Salary: 37.5K full-time equivalent per annum – as this role will be three quarters of a full-time post, the annual salary will be 28.13K

Contract: Permanent

Reports to: Head of Water Efficiency Engagement

Hours: 30 hours per week including lunch breaks (0.75 FTE). Exact working pattern to be agreed

Start date: January 2023 (or as soon as possible)

Location: Home-based (travel costs paid for meetings)

Annual leave: 27 days FTE per annum plus Bank Holidays (22 days FTE per annum for the **4 day week trial period)

Please note, we are a disability equality organisation and have ring-fenced this post for people who are disabled.

Waterwise is an independent, not-for-profit campaigning NGO focused on reducing water consumption in the UK. We are the leading authority on water efficiency in the UK, and the UK’s conscience on water efficiency. Water scarcity is an urgent issue right here, right now, right across the UK - we only have to look at the record temperatures this summer and the current drought across the UK to see how climate change and population growth are already putting our water resources under severe pressure, and this challenge is growing. Water efficiency has to be a big part of the solution, and we support and challenge governments, industry, customers and others to be innovative and ambitious on water efficiency. Our work includes stakeholder engagement, research, events, policy and regulatory influencing, campaigns, media, events and services such as Waterwise Training and the Waterwise Checkmark. We are funded by supporters across and beyond the UK water sector. Our Waterwise Strategic Direction to 2030, published in August 2022, tells you a bit more about us.

At Waterwise we put staff wellbeing first, and our staff surveys show that our team knows, feels and appreciates this. Our values are -

●       Purpose: We will deliver independent and ambitious leadership to drive social and political change on water efficiency

●       Pioneer: We will be forward-thinking and visionary in our approach, being brave and innovative in challenging the status quo

●       Passion: We will campaign to protect water and the planet and work to keep our own environmental impact as low as possible

●       People: We will prioritise staff wellbeing, be an inclusive, kind and positive team. 

We are always looking for bright, committed people with a diverse set of skills and experience to help achieve our vision that water is used wisely every day, everywhere, by everyone. We are a lively, happy, friendly team, and we can’t wait to read your application!

We are an equal opportunities employer. We value diversity and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We know that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

We are also working to reduce Waterwise’s environmental footprint.

Business Development Manager Role

This is an exciting new role for Waterwise! Working with our Engagement team, the overall purpose of this role is to lead on business development – developing new income sources, securing new income from existing sources, and increasing our income overall. You will be looking after existing Waterwise Affiliates as well as securing new relationships with potential new Affiliates and other partners and funding sources, therefore helping to generate income. You’ll have lots of autonomy to develop and deliver the business development strategy, supported by your line manager.

Waterwise Affiliates comprise product manufacturers, service providers and other businesses who are either primarily centred around water efficiency or want to demonstrate and act on their commitment to achieve it. Waterwise Supporters are wholesale and retail water companies, UK government water departments and regulators (i.e. the water sector). Their support contributes to Waterwise core funding, enabling us to be the principal independent voice and thought leader for water efficiency in the UK. We are super grateful to our Waterwise Affiliates and Supporters, who provide the bulk of our funding. At the same time, we want to diversify and increase our income sources and bring in new sources, including more core funding and also through corporate partnerships and potentially trust and foundation sources. You’ll bring your expertise to help us widen our funding sources and increase our funding overall – so we can drive more water efficiency, and our vision that water is used wisely every day, everywhere, by everyone.

Person Specification

We need someone who is proactive and a self-starter with excellent business development skills and a track record of earning income. You’ll be leading on this issue within Waterwise, with support from your line manager – we need you to write the business development strategy as well as deliver it, and refresh it regularly over time. 

This is an exciting new role for us, designed to secure additional income so that we can have an even greater impact on water efficiency in the UK.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours

●       Ability to write our business development strategy and lead our business development function

●       Ability to generate new funding and income leads and opportunities at a local, regional and national level

●       Ability to secure and manage corporate partnerships and sponsorship opportunities

●       Good analytical skills and the ability to analyse business development related insights and data to make recommendations

●       Experience in developing and maintaining a pipeline of leads, building trust and relationships

●       Relevant experience of account management and/or new relationships

●       Excellent organisational and communication skills, attention to detail and understanding of inclusive and accessible communication

●       Ability to use own initiative, prioritise, plan ahead and work accurately to tight deadlines

●       Excellent networking and relationship building skills

●       Ability to work as part of a busy team, and supporter and communicate well with colleagues

●       Ability to communicate across the team about your work and workload

●       Commitment to diversity and inclusion and wellbeing

●       Eligibility to work in the UK

Role Description

Key responsibilities include:

●       Produce, deliver and regularly refresh Waterwise’s business development strategy

●       Work with the Head of Water Efficiency Engagement on the delivery of the corporate partnerships strategy

●       Deliver against the income targets for your role

●       Identify business areas to grow and diversify Waterwise’s funding streams

●       Work to acquire more Affiliates and keep under review the core funding packages we offer

●       Strengthen and widen Waterwise’s reputation and brand

●       Work with existing Affiliates and Supporters - managing day-to-day support

●       Work with the engagement team to enhance Waterwise’s reach

●       Develop the funding pipeline, keep records of this and report against it, and follow up on warm leads with a view to generating new funding and income opportunities at a local, regional and national level

●       Work with the Engagement team on campaigns, sponsorship and general day to day tasks

The above is not an exhaustive list of activities but hopefully gives you a sense of the role and requirements.  As it’s a new role, we expect the tasks will evolve and develop over time.

Benefits

At Waterwise the wellbeing of our employees is our number one priority. To recognise the fantastic work our team does in driving water efficiency, and to support their wellbeing, we have a wide range of employee benefits, beyond statutory commitments. These include:

●       Positive, values-based environment and an inclusive culture where it feels safe for employees to say no

●       Strong emphasis from Managing Director on wellbeing and workload management

●       Homeworking

●       Flexible working

●       Part-time working

●       27 days FTE annual leave per annum plus Bank Holidays and 22 days FTE for the **4 day week trial period.

●       Death in service benefit at x2 of salary

●       Paid chartered and professional memberships

●       Individual and team training budgets

●       Maternity leave and maternity adoption leave beyond statutory

●       Childcare costs for activities undertaken outside normal working hours

●       Sickness pay beyond statutory

Equity, diversity and inclusion

We are a disability equality organisation and have ring-fenced this post for people who are disabled. We are dedicated to creating a workforce that is a true reflection of the communities we serve. If you are disabled, have the skills, and or the experience to do the job, then we would love to meet you for an interview.

Please see our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement here.

We are committed to treating all current and prospective employees fairly and to ensuring that our workplace and employment practices are free from discrimination, harassment or victimisation on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Everyone in our team has a role to play in helping Waterwise become more diverse and inclusive, and we hope you will join us for this next stage in our journey.

We want you to feel comfortable to perform your best in this recruitment process – if you would like any adjustments, or potential barriers removing, please have an informal chat with Bernice, bernice@ep-uk.org or 07973 141178. This conversation will be completely separate from the assessment process.

**Four Day Week trial

Waterwise is currently in a 12 month trial of the 4 Day Week, ending on 31st May 2023 - so the office is closed on Fridays. You can find out more about the 4 Day Week here - it's full-time pay for 4 days work (at 9am to 5pm) rather than 5 days’ work. If your application is successful, you would join the team on this basis - on a 0.75 of full-time contract with a voluntary agreement to work 80% of these hours during the 4 Day Week trial, and if Waterwise moves to a 4 Day week permanently. Or revert to 0.75 of a full time contract if the trial is not made permanent