Position of Sales and Development Manager

Ulster Historical Foundation

Sales and Development Manager

29 September 2018 Ref: SDM

Dear Applicant

Position of Sales and Development Manager

Thank you for your interest in this position with the Ulster Historical Foundation. Please find enclosed the following information, as part of the application pack:

Covering letter

Personal Specification

Job Description

Job Application Guidelines and Guidance on Preparing the Personal Statement

Disability Declaration

You should apply by sending a full CV along with a Personal Statement which demonstrates how you meet the criteria for the job. You must also complete and return the Disability Declaration. Failure to return a completed Personal Statement and/or Disability Declaration will result in your application being rejected.

Job Application Guidelines

You should pay close attention to the advice provided in the job application guidelines, for example, in relation to stating clearly in the CV your qualifications, grade and year of award, and also employment history, Personal Statement and references.

Personal Statement

You must provide a Personal Statement with your CV. In the statement you should pay particular care to ensure that you demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria of the Personal Specification. Only applicants who can demonstrate that they meet the essential criteria will be shortlisted for interview.

Where a number of candidates meet the eligibility criteria, reference may also be made to the desirable criteria for the purposes of shortlisting candidates for interview.

Do not attach copies of certificates or other documents to your application. These will be discarded and will not be seen by the selection panel. In addition, CVs submitted with insufficient information provided (e.g. regarding employment history, qualifications or referees) will not be accepted.

Applications should be sent to:Ulster Historical Foundation, The Corn Exchange, 31 Gordon Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT1 2LG. Or by email to: Applications may be submitted by post, hand-delivered or by email.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 5:00pm (BST), Monday, 27 June 2016.

At this stage we anticipate holding interviews in the week starting Monday,04 July 2016, though this may change. Candidates invited to interview will be notified in advance of the relevant date(s).

The Foundation is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons.

Yours faithfully

FINTAN MULLAN

Executive Director

Personal Specification

Job Title: Sales and Development Manager

Ulster Historical Foundation wishes to recruit a Sales and Development Manager (SDM) to manage and grow the income generating functions of the organisation and to develop new areas of business and commercial activity. The role will also involve input into the financial and administrative management of the organisation.

Position: Sales Development Manager

Organisation:Ulster Historical Foundation

Location: Belfast (but will be required to travel as part of regular duties)

Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week, normal working hours will be:

Mon–Fri, 9.00–5.00pm.

The job will require some working outside of normal office hours and at weekends.

Salary:A starting salary of up to £30,000 p.a. depending on qualifications and experience.

Contract:This is a full-time permanent position. It will be subject to a probationary period of 12 months. Confirmation in post will follow a satisfactory review at the end of the probationary period based on proof of solid performance.

About the organisation

Ulster Historical Foundation is a self-funding registered charity (NIC100280) and an educational non-profit organisation established in 1956. The Foundation exists to encourage an interest in the history of the province of Ulster; promote a positive image of Northern Ireland overseas; strengthen the links between Ireland and those of Ulster descent; broaden access to historical documents and records for Irish and Scots-Irish genealogy; and to inspire pride in Irish and Ulster heritage and culture. Details about the Foundationcan be found at: and

Main purpose of the role (see also the Job Description)

The main purpose of this role is to generate income for the Ulster Historical Foundation by maximising the return from our existing services, identifying new business opportunities, devising new income-generating activities and seeking new areas in which to expand our customer base.

This is a rewarding and challenging position, ideal for a candidate with relevant business and commercial experience in an income-generating role. The Foundation is looking for a self-starter able to work with minimum direction, who possesses both the desire and the ability to develop constructive and common-sense ideas. They should be results-oriented with a positive outlook, and have a clear focus on quality and generating business profit. A natural forward planner who is mature, credible, and comfortable in dealing with company executives. Well-presented and businesslike, the candidate will relish new experiences, and taking on the responsibility and accountability for increasing sales and developing new opportunities for increasing the Foundation’s income.

To be considered for this role candidates will need to demonstrate that they meet the following criteria.

Criteria / Essential / Desirable
Qualifications
Educated to degree level or equivalent.
Must be numerate and literate with a good standard of general education. Grades A-C in English Language and Mathematics at GCE ‘O’ Level or GCSE Level are required though in certain circumstances other qualifications or experience may be considered. (For candidates educated outside of the UK recognised equivalent qualifications to GCE/GCSE English and Mathematics will be acceptable).
Higher-level postgraduate diploma or professional qualification (eg in business or marketing). / Essential
Essential / Desirable
Business experience
Demonstrable commercial aptitude and proven work experience in business development/income generating or other relevant role.
A strong entrepreneurial spirit and track record in generating income from events and functions (for example heritage conferences, seminars, hobby-related holidays)
A track record in being able to generate income from a standing start (i.e. without relying on significant financial resources or support from other work colleagues).
Proven sales track record
Demonstrable experience in commercial negotiations such as closing deals or winning project tenders.
Experience of selling direct to customers/end users.
Specific work experience in at least one key area of the role: e.g.:
developing events-related business income; experience in developing tourism and heritage products/services; bookselling; or developing new business ideas (candidates should cite a relevant example in their application).
Experience in web-based selling and communications. / Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential / Desirable
Desirable
Desirable
Skills/competencies
A self-starter able to work with minimum direction, who possesses the desire and ability to develop constructive and common-sense ideas.
A positive thinker who can quickly pinpoint problems, devise solutions, and work with colleagues to take positive action.
An ability to look well ahead and be a good forecaster, and is able to anticipate problems and outline how they will be overcome.
An ability to generate ideas frequently and who can work out ways of doing things better.
An ability to successfully manage customer relations and build long-term relationships. / Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential
Personal Qualities
Excellent team-working skills (as the SDM will report to, and eventually, contribute to Senior Management Team meetings). Flexible, co-operative and supportive towards colleagues, can work unsupervised and as a team player.
Excellent time management and planning skills with an ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
Demonstrable ability to deal successfully with complex tasks and ability to manage a heavy workload.
A pragmatic, hands-on approach to work and delivering expected results.
Creative and resourceful thinker, who can demonstrate high levels of initiative.
Trustworthy and reliable: will be required to handle cash, cheque and credit card transactions. / Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential
Special Attributes
Excellent communication and presentation skills. An ability to produce quality and detailed written reports and oral presentations.
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to engage with customers/clients at all levels.
Experience of public speaking in a business-related role, e.g. conferences, events, trade fairs. / Essential
Essential / Desirable
IT and Office Experience
Be self-sufficient in IT, especially in standard office packages (e.g. MS Office suite) and have a working knowledge of social media.
Be self-sufficient in the office and have good administrative skills.
A working knowledge of an electronic accounting package.
Some knowledge of website content management systems. / Essential
Essential / Desirable
Desirable
Personal Job Requirements
Should be of smart appearance and have a pleasant demeanour.
Should be willing to work outside normal office hours at certain times of the year and may involve some travel, occasionally at weekends.
Should hold a full clean driving licence (or ability to acquire a driving licence within 4 months of starting employment) and have access to a car.
Should hold a passport and be willing to work throughout the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and overseas if required.
Should have an affinity with the ethos of the Ulster Historical Foundation and the voluntary/charitable sector. / Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential / Desirable

Equal opportunities statement

The Foundation is an equal opportunities employer. We aim to treat every applicant fairly.

Job Description: Sales and Development manager (SDM)

Key Relationships

The Sales and Development Manager (SDM) will report directly to the Executive Director. In the execution of his/her duties the SDM will also be expected to work closely with the Research Director and the Office and Accounts Manager. The SDM will co-operate as required with other members of staff.

Job purpose

The purpose of the SDM role is to generate income for the Ulster Historical Foundation. This will be achieved by maximising the return from our existing services; identifying new business opportunities; devising new income-generating activities; helping to diversify the range of products and services on offer; and seeking new areas in which to expand our customer base.

Core areas of accountability

Conferences

The SDM will manage all aspects of the programme of family history (and historical) conferences. This will include: devising the conference programmes with colleagues; overseeing all arrangements, planning and logistics; production of schedules; developing promotional activities and effectively selling/marketing these events, thereby helping to grow this area of business.

Publications

The SDM’s role in relation to UHF publications is to increase the volume and range of sales. The SDM’s contribution will be to sell, promote, and expand the channels for distributing to retailers and wholesalers, including traditional channels – booksellers/retail outlets/heritage centres and direct to customer (e.g. via online outlets). The SDM will also assist the Management Team in managing the process of selecting and developing new titles/products (liaising with the Publications Committee).

Guild Membership services and existing activities

The SDM will seek to maximise income opportunities from UHF’s existing activities, including historical and genealogical research services, and the Foundation’s membership association – the Ulster Genealogical and Historical Guild, working with colleagues to identify new content, devising new campaigns for increasing membership and cross-selling UHF’s services to this core audience.

Other/new projects

The SDM will have responsibility for implementing new business ideas/activities authorised by the Management Team. They will use their initiative to explore and exploit new and previously untried projects/activities for greater financial gain (approved by the Management Team).

The duties of the SDM will be as follows:

1To oversee all aspects of the Foundation’s family history (and historical) conferences: including coordinating planning and logistics, customer relations and communication with delegates; promotion and sales of events; identifying new markets to sell into; building relationships in the heritage/tourism sector to increase conference-related business income.

2To work with the Management Team, other staff and IT partners to implement, improve and troubleshoot the Foundation’s conference webpages, and formulate ideas for increasing traffic and online bookings via the internet.

3To increase sales of the Foundation’s publications and related products via traditional channels and by exploiting new online methods of selling, or by identifying new markets for UHF goods. It will require negotiating with suppliers, traditional retailers, wholesalers and online retailers, and building relationships in the wider heritage sector (at home and abroad).

4To work with the Management Team (and Publications Committee) in identifying and developing new products and extending the product range, as part of a strategy for creating projects which can increase the income and profitability of UHF as a publisher.

5To develop and implement a plan for building sustained growth in Guild membership subscriptions. The SDM will work with the Management Team and the Guild Secretary to improve the offering, add new content and value, and communicate the benefits of membership via traditional and new web-based channels and exploit social media to support the campaign for consolidating, retaining and increasing Guild subscriptions.

6To implement plans, approved by the Management Team, for cross-selling UHF’s goods and services to Guild members, book sales customers, research clients and conference delegates.

7To action new product/business ideas authorised by the Management Team, and to work with colleagues to identify possible sources of funding to aid their development. To take responsibility for specific projects, assigned by the Executive Director.

8To assist the Management Team in improving UHF’s web services to deliver an increase in internet-generated income. To proactively promote the Foundation’s web business and to take advantage of commercial opportunities resulting from a more co-ordinated effort.

9To promote the products and services of the Foundation, including writing content for regular sales and informational newsletters, and liaising with the local media and other distribution networks. To establish a network of contacts and improve communication with the business community and heritage sector.

10To implement and maintain systems to ensure a high level of customer care is achieved across the range of the Foundation’s activities. This will necessitate interaction with management, administrative and research staff and IT partners to develop a customer service plan for UHF.

11To identify and implement improvements in the cost-effectiveness, efficiency and value-for-money of the Foundation’s business activities, including purchases and service agreements. This will require periodic reviews of overheads, supplier best value and ongoing operational and project costs, necessitating the revision of organisational budgets.

12Monitor operational performance (in line with targets set by Management Team), make regular reports on activities and provide relevant management information for meetings of the Trustees, the Publications Committee, SMT and staff, as required.

13To oversee the successful completion of recurring activities during the year: membership mailing, Directory advertising, stock take, and preparations for North American lecture tours. Where required take minutes at Trustee and Publications Committee meetings.

14To represent the Foundation at events (including activities throughout UK and beyond) as directed by the Management Team, and assist other staff at these events as required.

15To assist staff undertaking other general administrative duties as required and work with other staff to ensure that the office is maintained in a clean and tidy condition.

16To undertake additional training as required and develop relevant knowledge and skills.

The above list of duties is not exhaustive and may be subject to change. It should be noted that the designation of duties may be subject to change to meet the changing needs of the Foundation.

Job Application Guidelines

This document provides guidance for applying for vacancies with Ulster Historical Foundation.

The information you provide in your CV and Personal Statement is the only information that we will use in deciding whether or not you will be invited for interview, so it is important that you complete it with care. To help you please follow these guidelines.

1GENERAL ADVICE

You should research Ulster Historical Foundation before applying. This will help you think more about the work we do, how the role you are applying for fits in, and what we look for in our staff.

After reading the Personal Specification and Job Description, think carefully about your application and consider to what extent you have the skills and experience necessary to meet the requirements of the post. You should provide clear and concise examples of when you have had to use the necessary skills as outlined in the Personal Specification.

Your previous and present posts allow you the opportunity to tell us about the work you are doing or have done in the past. Be as brief as you can, and use the Personal Statement to describe in more depth your skills, knowledge and experience relevant to the job, and how you meet the essential criteria.

2CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)

When preparing your CV you should pay attention to the following sections (though the CV should contain other summary information relevant to your application):

2.1EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

In respect of your Education, Qualifications and Training you must state clearly your qualifications or name of the course that you attended/completed. It is NOT sufficient to state that you have a specific number of ‘A’ levels and GCSEs, or equivalent qualifications. You MUST list each subject, with the grade and year of award, and where specifically asked for information, for example, such as GCSE English and Mathematics, ensure that the necessary information is provided. You should mention qualifications or training relevant to the post for which you are applying.