• Do you have significant business experience engaging with innovative, leading-edge, high growth SMEs at board / C-suite / owner level?
• Have you got an impressive track record of building and maintaining relationships with partners / stakeholders to encourage quality referrals?
• Are you highly motivated to encourage these leading-edge, innovative, high growth SMEs to engage with innovation and growth support, and advice to develop their own long-term growth, innovation and commercialisation plans?
If you’ve answered yes to these questions the role of Regional Business Development Specialist could be for you!
About the role
In this role you will encourage the key decision-maker(s) within growing, leading-edge, innovative, high growth SMEs, with strong commercial potential to significantly improve the UK economy, to engage with Innovate UK Business Growth support to accelerate their growth and achieve scale
Your responsibilities will include:
• Building and maintaining relationships with Innovate UK Family regional colleagues, other business support services and stakeholders in the East of England / East Midlands to raise awareness of and improve the reach and take up of Innovate UK Business Growth services, that result in client referrals to work with innovative high growth and scaling businesses
• Generating leads through networking and identifying innovative businesses with the best growth potential for commercialisation of their ideas
• Representing Innovate UK Business Growth through participating/exhibiting and/or presenting at regional events and contributing to the organisation and planning of a range of promotional and marketing activities
• Managing a pipeline of potential prospects that might develop into future clients
• Using holistic analysis tools to review and diagnose client needs identifying tailored support to address needs
• Keeping up to date on the sources of business support and maximising client referrals to the Innovate UK Family, Exemplas business support, as well as other funded regional business support.
About you
We are looking for someone with previous experience of B2B consultative sales of a service to owners/ boards / C-suite SME clients. In addition, you will be practiced at building referral networks with partner organisations. We are looking for someone with experience of working within a business support organisation who is highly motivated to engage with potential new clients to encourage them to take up Innovate UK Business Growth support and services.
You will also have:
• the ability to carry out general business needs assessments and present results to SME owners and Innovate UK Business Growth colleagues
• awareness and understanding of other sources of business support to which referrals can be made to address needs not directly supported through Innovate UK Business Growth
In addition, you will be able to:
• diplomatically, competently and effectively engage and communicate with people at all levels (internally and externally)
• present and host at events
• be an effective networker
• work independently and use own initiative/be self-motivated as well as working as part of a team
• effectively prioritise multiple demands, make good decisions and action promptly
• use your influencing skills and personal drive to achieve the best outcome for clients
What we offer
• Our FTE pay range is wide with mid-point for this role of £37,188pa
• Car allowance
• Broadband allowance
• Generous, up to 10.5% non-contributory pension scheme
• Ill-health income protection
• Life assurance (Death in Service)
• 26 days holiday (rising to 28 after 2 years’ service, pro rata for part time)
• Flexible and supportive working culture including access to mental health first aiders
• Wellbeing services for employees including access to discounts, employee assistance programme, Mental Health First Aiders, Doctorline and more
• Modern, open space and technology enabled working environment
• Flexible benefits including holiday-buy scheme, eye care vouchers, annual flu vaccination, Cyclescheme.
We are committed to equality of opportunity for all and value diversity in our workforce. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
About us
We are one of the UK’s foremost business support organisations and for over 25 years, we have provided business advisory services to more than 500,000 small to medium sized businesses on behalf of Government and Private sector organisations. As part of our expert team, you can expect to be empowered to be the best you can and share our company values of Openness (I am keen and willing to engage), Inspiration (I want to be the best that I can be), Conviction (We win, or lose, together) and Accountability (I will take responsibility and ownership). As a business we recognise that giving a superior service to our clients depends on making the most of our people and we aim to give our teams challenging opportunities, recognition for achievement, job enrichment and the maximum flexibility we can.
The fine print
• Please note we are not a Home Office visa sponsorship licence holder and therefore you must be currently eligible to live and work in the UK to apply for this role.
• Please read our recruitment privacy notice available on Exemplas website for information about how we process your personal data.