We're hiring! Head of Business Development

• Salary: £45,000 per annum
• Closing date: Friday 21st April
• Contract: Full time but part-time applications 3.5 - 4 days will be welcome
• Hours: Standard full-time hours are 37.5 per week. IFOW is currently trialling flexible hours - a flexible start/finish time of 8am-7pm, with core hours of 10am-4pm.
• Start date: ASAP 
• Leave: 28 days + 3 days shutdown over the Christmas period
• Location: Our offices are in London, with the ability to work from home for part of the week

Who we are:

The Institute for the Future of Work (IFOW) is an independent research and development institute exploring how new technologies are transforming work and working lives. We develop research and practical solutions to promote people’s future wellbeing and prosperity.  We work at the intersection of government, academia, industry and civil society to shape a fairer future through better work. 

As IFOW grows its network of partners, we have created a new role for someone who excels in relationship building and development, to  take these partnerships forward and search out new opportunities to advance our mission.

Role Overview:

As the UK’s leading multidisciplinary future of work hub, IFOW has strong relationships with policy makers, universities and businesses. This role will be responsible for developing these networks and relationships to advance our mission to shape a fairer future through better work. This is a multi-purpose role, with primary objectives being: the consolidation and development of the UK’s future of work network; expansion of IFOW’s sphere of influence (in particular with building forums and memberships to help share research and ideas); the securing of partnerships which create pathways to income generation.

The role will be tasked with identifying, securing and developing partnerships. These partnerships will include:

• Existing and new corporate partners and thought-leaders, who may wish to participate in our research programmes or pilot tools and methods in our new Lab.
• Trade and professional bodies, who may wish to join our future of work hub and commission and disseminate our projects and those of our partners.
• Local and combined authorities with a view to developing relationships including  commissions to support the piloting of future of work plans
• Current and future members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on the Future of Work (for which IFOW is the secretariat and research partner).
• Our growing Research Partnership, bringing together leading academic institutions across the country to facilitate exchange of ideas and information
• Current and future members and leaders of the Patrons’ Circle (a body of philanthropists who support IFOW)

Due to the compact size of our team, this role encompasses a lot of cross-organisational work, and you will work closely with the Comms, Ops and Research teams. There will be limited administrative support, so we are looking for someone who is comfortable working proactively and independently. Working closely with the Director, you will design and implement a practical and extensive partnerships strategy that will support the ambitious growth of our growing research and development institute.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop our partnerships strategy, building on the current offer and understanding the opportunities available in the marketplace based on leveraging IFOW’s unique capabilities and mission
• Embed existing contacts and networks (where relevant) into the partnerships strategy
• Proactively identify and approach new relationships with a view to creating long-lasting partnerships
• Create an engagement framework to ensure that all partners and networks are served consistently and efficiently
• Grow the number of corporate partnerships, identifying complementary opportunities that help both IFOW and the partner to achieve their strategic goals
• Work with the Comms team to ensure there is an engagement strategy for existing and potential partners via IFOW’s channels, content and events
• Develop a strategy to showcase impact to partners and potential partners
• Assess the feasibility of future commercialisation options, bearing in mind the small size of the organisation and nature of our work to advance our charitable mission
• Work closely with the Director and Head of Research to identify income opportunities from grants and foundations, and support them with the relevant applications

Knowledge, Skills and Attributes

• Experience in networking and relationship building with senior executives, academics, politicians and influencers, supported by a demonstrated understanding of stakeholder management
• A track record bringing in, and engaging with, corporates and members, with significant experience of business development, and raising money through corporate engagement
• Experience of similar organisations, either think tanks, educational institutes, campaigning organisations, charities or other bodies involved in building and utilising networks 
• Experience working in the technology, policy or social justice environment is a plus, though not a prerequisite
• Experience in networking and relationship building with senior executives, academics, politicians and influencers, supported by a demonstrated understanding of stakeholder management. 
• Experience of work in parliament, including some level of engagement in All Party Groups, is  a plus, though not a prerequisite 
• Adept at quickly understanding organisational challenges and opportunities and mapping this to the landscape
• Experienced in creating and executing an end-to-end partnership strategy
• A strategic mindset and the ability to offer and receive constructive feedback
• The ability to work both collaboratively and independently, comfortable with making decisions at pace and sometimes in a changing and uncertain environment
• Great organisational skills, a commitment to quality and attention to detail, able to manage a range of responsibilities with minimal supervision
• A strong commitment to the integrity, goals and ethos of an organisation such as IFOW

Applying for the role

In order to apply, please send a CV and a cover letter to team@ifow.org. Please ensure your cover letter is under 500 words; this is a good way for you to demonstrate that you can communicate with clarity and brevity!

We are an equal opportunities employer; we firmly believe that diverse teams create better work and as such we welcome a broad range of perspectives, approaches and backgrounds in applicants. You must have the right to work in the UK - as a small charity, we are not able to sponsor visa applications. IFOW is an accredited UK Living Wage Employer.

Should you need to make an application in a different format or require any adjustments as part of the application process, please get in touch with us.

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