Business Development Manager

About Heritage Trust Network

Bringing historic buildings and spaces back to life brings joy to so many people. It restores local pride and identity and creates jobs, workplaces, visitor attractions, educational facilities, arts venues and more. By reusing existing buildings our members are retaining embodied carbon and challenging the notion that regeneration means demolish and rebuild. There are thousands of people undertaking this amazing work, either professionally or as volunteers, in all parts of the UK.

Heritage Trust Network is the membership body for independent community organisations, charities and social enterprises that are saving, restoring and managing historic buildings, parks, gardens, canals and railways. Our membership includes both organisations specifically set up to save heritage sites and community organisations that deliver other types of services who have chosen to operate from historic buildings and spaces. We also welcome individuals, businesses and local authorities that support local heritage action. Together we organise conferences, site visits, meetings and online resources where we can network and learn from each other and meet experts and funders. We will soon be rebranding as 'Heritage Network' to better reflect our increasingly diverse membership.

Role

This is an important role within Essential Networks, a major development and resilience project (funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund) for Heritage Trust Network, our members and UK heritage. The Network’s trustees and staff have agreed an ambitious business plan which builds on its existing strengths. The Business Development Manager will develop the Network’s earned income to a level where it is making a substantial net contribution to the organisation.

Key responsibilities

• Working with the Programme Manager and Chief Executive develop annual work plans to deliver the outputs and outcomes of the business plan.
• Liaise with all Network staff to ensure co-ordination and complementarity of business development work with other Network activity.
• Undertake activities to recruit Partner members and ensure they are retained, including developing a heritage business network within the Network.
• Undertake activities to recruit local authority members and ensure they are retained, including developing a local authority network within the Network.
• Develop and organise a programme of events, including learning and networking events, study tours and visits and ‘trade fair’ type events targeted at markets likely to deliver higher ticket revenues.
• Promote and negotiate business sponsorship for Network events, publications and activities.
• Research, develop and, if feasible, implement plans for a new class of Supporter members, including recruitment and organising activities to appeal to them.
• Explore scope for developing donation income and implement agreed plans.
• Further research and analyse the scope for additional paid-for member services and implement agreed plans.
• Systematically scan for commissions and invitations to tender for contracts which the Network is well placed to deliver, draft and submit proposals.
• Research opportunities to deliver services for other organisations, such as local authorities, initiate discussions, draft and submit proposals. Where appropriate explore collaboration opportunities with Partner and Network members.

General responsibilities

• Work as a member of the Network team, covering for colleagues where required,
• Ensure your activities deliver the Strategy and Business Plan.
• Help to champion the rescue and reuse of historic sites across the UK for community benefit, particularly by charities, social enterprises and community organisations.
• Ensure that all Network activities and communications to members are accessible, inclusive and of a high standard.
• Represent Heritage Trust Network at online and in-person events.
• Use the Network’s agreed digital systems and carry out duties in a transparent manner (e.g. using the Network’s internal calendar system, storing digital files in agreed shared places, logging activity on the *CRM).
• Follow Network policies and procedures.

Who you are

You have experience in community heritage, culture and regeneration. You have a background in social enterprise and/or the development of income-earning services within the context of a heritage, cultural or membership organisation. You are financially literate and able to communicate a product or service offer and to pitch a proposal to prospective customers.

You are a self-motivated and hard-working team member who is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. Team spirit and excellent customer service runs throughout everything you do from timely communication with colleagues, to the satisfaction of a job well done when organising events, building partnerships and attracting members and new stakeholders. You are a natural people-connector and your interest in regeneration, heritage and sustainability in the built and natural environment is evident, as is your drive to improve Heritage Trust Network’s long-term resilience.