiative within corporate and RSS guidelines/directives.
• Experience of CRM systems.

Full job description and person specification is available to download at our website.

How to apply

Please submit your CV with a supporting statement/letter to Holly O'Brien (Governance Manager) telling us about:

·        Why you should be considered for the role

·        How your skills and experience align with the responsibilities and person specification

·        How this role fits with your career plan