Closing date: 10am on 20th February 2025
Contract: Full-time, permanent. We welcome proposals for flexible working arrangements.
Salary: Starting at £26,000 to £29,000 per annum
Join the Book Festival’s high-performing Development (fundraising) team for an exciting chance to make a significant impact as sponsorship & partnerships officer.
You will be responsible for managing an agreed portfolio of cash and in-kind sponsors and partners, working with internal teams to ensure agreed benefits are successfully delivered, persuading previous partners to come on board each year, and prospecting for new organisations for the Book Festival to approach.
This role is an excellent opportunity for someone to gain a broad range of sponsorship and partnership experience, driving growth within the supportive structure of a highly experienced team, as we innovate and develop our sponsorship offer to respond to the needs of our organisational ambitions.
Key responsibilities
Account management
* Manage an agreed portfolio of cash and in-kind sponsors and partners up to a value or circa £10,000 – maintaining close, communicative and highly responsive relationships, and aiming where possible to increase value from year to year.
* Act as the driving force behind internal operations, logistics, and coordination of sponsorship at the Book Festival to ensure its effective and timely management throughout the annual festival cycle.
* Play a key role in the coordination and successful delivery of sponsorship benefits including hospitality, ticket allocation, branding, marketing, sampling and presence on site.
New business / Sales
* Proactive research into relevant brands and new corporate prospects that reflect the values, ethos and aims of the Book Festival.
* Targeted approaches to researched prospects to secure meetings and develop relationships.
* Maintain the prospect pipeline with accurate record-keeping relating to prospects and approaches made.
* Develop innovative, attractive, well-researched proposals, funding applications and overview documents for prospective and returning sponsors and supporters.
* Assist the Sponsorship & Partnerships Manager and Development Director with approaches where required.
Wider fundraising
* Maintain Book Festival databases, systems and resources to support the smooth delivery of sponsor relationships and benefits, and to maximise income.
* Support the delivery of a year-round programme of cultivation and stewardship activities and events for sponsors and prospective supporters.
* Maintain accurate financial records of sponsorship expenditure and ensuring all Book Festival sponsors are invoiced correctly.
* Support the Sponsorship & Partnerships Manager with annual ethics and risk assessments for all returning sponsors, as well as key prospects.
* Assist the Sponsorship & Partnerships Manager and Development Director with Major Sponsor relationships when required.
* Deputise for the Sponsorship & Partnerships Manager as required.
* Contribute appropriately to the wider work of the Book Festival Development Team.
Knowledge, skills and experience
Essential
* Experience of fundraising and/or account management or sales.
* Excellent relationship building skills, with an ability to quickly build rapport with colleagues and external stakeholders.
* Experience of planning and delivering events.
* Ability to prioritise a busy workload and work to deadlines.
* Excellent communication and presentation skills, written and verbal.
* Strong computer literacy and administration skills.
* Excellent attention to detail.
Desirable
* Direct experience of sponsorship and/or corporate partnerships in both account management (of existing partners) and new business (prospecting for new partners).
* Experience using CRM databases and event management systems.
* Experience working in a Festival or venue-based organisation.
* A willingness to carry out event related physical duties during the Festival.
The Book Festival is a working environment where everyone is treated fairly, and our differences are celebrated as strengths. We actively encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply.
Please state in your application that you found this role through Creative Access.
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