Business Development Manager - Social Impact

Job Introduction

It's a really exciting time to join Sodexo's Government Segment, we have recently merged our Justice Services and Government & Agencies business and are starting to bring to life synergies and focus, benefiting our teams and clients. Together we are a powerful combination of more than 11,000 employees and 600 sites serving 35 very high profile public sector clients.

This role will be working within our Business Development Teams working on exciting projects and would suit someone with a passion for Sustainability, Net Zero, People or Social Impact in the community.

In return Sodexo offer a great benefits package, an opportunity to work remotely and flexibility.

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Role Responsibility

• Understand the sales pipeline of work to proactively develop social value and sustainability proposals using community and client research/insight for bids
• Lead on the solutioning of social value and other CSR elements for all segment sales opportunities
• Lead allocated bids for new business, retention or cross-selling opportunities
• Co-ordinate and manage the relationship with commercial, Service Operations and other functions to ensure the best outcomes are delivered against the client’s specification.
• Successfully analyse bid questions and structure responses to maximise scores against client evaluation criteria
• Ensure all bid and client deliverables fully meet with client deadlines, client specifications/requirements, compliance criteria, best practice, procedures and governance
• Participate in sales meetings and workshops with clients to present our social value solutions and to ensure we develop social value plans that meet their strategic aims for the contract
• Partner and create relationships with local organisations who know their communities well so we can co-create social value plans for specific sales opportunities in our pipeline
• Identify, develop and maintain relationships, aligned to our sales pipeline and strategy, working closely with external partners and stakeholders e.g. colleges, VCSEs, community organisations, employment and skills agencies, local authorities etc
• Identify key strategic networking opportunities and playing an active role in attending/presenting to ensure we are demonstrating we are market leaders
• Work with Social Value and CSR colleagues within the company to support with knowledge transfer and developing experience. 
• Forecast and understand Government Policy and changes, including impact on Sodexo.
• Competitor analysis and threat assessment in relation to Social Value and Sustainability

The Ideal Candidate

• The ideal candidate for this role should have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to influence and inspire
• A passion for Social Impact and/ or a good understanding of sustainability
• You should have a consistent record of building strong and effective working relationships, with the ability to engage with stakeholders at all levels both internally and externally
• Excellent written skills, ability to respond to PQQs/tenders and present data in reports 
• Experience working with Government (central and/or local) stakeholders and with policymakers would be beneficial
• You should have an innovative mindset with the ability to generate and implement new ideas
• Ability to manage and motivate multi-disciplinary, virtual and diverse teams
• Analytical skills to analyze bid questions, structuring and writing responses to maximise scores against evaluation criteria
• Commercial understanding within an operational and business development context
• A strong quality orientation and commitment to continuous improvement
• A clear and strategic thinker, able to offer new and innovative solutions 
• Ability to work to intense deadlines, under pressure and excellent at multitasking.

Package Description

Up to £63,000 plus bonus and benefits

We also offer Sodexo Discounts site promoting discounted mobile phone tariffs, savings across restaurant chains and days out, where you and your family can save money on everything from your weekly food shop to the latest cinema blockbuster and much more

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs some 36,000 employees to deliver integrated facilities management services to clients at over 2,000 locations in the energy, corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, defence and justice sectors. With an annual turnover of over £1bn, we provide everything from catering, cleaning and reception to security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling our clients to focus on their core business

At Sodexo we are committed to a leading role in promoting equality opportunities and valuing diversity and inclusion. We seek to create a work environment based on mutual respect for all individuals, building a culture that appreciates and values the experiences and skills brought by each person to benefit our organisation and work hard to ensure that all people, whatever their age, disability, gender, transgender, marital or family status, race or ethnicity, religious belief of sexual orientation are welcome to and included within our business. We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process