Business Development & Marketing Manager

Cumberland Lodge, based in Windsor Great Park,  is an educational charity that exists to provide young people with the skills, perspective, and confidence to question, challenge, and understand, some of the most complex social issues of our time. Our work currently centres around ethical leadership and developing democratic engagement.

Day-to-day, our historic venue, spacious grounds, and facilities operate as a social enterprise, hosting multi-day residential retreats, workshops, conferences, and similar events on a commercial basis. Our regular clients include university departments, legal and medical training bodies, and many other public sector, private sector, and not-for-profit organisations.

For this newly-created role, we are seeking a passionate, creative and results-driven Business Development & Marketing Manager to help us grow occupancy and generate more income from group bookings to fund an expansion in our charitable work. We have an interesting range of initiatives in mind, including targeting the private sector, setting up a referral scheme, and creating offers for overseas markets.

Job description

The successful candidate will be responsible for pro-actively generating new business enquiries and opportunities for Cumberland Lodge, with the objective of maximising occupancy and income within the charitable and operational policies we work to.

Reporting to: Chief Operating Officer

Working closely with: Meeting & Events Manager, Hospitality Director, Communications & Engagement team

Strategic planning and execution

• Develop and implement the business development and marketing strategy aligned with our organisational goals.
• Lead the creation of multi-channel marketing plans to drive lead generation, and client acquisition.
• Oversee the delivery of venue marketing campaigns across digital, social, email, and traditional channels.

 Market awareness

• Analyse data and insights to inform marketing strategies and campaign adjustments.
• Stay abreast of industry developments and best practices to maintain a competitive edge.
• Undertake regular benchmarking of Cumberland Lodge’s conference facilities, services and charges against local competitors, identifying market trends, opportunities, and competitive rates. 

Lead generation and client acquisition

• Develop strategies to generate high-quality leads.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with potential new clients. 
• Identify new business opportunities and commercial partnerships to expand the client base.

Event promotion and coordination

• Collaborate with the Meeting & Events and Communications & Engagement teams to promote upcoming business development and marketing events, and maximise attendance.
• Create and manage event marketing calendars, timelines, and promotional plans
• Attend and support events to ensure successful delivery and to network with potential clients.

Management and reporting

• Develop and manage the marketing budget, ensuring optimal use of resources and adherence to budgetary constraints
• Track marketing return on investment and provide reports to senior management.
• Responsible for maintaining a CRM database.

 Other

• Act at all times as an ambassador for Cumberland Lodge.
• In common with all Lodge staff, to work flexibly and to carry out such other duties as may be reasonably required to facilitate the smooth running of the business.

Person specification

• Relevant qualification in marketing, business, or a related field.
• Minimum of five years of experience in a similar business development or marketing role, preferably within the venue management industry.
• Proven track record of success in business development, sales and marketing.
• Deep understanding of digital marketing, SEO, SEM, social media, and content marketing.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong analytical skills and experience with marketing analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, CRM systems).
• Strong creative thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• An interest in, and passion for, the power and ability of education to make the world a better place.

 Hours:            37.5 hours per week

 Location:        Based at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park. (Applicants should be aware that Cumberland Lodge is not easily accessible by public transport, therefore access to a car would be beneficial).

Benefits

Annual leave: 33 days including Bank Holidays. The charity is closed over the Christmas period which will be deducted from the leave allocation. Use of a company car for business-related trips.

Pension: Standard Life contributory pension (10% contributions to support 5% personal contributions, with the option to increase personal contributions over and above 5%).

Additional benefits: Annualised hours working pattern. Lunch provided on-site. Death in service benefit 4 x salary after a probation period. Employee support benefits, includes access to a virtual GP service and mental health support.

How to apply

We seek to embody our vision of more peaceful, open, and inclusive societies as an employer, and we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

Please provide a covering letter to accompany your application

Interviews:        Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 August 2024, on-site at Cumberland Lodge

NO AGENCIES PLEASE