Business Development Officer

Main Purpose of Job

To sell and promote all products and initiatives developed by Home Connections Ltd with emphasis on signing up landlords and potential strategic partners who are able to make properties available for Homefinder UK and/or who wish to offer Homefinder UK to their tenants. 

Homefinder UK is Home Connections’ national housing mobility scheme. Home Connections products relate primarily to social housing software and also to social housing property services (property advertising and lettings).

Job Activities

For Homefinder UK:

1. Identifying social landlords that need to fill otherwise empty properties.
2. Promoting the Homefinder UK scheme via social media and other media and generate a high level of awareness about the benefits of using the scheme within the social housing sector.
3. Creating a pipeline of leads through the marketing and promotion process and maintaining the marketing and sales plan.
4. Conducting sales pitches or presentations to individual or groups of landlords and key stakeholders and negotiating and closing sales which lead to landlords advertising their properties through the scheme.
5. Co-ordinating with senior level officers in order to start the process of advertising properties through the scheme and liaising with the Project Lead and Homefinder UK team to ensure that properties are made available through the scheme’s website within agreed timescales

For Home Connections:

1. Identifying business opportunities for Home Connections software products including, but not limited to, choice based lettings portals, online forms, housing registers and software development for social landlords.
2. Understanding the software products, features and benefits in order to deliver sales pitches for Home Connections software products.
3. Undertaking market research for software product sales opportunities.
4. Involvement in the tender process by writing or providing support for writing tenders and proposals for invitation to tender and pre-qualification questionnaires.
5. Working with the Chief Executive Officer to promote all Home Connections products to sector leaders, stakeholder groups and government officials as required.
6. Leading on projects or business objectives to enable Home Connections and Homefinder UK to meet their aims and objectives as required by the Project Lead and Chief Executive Officer of Home Connections and undertaking special projects where required.
7. Contributing to, supporting and complying with the Home Connections equality and quality standards, and implementing those standards within the areas of responsibility of the post.

Note

This job description may be subject to review in the light of changing circumstances.  It is not intended to be rigid or inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the post-holder works. Other duties appropriate to the salary may be assigned from time to time.

Experience, knowledge and skills

Essential

1. Strong persuasive and influencing skills.
2. Experience of developing new sales opportunities and of converting these into new business accounts.
3. Experience of negotiating effectively with various organisations at all levels. 
4. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills – must be able to build contacts, consult, influence, and advise.
5. Sensitivity to the needs and priorities of a range of stakeholders. 
6. Political sensitivity and a good understanding of the issues involved in working in a political environment.
7. Ability to work on own initiative without day-to-day supervision and to work effectively.
8. Experience of using a range of office IT products, specifically Outlook and Microsoft Office 
9. Excellent verbal and written communication skills; must be able to demonstrate ability to write reports and present data
10. Ability to meet agreed project objectives and outcomes within a given timescale

Desirable

1. Experience of working with social housing organisations
2. Understanding of how social housing mobility is delivered
3. Understanding of legislation relevant to social housing mobility
4. Experience of using Salesforce and Constant Contact or other similar packages
5. Knowledge of Choice Based Lettings systems
6. Geographical awareness of the UK 
7. Able and willing to work outside normal office hours
8. Full clean driving licence
9. Experience of home working