MARLENS Business Development Manager

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North Somerset Council are working in Partnership with MARLENS.

The successful candidate will be seconded to work with/for MARLENS.

Clevedon Marine Lake is owned by North Somerset Council but leased to and run by MARLENS (Marine Lake Enthusiasts). MARLENS are a charity who rely on donations and the fees paid by lake users.

The Marine Lake was built in 1929. It later fell into disrepair and a major project was undertaken in 2015 to make it fit for purpose for use as a recreational facility. Since then the lake has proved a huge success - both in terms of the range of users who derive huge benefit (swimmers, sailors, model boat users, SUPs etc) and the role it plays as part of Clevedon's historic seafront enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of local people and tourists each year.

MARLENS' charitable purpose is to provide recreational facilities to benefit people's wellbeing especially those more in need because of their age, a disability, financial hardship or social circumstances. It aims to help the lives of young people in particular and to secure, preserve, protect, develop and improve the features of historic or public interest in relation to Clevedon Marine Lake and its surrounding area.

The popularity of the lake has grown significantly post-COVID and we wish to develop our charity's capacity and capability as the scale of the operation increases.

About the role

This appointment is for fixed term of 12 months and has been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (Heritage Fund).

Reporting to MARLENS' Trustees, this role will take an overall lead to coordinate and deliver the Heritage Fund project to build resilience for the future management of Clevedon Marine Lake.

• Lead the development of a Business Plan for the Marine Lake that is financially and environmentally sustainable. This includes reviewing current income streams and considering new opportunities.
• Develop a viable operating structure (explore paid staff as well as volunteers) to deliver the business plan, in alignment with the aims of the charity.
• Manage the Volunteer & Community Development Officer for the duration of the project, ensuring their work on audience development, volunteering, engagement and activity planning is integral to the business plan.
• Manage the work of the charity's Administrator on this project.
• Procure and manage the contract for a fundraising strategy/implementation/testing phase.
• Procure and manage the contract for digital development (website). Ensure full integration of the development of this work with wider business planning.
• Develop, agree and lead the plan for overall stakeholder management and involvement in the project - including developing the approach to partnership working.
• Lead a review of business processes, policies and systems and implement recommendations as relevant (with the support of others). This includes policies relating to people and the environment.
• Lead development of an environmental policy.
• Procure the external expertise (may not be necessary depending on experience of Business Development Project Manager) to manage the process of a governance review.
• Manage the grant during the project period in compliance with relevant procurement processes and ensure Heritage Fund receive accurate and timely reports and that the agreed purposes of the grant are delivered.
• Be the day-to-day contact as required with Heritage Fund.

Valid driving licence and own transport, or be able to provide alternative, suitable method of travel is an essential condition for this role.

Home working will be required along with the ability to be based at North Somerset Council Office base in Clevedon and at Marine Lake. The successful candidate will be required to attend meetings outside of normal office hours as well as attend MARLENS led events.

About you

The post holder must have:

• Experience of business development and writing business plans for the heritage, cultural or leisure sector
• Experience of working on lottery-funded projects and familiarity/understanding of their priorities and what's involved in delivering a lottery-funded project.
• Strong project management skills and can demonstrate successful application of these to support business development
• The ability to think strategically
• Good organisational skills and brings energy to work on own initiative
• Strong leadership skills and experience of line management
• Experience of procuring external services and managing contracted third-parties

Additional desirable skills:

• Experience of working in the Charitable sector - including working with Trustees
• Ability to build Strong working relationships and work in a collaborative way
• Experience of working with local communities and in partnership to develop proposals and representing local interests in projects
• Experience of business process mapping/system improvement

Want to know more and apply?

For an informal discussion, please email: bookkeeper@marlens.org.uk

Anticipated interview date: 1 st or 2 nd August 2024.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

At North Somerset Council we want all our employees to feel valued and appreciated. We aim to ensure equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination irrespective of your sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or belief, race, age, disability, including neurodiversity, if you are married or in a civil partnership or are pregnant. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

North Somerset Council - Open, Fairer, Greener.

Please note: We are currently only accepting applications from candidates who have full permission to work in the UK.

National Lottery Heritage Fund

Clevedon Marine lake - Fit for the Future is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to fund development work to ensure the long-term viability of the lake so that a wide variety of people can continue to visit and benefit from this special place.