Business and Community Manager

Job Overview
The Business and Community Manager creates a thriving community that makes Bankside a better place to do business, contributing to the organisation’s vision of making Bankside the ‘best neighbourhood in the world’. The Business and Community Manager is responsible for relationships with the BID’s business members and will play a key role in Better Bankside’s ballot campaign, which will comprise a significant element of the role until December 2014. The postholder manages a rich programme of events and activities that facilitates links between member businesses, meets business needs and generates mutually beneficial corporate social responsibility and community engagement opportunities.

JOB DESCRIPTION
- Manage relationships with member businesses and other stakeholders, playing a key role in member engagement in the run up to the November 2014 BID ballot and developing relationships with new businesses in the area
- Plan and execute a programme of business information and networking events that delivers value to members and responds to their needs as identified through biannual surveying and event feedback
- Develop Bankside’s thriving business community e.g. by identifying and implementing new networking opportunities
- Manage delivery of corporate responsibility services and activities for member businesses, including the Events Academy summer work experience scheme and Christmas gift appeal
- Identify and implement opportunities for businesses to support each other and local community groups through e.g. mentoring, in-kind or pro bono support and volunteering. Increase the number of businesses recognised for their contribution through ‘Bankside Star’ accreditation
- Oversee provision of employee benefits including wellbeing services, seasonal parties and Buzz local discount card
- Manage and develop Better Bankside’s range of collective purchasing and money-saving offers for member businesses
- Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of business and community engagement activities and the impact of these on the Bankside area
- Manage Better Bankside’s ‘Community Partners’ programme of funding and support for local charities. Ensure that Better Bankside’s community engagement programme is always based on an up-to-date assessment of needs among residents and other non-business stakeholders in the area.
- Oversee online information resources for members and promote relevant services provided by third parties
- Service the Business Club and Corporate Responsibility theme groups
- Other tasks as required

Direct report:
One permanent full time member of staff (Business and Community Assistant)

The ideal candidate is a personable, confident communicator with the ability to identify and respond to the needs of businesses and other stakeholders. The successful candidate will combine strengths in relationship building with sound organizational skills to deliver projects to time and budget.

Education and experience
- Five years relevant post qualification work experience with a degree OR eight years relevant work experience (Essential)
- Solid experience of developing and managing relationships with a range of businesses and other stakeholders (Essential)
- Experience facilitating links between businesses and identifying corporate social responsibility and community engagement opportunities (Desirable)
- Line management of direct reports (Desirable)
- Using customer relationship management databases (Desirable)

Skills and competencies
- Excellent written and oral communication skills. Able to interact and communicate professionally and confidently with a range of business, public sector and community stakeholders on email, telephone and in person (Essential)
- Highly skilled at managing and developing relationships with people from a range of backgrounds and organisations (Essential)
- Organisational skills to comfortably tackle multiple projects and objectives, prioritizing own workload and working to tight deadlines (Essential)
- Project management, business planning and budget management skills (Essential)
- Knowledge of Business Improvement Districts, local and central government and their structures and relationships (Desirable)
- Understanding of the issues facing business and resident communities in relation to redevelopment and regeneration (Desirable)
- Interest in Bankside as an area to live, work and visit (Essential)
- Confident user of MS Office (Essential)
- Awareness of equal opportunities and Health & Safety (Essential)

Better Bankside is a Business Improvement District (BID) in Southwark, London. Its job is to make Bankside a thriving place to work, live and visit. A Business Improvement District (BID) is an independent, business-owned and led company, which seeks to improve a given location for commercial activity. Better Bankside's members are the 500+ companies in the BID area (between Blackfriars Bridge on the west and London Bridge in the east, and south from the River as far as Union Street and Borough Station) who pay its annual 'levy'.