Thursday, May 31, 2018

Commercial Development Manager



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
Apply with a covering letter and CV to veronica.chrisp@isleofwightzoo.com or by post to CEO, Isle of Wight Zoo, Sandown, Isle of Wight, PO36 8QB
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
Send a CV and covering letter, to Veronica Chrisp at veronica.chrisp@isleofwightzoo.com or by post to CEO, Isle of Wight Zoo, Sandown, Isle of Wight, PO36 8QB

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
      


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