Business Development Officer – AR

Carrington Blake Recruitment; Wolverhampton; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A local recruitment agency is looking for a Business Growth Officer in Wolverhampton. The ideal candidate will engage with businesses to support their growth, deliver business support programmes, and provide advisory services. Extensive experience and a degree-level qualification are essential. Strong communication, advisory, and relationship management skills are required for this role.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience providing advice to businesses.
• Experience delivering grant programmes.
• Knowledge of business support available.

Responsibilities

• Engage with businesses to support growth initiatives.
• Directly deliver business support programmes.
• Conduct assessments and provide growth plans.

Skills

Advisory skills

Relationship management

Negotiation skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

Degree level education or equivalent

Job description

Business Growth Officer - Job Description

Job title: Business Growth Officer

Directorate: Economy

Service: Skills and Business Growth

Location: Any suitable location within the City of Wolverhampton

Workstyle: Flexible

Responsible to: Business Growth Manager

Grade: Grade 7 (subject to allocation)

Job Purpose and Role

As a partner in the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the City of Wolverhampton Council is committed to improving and growing its relationship with businesses in our city; and with stakeholders who influence or deliver business support programmes.

This role will provide the front‑line business response, diagnostic, advisory and grant support role that will enable the city council to:

• Provide timely and robust responses to all business enquiries that will support resilience and growth amongst the business community in Wolverhampton.
• Secure baseline data from all businesses contacting the City Council helping to build the profile of the City’s business base.
• Directly deliver any contracted grant programmes ensuring the maximum impact for the Wolverhampton economy.
• Maximise the awareness and uptake of all externally funded business growth support programmes.

The role is fundamental to the delivery of the Business Growth Wolverhampton programme and the delivery of externally funded business support schemes.

The post holder will be directly responsible for the engagement of businesses through a structured diagnostic process, through a co‑ordinated programme of market making, and through supporting relationship management across the Council and key local stakeholders.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• To work in partnership with a number of stakeholders and businesses to support economic, business and workforce development in the sub‑region.
• Reporting to the Business Growth Manager the post will take a lead on account management for a group of stakeholders and a cohort of businesses across a number of key sectors.
• Understand stakeholder priorities and any related business support offer.
• Engage regional and national stakeholders into Wolverhampton and increase their understanding of the city’s economic needs.
• Increase the awareness and uptake of business support programmes within the city’s business base.
• Run a series of business engagement activities in partnership with stakeholders.
• Identify businesses with growth potential.
• Ensure Wolverhampton businesses are provided with timely and relevant business support information as part of the Business Growth enquiry response team.
• Through a Business Diagnostic, lead the assessment and identification of the business needs and potential opportunities for stimulating growth, and provide them with a summary plan of activity, i.e. a Growth Plan.
• To provide on‑going engagement and support for the business to realise their Growth Plan that may include an application for grant funding and relevant referrals to national or local business support providers.
• Identify businesses suitable for externally funded grants and provide direct support to businesses in the grant application process.
• Provide access to specialist support through information, signposting and referrals.
• Support the service’s contract management of externally funded business support programmes.
• Lead on awareness and advocate for particular support to unblock barriers for growth. This includes championing and/or influencing provision – underpinned by intelligence – of regional or local initiatives.
• Identify potential funding sources for businesses as part of their growth plan.
• Support the delivery of the Business Growth West Midlands service against operational plans, key indicators and milestones.
• Encourage and directly support peer‑to‑peer networking.
• Collect and record business data on the Business Growth CRM and or authorised portal.

The postholder will need to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with the following:

• Businesses
• City Council teams, particularly those who also work closely with the business sector, e.g. Environmental Health, Planning and Inward Investment
• Business Networks and Intermediaries
• National Business Support providers
• HE and FE Sector
• Voluntary & Community Sector
• Stakeholders

The postholder will also be required:

• To act in accordance with the Council’s Constitution and other Codes of Conduct.
• To participate in staff development, appraisal and training as appropriate, including continuous professional development.
• To comply with the Council’s agreed policies and procedures including but not limited to Health and Safety, and Equal Opportunities Policies, General Data Protection Regulations, Freedom of Information Act, Financial Management Regulations and other relevant Council and Government Regulations, Directives and City‑wide priorities.
• To undertake any other tasks, duties and responsibilities as directed and appropriate to the grade and role of the post subject to any reasonable adjustments under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 as incorporated into the Equality Act 2010.
• To participate in the wider development of the service and contribute to service improvement as required.
• Effectively manage and review allocated contracts to ensure the required level of performance and best value is achieved in line with the Council’s key strategies; as appropriate and training provided.
• Work with key stakeholders when required to effectively manage contracts to achieve the best outcome for the delivery of the Council’s objectives; as appropriate and training provided.

City of Wolverhampton Council is committed to Corporate Parenting. “Corporate Parenting is the collective responsibility of the Council to provide the best possible care and protection for children who are looked after.”

Personnel Specification

Job title: Business Growth Officer

Qualifications

• Degree level education or equivalent professional qualification or extensive experience

Experience

• Extensive experience of providing advice and diagnostic services to business to support their growth and development.
• Experience of delivering grant programmes.
• Experienced in one or more of the following areas: Business Coaching, Developing Growth Plans, Marketing and social media, Financial guidance.
• Extensive experience of working and delivering to performance targets.
• Experience of compiling evidence to support outputs in compliance with external funder rules and regulations.
• Experienced in collating, communicating and presenting information to a wide range of audiences.
• Experienced in researching, interpreting and analysing data and information and making recommendations for action.
• Experience of operating in an SME environment.
• Working within a local authority and, or similar public sector body.
• Working within a political environment.

Special Knowledge/Skills

• Full Driving Licence (and own car available for business use).
• An understanding of supply chain relationships.
• Strong advisory skills with an ability to diagnose business issues, solutions and opportunities.
• Strong relationship skills, able to build a positive rapport with a company, stakeholders, partners, key service areas in the council to gain their trust, and become a confidante.
• Strong Portfolio Management Skills, to independently manage and grow a business or stakeholder relationship portfolio.
• Ability to independently consult, plan, monitor, evaluate and achieve tasks to stringent deadlines.
• Ability to collaborate with stakeholders and within the team, to address risks and achieve the shared objectives of the project.
• Strong communication skills to liaise through a variety of mediums with business representatives and a variety of professionals and voluntary groups in appropriate style.
• Interpersonal skills to confidently work with staff from all levels including senior representatives in the council and in other organisations.
• Strong negotiating and influencing skills to motivate and support collaboration to help achieve the project targets and outcomes.
• Good empathetic skills with an ability to diagnose business issues, solutions and opportunities.
• Good relationship skills, able to build a positive rapport with a company, stakeholders, partners, key service areas in the council to gain their trust, and become a confidante.
• Strong organisational skills with attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent oracy, literacy and numeracy skills.
• Knowledge and understanding of the key barriers to business growth and their solutions.
• Extensive knowledge of the range of business support available.
• Knowledge and relationship with stakeholders with an influence in the City.
• Extensive knowledge of the key components of a Business Plan, and a Growth Plan.
• Knowledge of the key national and local organisations and their role in supporting economic, business and employment development.
• Knowledge of the Wolverhampton economy and business profile.

Personal Qualities

• Ability to work independently with a high degree of self‑motivation and resourcefulness within challenging deadlines.
• Ability to be innovative in providing solutions and making recommendations.
• Be able to build a strong rapport with key stakeholders, peers and partners.
• Strong team player with ability to empathise with colleagues, businesses and stakeholders.

Interests and Motivation

Relevant to job: Strong commitment to the dynamic future of Wolverhampton and its economic prosperity.

Commitment

Successfully promoting equality of opportunity both in employment and service delivery.