VACANCY | Commercial Manager

Posted: 23rd March 2021
 

Bedford Blues are looking to appoint a full-time Commercial Manager to join the Championship club based at Goldington Road.

This is an exciting opportunity for an individual to join our team and help grow all commercial aspects of Bedford’s premier sporting club, with a focus on sponsorship generation and new business.

Job Title: Commercial Manager
Application End Date: Friday 9th April 2021
Salary: Competitive based on experience

Overview

Bedford Blues are a rugby union team playing in the Championship, the second tier of English Rugby. We are looking to appoint a full time Commercial Manager to join our team and play a key role in shaping the future of the Club.

The right candidate will have strong communication and networking skills, be driven and passionate about their work and the Club’s values. The second highest supported club in the division, Bedford has a strong and loyal fanbase. There is fantastic potential for the right candidate, who is ambitious and skilled, to further grow the sponsorship family and help shape the commercial sales strategy.

Due to the nature of the sporting industry some weekend or evening work will be required.

The Role

The full-time position will be based out of Goldington Road and will report to the Chief Operating Officer. After a challenging year for our industry, the right candidate will be required to hit the ground running and maintain some existing partnerships as well as taking a proactive approach to creating and developing new sales leads.

As well as grow the sponsorship base and delivering on the agreed commercial inventory of our partners, the Commercial Manager will help drive revenue across all areas of the business. This includes hospitality, events and community.

The successful applicant will ideally be educated to degree level and demonstrate experience in relationship management and communication with external stakeholders.  

Key Responsibilities

• Be proactive in sourcing potential sponsors and successfully grow the sales base through commercial partnerships.
• Develop bespoke sponsorship proposals to meet the needs of individual companies.
• Ensure adequate management of partnerships and deliverables, including renewal timelines and incremental growth opportunities.
• Support the management and administration of all commercial activity.
• Capture and process all commercial related financial and budget management activity alongside the COO and Finance team.
• Develop the inventory of commercial assets and ensure awareness of pricing strategy, availability and potential opportunities is clear and consistent across the business.
• Ensure all commercial responsibilities are delivered across all operational activity.
• Oversee the management of commercial hospitality and match sponsorship commitments.
• Carry out lead generation campaigns in support of sales objectives.
• Deliver the Club’s advertising and sponsorship sales budgets.
• Cross sell match hospitality, events and experiences to both new and existing client base.

Experience

• Commercial Experience (essential)
• Relationship Management (essential)
• Communication with internal and external stakeholders (essential)
• Professional Sports Exposure (desired)

Skills & Qualifications

• Organisational, Administration and IT (essential)
• Communication – verbal and written (essential)
• Strategic Planning (desired)
• Educated to Degree Level or Equivalent Professional Experience (essential)
• Valid UK Driving Licence (desired)

Applications and How to Apply

To register your interest in this role please submit a Cover Letter and your CV outlining your suitability for the position of Commercial Manager to the Chief Operating Officer, Gareth Alred. Please email gareth@bedfordrugby.co.uk with your submission by Friday 9th April 2021.