Business Development Manager

Marine Society and Sea Cadets

Length of contract
12 month

About the Organisation

Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) is the leading maritime charity for youth development and lifelong learning. We are a vibrant and growing charity inspiring young people to achieve their potential through challenge and nautical adventure, and enabling seafarers and maritime professionals to realise their potential through learning and career development.

Working with our employees, cadets, and volunteers, we have built a strong vision and five-year Future Ready strategy to meet the growing demand for what we provide, both for young people, seafarers, and maritime professionals, and the thousands who aspire to be the sea cadets and marine professionals of the future. It is also about equipping them to achieve their potential and thrive in a rapidly changing world, while growing our charity to benefit even more people, including those from underrepresented or marginalised groups.

About the role

Marine Society have an exciting new role! Help us to grow our rapidly expanding apprenticeships and adult skills programmes to meet growing industry demand. We’re looking for a confident, self-starter individual who can engage key stakeholders and employers in the maritime industry and increase our reach and reputation. 

This new role is to support the growth of the Marine Society apprenticeship and adult skills provision. This is a strategic, outward-facing role requiring a confident, astute individual who can engage key stakeholders and employers in the maritime industry to recruit new entrants and existing employees onto Marine Society programmes.

Responsibilities

Key Duties & Responsiblities:

• Grow the apprenticeship and adult skills provision in line with agreed annual recruitment and financial targets
• Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective employers and learners, proactively identifying new apprenticeship and learning opportunities within the maritime industry. To secure repeat business with apprenticeship employers through cultivating long-term relationships.
• Work with the Director of Maritime Training and Development to devise a sales and marketing strategy to grow the apprenticeship and adult skills provision. To support the tendering process in the ASF devolved areas and work with subcontractor partners.
• Collaborate with the Apprenticeship Operations Manager and Maritime Lead Trainer to convert identified leads and share industry intelligence.
• Assist the Digital Marketing Coordinator in writing targeted social media posts and marketing campaigns, ensuring market visibility and lead generation. To build a library of promotional literature and good news stories.
• Maintain accurate records of business development leads and pipeline activity within the CRM system, and routinely report on these
• Attend relevant external boards, forums and industry bodies, as directed, in order to promote maritime apprenticeships and training, including the Maritime Skills Alliance, Workboat Association, MNTB apprenticeship committee and Port Skills and Safety
• Attend industry trade fairs and careers events to represent the Marine Society. These include: National Apprenticeship Week, Seawork, and International Boat Show
• Research and monitor market trends, employer needs and competitor activity to inform business development strategy

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Experience, Knowledge & Qualifications:

• Minimum 2 years’ experience working in a recruitment, sales or commercial role with a proven track record of achieving financial targets
• Knowledge of the maritime sector, including roles, ranks and certifications in the near coastal sector
• Excellent customer service skills with the ability to build trust and credibility with clients and stakeholders
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to identify, grow and convert new business opportunities
• Experience using CRM systems to monitor and report on business leads
• Knowledge of CPD training or workforce development

Core Competencies:

• Able to organise and manage own workload to meet multiple priorities and deadlines
• Excellent telephone manner and ability to communicate clearly in writing
• IT literate with effective administrative skills and the ability to use Microsoft packages and AI tools

Personal Characteristics:

• Can do attitude with tenacity to achieve goals
• Flexible and willing to adapt to changing business needs
• Able to remain calm under pressure

Desirable:

• Seagoing or boating experience in a commercial or leisure capacity
• Knowledge of levy-funded apprenticeship programmes and funding rules
• Knowledge of training pathways and apprenticeships in the maritime and marine leisure sector
• RYA certification in powerboating or day skipper

Other:

• Car driver with a current licence
• Willingness to undertake occasional weekend and out-of-hours work as required
• Satisfactory Enhanced DBS (or equivalent)

Compensation & Benefits

• 25 days of annual leave per annum, increasing with length of service
• Life assurance (4x salary)
• Private medical insurance
• Generous pension (employer contribution up to 10%)
• Cycle to work scheme
• Probationary period: Three months
• Notice: Two months
• Notice during Probationary Period: Two weeks
• Wellbeing portal and EAP with 121 counselling
• Employee development: We are investing in our employees' development and have an annual calendar of learning and development opportunities, designed to support employees to develop into their roles and stretch them to achieve their full potential.

Working locations

• Hybrid model, working in the London office and remotely.

How to apply

• Apply online

Policies

MSSC positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. Equity, diversity, and inclusion really matter to us, so we can best serve our beneficiaries from every community. We work to ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process and aim to be a charity where diversity of experience, identity and skills are valued and welcomed. MSSC is an equal opportunity employer.

We recognise our responsibilities to safeguard and protect the young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We do all we can to promote their health, safety and wellbeing, and we expect our staff to share this commitment and work in line with safeguarding policy, the MSSC’s values and ethos of inclusivity.

We adhere to safer recruitment practices and therefore employment is subject to detailed pre-employment checks for successful candidates, including references, criminal disclosure checks and the completion of a disclosure questionnaire. All successful applicants are required to attend safeguarding training and undergo pre-employment checks, including a criminal record check.

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