Business Development Manager (HLSM Plus Project)

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract up to March 2026.

This role is located within the Careers Network team (CN), at The University of Birmingham and will act as one of the Business Development Managers in a new Higher-Level Skills Match (HLSM) Plus project. This new project builds on 7 years of phase one and two of the HLSM programme, with full endorsement from the Graduate Re-Tune programme and its delivery partners: Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Birmingham and Solihull Jobcentre Plus District (JCP), and Prospects, the National Careers Service contractors for the West Midlands.

Through HLSM Plus, Birmingham City University and partners at Aston University, University College Birmingham, and the University of Birmingham, have received funding from the Birmingham City Enterprise Zone to help local companies secure the skills they need to sustain economic growth, by recruiting and retaining more local graduates.

The objective of the Business Development Manager is to support businesses in the Enterprise Zone by identifying their skills needs and job vacancies to sustain business growth.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to degree level or equivalent plus significant experience in business support, employer engagement or business development within a professional setting.
• Able to tailor approach to suit businesses of all sizes and sectors is required.
• Effective communication skills with the ability to negotiate, influence and persuade.
• Ability to work independently and enthusiastically without detailed supervision, with a high-degree of self-management and self-motivation.
• Demonstrable experience of recruitment, B2B relationship management and/or business development.
• Demonstrable experience of networking and maintaining effective links with employers.
• Demonstrable experience of working to targets or KPIs.
• Excellent relationship building and stakeholder management skills (written and oral communication) and the ability to adapt to a diverse range of stakeholder groups.
• Experience of delivering excellent customer service to diverse stakeholders, including supporting businesses remotely and face-to-face.
• Ability to use IT effectively, including strong presentation skills.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to work autonomously.
• Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write clearly for a variety of audiences, and to produce and analyse source material, information and data.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day-to-day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly. Ability to monitor and evaluate the extent to which equality and diversity legislation, policies, procedures are applied.
• Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action.
• A good understanding of Higher Education and the issues impacting on student employability.
• High level of attention to detail.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and use of initiative to resolve problems.
• Adaptable and flexible when faced with change demonstrating drive and resilience to ensure projects are developed and implemented.

Informal enquiries to Sue Welland s.e.welland@bham.ac.uk or Jane Griffin j.m.griffin@bham.ac.uk 

To download the full job description and details of this position and submit an electronic application online please click on the Apply button above.

 Valuing excellence, sustaining investment
We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working

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