Commercial Development Consultant

Commercial Development Consultant

Location: Homebased
Department: Trading Support
Contract type: Permanent
Hours: 35
Salary: £40,982.00

Who are we? 

The National Union of Students (NUS) is a voluntary membership organisation which makes a real difference to the lives of students and its member students' unions. 

We are a confederation of over 440 students’ unions representing just under 4m students and apprentices across Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales. In Scotland, there are over 40 students’ associations representing 460,000 students.  

We do professional differently. We are a progressive charity representing students’ unions across the UK. The sector is inclusive, fun, dynamic and representative and we put students and students’ unions at the heart of everything we do. We are challenging but are committed to creating a supportive and flexible environment which pushes your personal development in your everyday activity.  

What we do

NUS Services Limited (NUSSL) is the leading purchasing group serving students’ unions and the educational sector.

NUS Services being the commercial arm of the National Union of Students, resourcing the student movement through three core services: purchasing, commercial development and infrastructure support.

Owned by students’ unions and NUS, all of NUS Services work is membership-led and driven by powerful commercial intelligence, making it the gateway to the student market.

What’s the job?

We are searching for a talented commercial operator to join the team as Commercial Development Consultant. The role is fast paced, working with students’ union commercial teams around the UK, with frequent travel and some nights away involved.

A key part of the role is to initiate, grow and maintain engaging relationships with member students’ union commercial teams across retail, licensed hospitality and food service environments to enable them to grow their profitable contribution in a compliant, insight-led way.

The role has responsibility for implementing our inhouse compliance programmes, ensuring improved understanding and awareness to create programme longevity and continued benefits for both members and suppliers.

Our members take part in the Best Bar None accreditation, demonstrating that their licensed spaces are being operated in a safe and responsible manner. The role holder would therefore become a Best Bar None assessor and complete a number of in person assessments during the year.

Who you are

A talented operator who has experience in the commercial world of hospitality (catering and licensed), retail experience would be a bonus, either within a Students’ Union or a high street operator.

You will have held roles where you can demonstrate a vast knowledge of operating commercial outlets whilst controlling costs, managing margins, and delivering great operating standards.

Understanding the market is key as you’ll be helping our member students’ unions to interpret current trends and develop them into successful action within member commercial operations. 

Having a good eye for detail and understanding the need for compliance comes easy to you, along with the skill to challenge where non-compliance may be apparent, so you’ll have strong interpersonal and influencing skills and be a good communicator.

Why apply?

As well as a great place to work, we offer a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement (starting at 27 days per year rising with service to 30 days, pro rata for part time) 
• Enhanced sick, maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption pay
• Health Cash Plan
• Pension scheme with employer matched contributions up to 6%
• Employee Assistance Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Childcare Allowance
• Paid volunteering days – three days per year for full time staff

Committed to Inclusion

We’re committed to equality of opportunity for all. We welcome applications from individuals regardless of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender, or disability. You can be yourself here whoever you are, be proud of the work you do and build a career in a place that knows different is good.

We recognise that candidates from Black, Asian and Minoritised-Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are under-represented in our organisation, and that there are often additional barriers present for people from these groups when applying for roles in the charity sector and beyond. We are committed to taking positive action to expand the diversity of our staff team, and if you meet the essential criteria for a role and are from a BAME background, you'll be guaranteed a first stage interview. It is important to note that this scheme guarantees an interview for candidates who meet the minimum criteria and tell us that they'd like to be considered under the scheme. The selection decision at interview will be based on the most suitable candidate, regardless of any protected characteristic.

Please apply via our online application form, we are unable to accept CVs. 

Closing date for applications is Sunday 29th September 2024 (23:59).
If you’re successfully shortlisted, we’ll see you at an interview on Thursday 10th October 2024.

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