Job Description

Role Summary:

University of Plymouth are seeking to recruit an individual with exceptional sales and client relationship skills to join their successful team who manage the three Cornwall Innovation Centres on behalf of Cornwall Council. These Innovation Centres provide quality flexible office space for high growth early-stage businesses plus meeting and conference facilities. The BDM is responsible for identifying all new business as well as maximising revenue from existing customers.

Reporting to the Head of the Cornwall Innovation Centres, the BDM will be part of the local Management Team and will be the Line Manager for the Event Assistants located in each Innovation Centre responsible for booking and hosting events and conferencing. In total, annual revenue across all three Innovation Centres amounts to approximately 2million pr annum.

The BDM will need to create and deliver an effective, customer friendly marketing strategy to create a sales pipeline of potential customers for each of the Cornwall Innovation Centres.

The BDM will be responsible for generating and coordinating all sales related enquiries, showing prospects our facilities and negotiating with interested parties for the various services offered by the Centre. This includes both new and renewing existing customers. You will be responsible for keeping all sales related material up to date including the website and following an appropriate sales process.

You will identify potential new markets and develop new sales leads via promotional activity involving social media and attending local business networking events and opportunities.

As well as having excellent communication skills we are seeking an individual who has a collaborative work style and is used to working as part of a team.

Key Accountabilities:

Create an effective pipeline of client enquiries for each of the three Cornwall Innovation Centres

Ensure the delivery and continuous development of an effective and flexible marketing plan aimed at generating new enquiries.

Responsible for line managing the three Centre Events Assistants to ensure all events and conferencing activity is managed and delivered appropriately as part of each Centres operational activities

Coordinate all business development activities across the Centres as part of a collaborative management team responsible for implementing local strategy.

Ensure that customer contract renewals are dealt with in a timely and effective manner and the commercial terms are adjusted appropriately in support of the Centre's existing and potential business opportunities.

Possessing strong sales skills and responsible for negotiating and agreeing customer rental terms.

Can analyse data to recognise trends and present financial and written reports

Liaise with new and existing stakeholders to support referral routes, client interaction and engagement and business opportunities

Provides excellent customer service and is a solution provider

Collaborates with colleagues and peers across the Centres and the wider University to plan and achieve joint projects and objectives

Ensures all activities undertaken are compliant with the University's Safety Policy

Acts in a way that demonstrates the University's commitment to Equality and Diversity for staff, students and partners

Measures of Success:

Achieving key priorities and objectives agreed from time to time with UoPEL's performance such as average occupancy targets

Ensuring that the Centres have up to date enquiry pipelines.

Meeting or exceeding the sales performance targets

Knowledge, Education & Training:

Numeracy and literacy at secondary education level (or demonstrable equiv exp)

Educational attainment at further education level (or demonstrable equiv exp)

Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications Marketing (or similar)

Professional qualification - desirable

Experience:

Experience of working in a commercial sales and marketing role at a similar level

Developing sales enquiries including the successful conversion to purchase

A working knowledge of social media as part of a marketing tool kit

Liaising with customers face to face/by telephone/in writing

Working both independently and as part of a team

Working in a dynamic customer service environment

Skills:

Ability to prioritise and self-manage

Ability to work as part of a team

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Strong social media/ website development skills

Sales and marketing

Ability to build excellent customer relationships

Ability to think creatively in a business context

University of Plymouth Behaviours:

Demonstrates Self-Leadership

Develops self and others to deliver leads and operates effectively in times of change and ambiguity

Builds and secures value from relationships

Drives innovation and action

Creates and contributes to a shared vision

Demonstrates sound business judgement

Special conditions:

It is expected that this role will require flexibility and extended working hours in order to engage fully with the business community and networks to ensure that the centres are successful.

You will need to be able to regularly and independently travel between sites from time to time.

Applicants considered to be potentially suitable for this role will be invited to attend an informal interview via Microsoft TEAMS w/c 15th September.

Formal face to face panel interviews will take place w/c 22nd September with a view to appointing w/c 6th October subject to notice.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: From 40,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Company pension Free or subsidised travel On-site parking Sick pay
Experience:

Business development: 2 years (required) Senior management: 2 years (preferred)
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 14/09/2025
Expected start date: 06/10/2025