Working hours: 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday Duration: Permanent Location: Gloucester Job Ref: 203424 About the role Ecclesiastical Planning Services, who are proudly part of Benefact Group, are looking for a Head of Sales & Marketing to join our Gloucester office on a hybrid basis, with travel across the UK. As Head of Sales & Marketing you will lead the definition and execution of a sales and marketing strategy that delivers Ecclesiastical Planning Services’ strategic growth ambitions in the pre-paid funeral plan market in line with relevant regulations. The successful candidate will have strong leadership skills, a proven track record in driving strategic growth, innovative, capable of contributing to the company's rapid expansion, and committed to providing personal service along with experience within a regulated financial services environment. Joining our rapidly expanding and innovative Group presents a fantastic opportunity to develop your career and become an integral part of an inclusive, purpose-led organisation. Key responsibilities To grow Ecclesiastical Planning Services (EPSL) share of the pre-paid funeral plan market by creating and executing sales and marketing plans that deliver agreed business retention and sales targets through B2B and B2B2C business channels Lead, motivate, develop and manage the performance of the EPSL Sales & Marketing team, setting the right culture and tone to create an empowered, professional and high performing team Lead the design and implementation of EPSL’s distribution strategy, partner segmentation and support model to ensure cost to serve remains within the target thresholds To develop and execute a new partner acquisition and onboarding programme to achieve sales growth targets Support the continuous improvement of EPSL’s Funeral Director value proposition to ensure that evolving partner requirements are met through a deep understanding of market, distributor and competitor analysis and insight Define and monitor partner distribution plans, taking remedial action to address underperformance and/or maximise over performance to achieve targets As part of the EPSL Leadership Team play a key role in the definition of EPSL’s business plans and strategy Fulfil the requirements set out in the FCA’s Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SM&CR) Ongoing oversight and management of EPSL’s Appointed Representative relationships to ensure they comply with relevant regulations and demonstrate high standards of good practice Leverage personal market presence and experience to support the management of key accounts, acquisition of new distribution partners and as a business leader raise the profile of EPSL at relevant internal and external events Work with other colleagues across the Group to maximise collaboration in terms of reciprocal business opportunities and best practice Operate in line with relevant control environment and ensure the delivery of compliant, fit for purpose business practices, including responsibility for compliance with Communications and Financial Promotions regulations Cost centre ownership Knowledge, skills and experience Must hold full UK’s Drivers Licence Significant experience of operating at a senior level in a regulated environment across multiple functions Experience of leading and building capability in a fast-growing environment Track record of delivering business results through others Track record of demonstrating strong commercial business acumen Experience in contributing to business strategy development Expertise in leading Distribution teams within a regulated environment (financial services or a related category) to realise sales and profit targets Experience and expertise in leading Marketing teams to deliver marketing strategies to deliver targeted return on investment Proven ability to build effective relationships and influence key stakeholders including customers, both internally and externally Ability to work collaboratively with other Group functions Strong communication and negotiation skills What we offer A competitive salary - let's discuss it Car allowance Group Personal Pension - up to 12% employer contribution Generous annual bonus scheme up to 40% 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, and a holiday buy and sell scheme A range of health and wellbeing benefits, including private healthcare, income protection and life assurance Up to £400 annual personal grant to a charity of your choice Encouraged to take at least one volunteering day per year Employee Assistance Programme Full study support to gain professional qualifications Access to virtual GP Enhanced maternity and paternity pay About us Ecclesiastical Planning Services (EPS) work with a UK-wide network of funeral directors to provide pre-paid funeral plans. Our business is based on trust, so we focus on personal service, offering guidance and support to funeral directors and families when they need it most. Benefact Group is a unique international financial services Group made up of over 30 businesses. We are owned by a charity and are currently the UK’s 3rd largest corporate donor, having given away £200 million since 2016. We have ambitious plans to become the UK’s number one corporate donor, with strategic objectives in place to double the Group’s size. We believe it’s essential to attract, empower, grow and reward talented people, offering fantastic opportunities for career and personal development. Our giving ethos, 135-year history and the diversity of what we do, has enabled us to build a culture of kindness, great ambition, and of passionate people driven to do better and be better. At Benefact Group, we are committed to creating an inclusive culture and building an environment where each and every one of us feels valued and respected. We are a community made up of people with a range of different backgrounds, abilities, perspectives, beliefs and interests and we value the strength this brings to us as a Group. We welcome applications from everyone. If you need any additional support during the recruitment process, then please let us know.