Commercial Development Manager
Isle of Wight Zoo
Home of The
Wildheart Trust
An exciting
opportunity has arisen for an experienced, confident and hands-on Commercial
Development Manager to join our team at the Isle of Wight Zoo.
The Zoo has recently
become a charity (‘The Wildheart Trust’) following many years under private
ownership. It is the Island’s original zoo and is well-loved by the local
community and widely visited by residents as well as tourists. Our mission is
to inspire and empower people to take positive action to protect our planet and
the animals we share it with. We specialise in providing lifelong refuge to
rescued big cats.
Working with the
newly appointed CEO, you will define the commercial strategy for the Isle of
Wight Zoo in order to develop an integrated offer that will maximise sales and
profit. The successful candidate will
need to have an ability to develop a commercial offer that is totally aligned
with our values and charitable objectives.
With responsibility
for driving income and effectively managing costs across the Zoo this role will
be accountable for achieving the revenue and profit budgets for a number of
streams across commercial operations including admissions, catering, retail donations,
gift aid, membership, hospitality events, adoption and experiences.
APPLICATION
Please Note:
successful candidates may be subject to a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service,
formerly CRB) check and references.
Closing date: June 15, 2018
Job Description
Responsible to:
CEO
Responsible
for: Staff, volunteers,
suppliers and liaising effectively with colleagues
Salary:
Competitive
Hours: Full-time
(40 hrs) to include regular weekends and some evenings
Purpose and
objectives:
To promote the
mission of the Trust and achieve the Trust’s aims which include being a
flourishing charity which connects people to wildlife and the environment.
To improve the
efficiency and profitability of the commercial offer at IOW Zoo and ensure that
all costs are tightly managed in line with revenue
To build gift aid
revenue in line with budgeted forecasts
To be a hands on
manager in retail, admissions and catering when required
Work to transform
the Zoo's shop and café into an integral part of the zoo visitor experience
while also establishing them both as destinations in their own right.
Work in conjunction
with the wider team to develop and manage various revenue raising schemes
including animal adoptions, experiences and memberships
Main duties and
responsibilities:
• Business
planning
Active contribution
to the strategic planning of a rolling 3-5 year business plan for IOW Zoo
including commercial development of existing and new business opportunities.
Effective management
of the commercial expenditure budget, effectively and appropriately balancing
profit targets with an exemplary visitor experience. Annual plans should
include strategic procurement of commercial product and an effective sales
plan.
Work with Marketing
and the wider Zoo team to ensure the commercial offer is sensitively devised,
developed and promoted to best effect
• Management
of KPIs
Develop and agree
the commercial KPIs for the business which will include income and expenditure
targets and bottom line profit contribution through effective management of the
commercial operation. Where targets are not being met, develop and communicate
contingency planning to ensure mitigations are in place.
Responsibility for
income and profit KPIs for the following commercial areas:
1. Admissions
2. Donations
3. Gift
Aid
4. Retail
5. Catering
6. Hospitality
and Private Events
7. Experiences
8. On
site commercial partnerships and concessions
• Visitor
Experience
Own the commercial
visitor journey and gain an understanding of who our visitors are using
insight, research
and analysis
Lead on team
recruitment, development and training including leadership on customer service
training and initiatives
Oversee and manage
all customer feedback and use it to influence commercial decisions that will be
of benefit to the business
Ensure that the
Trust Shop and Café become an integral part of the Charity and the visitor
experience where people feel comfortable and taken care of and their feedback
is sought and valued
• Business
Operations
- Accountable for
commercial operations at IOW ZOO across all areas including normal day visitor
operations and also commercial activities including events and experiences
outside of normal hours.
- Work in a hands on
capacity in Catering, Retail and Admissions to ensure correct staff/visitor
ratio
- Oversee all aspects
of day-to-day operations, ensuring all staff, systems and processes are
operating smoothly and health and safety protocols are adhered to
- Develop the
Commercial Team in line with the overall culture of the Trust as a ‘one team’
organisation, participating as a member of the Management Team by attending
fortnightly HODs Meetings, 121’s and working closely with colleagues across the
site
- Take pride in
appearance of the staff and premises, maintaining an attractive environment
with faultless housekeeping standards
- Contribute to the
wider priorities of the Trust, including mobilizing support from the commercial
team for appeals or campaigns
- Ensure finances and
cash are managed in accordance with audit and security requirements and good
practice
- Attend trade shows,
conferences, seminars and exhibitions as required
- Any other duties
which are relevant to the role
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential Experience
and Qualifications:
1. Degree
or equivalent experience
2. Experience
of strategic leadership and operational management of commercial business
activities preferably within leisure and retail sectors
3. Experience
of business development activities including marketing and sales
4. A
proven track record of success in growing sales and delivering targets and
KPI’s
5. Strong
business acumen, able to discuss commercial performance verbally and in written
reports
6. Excellent
IT and technical skills including EPOS, online sales, Word, PowerPoint, and
Excel
7.
Understanding of merchandising principles, including sourcing/procurement of
stock and product; selecting suppliers, negotiating prices, visual
merchandising and displays, and managing stock levels to suit the seasons
8. Awareness,
understanding and commitment to the protection and safeguarding of children and
vulnerable adults
Desirable
9. Project
management experience
10.
Demonstrable resilience, positivity and commitment to delivering a consistently
high standard of customer service through effective staff management,
responding to customer feedback and leading by example.
11. Awareness
of and experience with Gift Aid
12. Professional
appearance and impression, excellent written and verbal communication and
ambassadorial skills at all levels and across all forms with a passion for the
cause
13. Working
knowledge of Employment Law
APPLICATION
Please Note:
successful candidates may be subject to a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service,
formerly CRB) check and references.
Closing date: June 15,2018
![]() | |
Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant
|
