Business Engagement Events Manager (Maternity Cover)

Job Purpose

The Business Engagement Events Manager’s primary focus is to work with academic staff to showcase the University’s research and engage and develop partnerships with Industry. The role is key to managing the reputation of the University and assist with income generation. You will be responsible for working with the Deputy Head of Business Engagement in developing and implementing the events component of the Business Engagement Marketing, Communications and Events strategic plan for the University. The BE Events Manager will event-manage an agreed number of events throughout the year as well as project managing and implementing a programme of high quality administrative support for all BE events. They will provide knowledge and advice to colleagues looking to hold or be involved in BE related events. The post holder will also support externally hosted events, conferences and exhibitions which involve the BE team, Research and Innovation Services (RIS), Alta Innovations, or wider University, ensuring that opportunities for BE are maximised.

Working as part of the Business Engagement team alongside the College Business Engagement Partners, you will be responsible for supporting this team in events-related activity aimed at University engagement with business. You will proactively identify and ensure timely delivery of agreed events opportunities relevant to the University’s Business Engagement Strategy with particular focus on reputation, impact and income benefit. You will identify internal opportunities and match these to potential business audiences, paying close attention to the needs of businesses with whom we are already involved or targeting at a strategic level. You will also play an important role in enhancing the reputation of the University of Birmingham as an “engaged University”.

Person Specification

Events management and administration

• Significant and demonstrable experience of event management and track record in successful delivery of a creative, broad based, diverse and complex events programme.
• Excellent project management and organisation skills, ideally holding a formal qualification in project management.
• Personal confidence, independence and determination to succeed as an individual and as part of a team.
• Experience of managing budgets and negotiating contracts that deliver excellent value for money.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• The ability to accept and embrace change.

Strategic thinking & perspective

• An understanding, and ideally direct experience, of the challenges faced by academics.
• A highly-developed capacity for short, medium and long-term strategic planning.
• The proven ability to identify and seize opportunities.
• Knowledge of, and commitment to, the higher education sector and a strong belief in the importance of universities in society, coupled with an awareness of the issues that they face and the need to diversify the funding base.
• Understanding of the vision and strategic priorities of the University of Birmingham.

Communication

• Track record of building relationships and engaging senior individuals and businesses.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including the ability to prepare briefings, speeches and reports for events and to present confidently to audiences of all sizes. This will include writing for senior University staff e.g. VC, UEB members.
• Can deal with situations with a high degree of sensitivity, tact and diplomacy.
• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to persuade and influence with diplomacy and sensitivity.
• Able to deal constructively with conflict to reach a workable consensus and delivery of agreed objectives.
• Personal confidence, independence and determination to succeed as an individual and as part of a team.
• A proven ability to remain positive, adaptable and flexible when dealing with change and uncertainty.
• The ability to represent the University at senior level and to prominent, influential individuals, with confidence, diplomacy and authority.

Performance and resource management

• Demonstrable experience of actively managing programmes of work to achieve targets.
• Proven ability to meet targets, milestones and contracted outputs within agreed deadlines.

General

• Enthusiastic, target-driven and motivated to develop the Business Engagement events programme for the University of Birmingham.
• Educated to degree level and preferably holding a project management qualification.
• Ability to work under pressure and to effectively prioritise a varied and diverse workload.
• Strong sense of professional integrity.
• The desire to support colleagues in the achievement of their individual and the collective goals and to celebrate others’ success as positively as your own.
• Good all-round IT skills and experience of working with a large complex CRM database.
• The ability to work with initiative, to take decisions and think creatively and laterally.
• Proven organisational skills and ability to meet targets, contractual outputs and work to deadlines.
• The ability to work calmly, effectively and with a sense of humour, both in a team and independently, and to remain cheerful in times of pressure.
• The flexibility to work out of hours to manage events when required, for example at evenings and weekends, and to travel as appropriate.
• The determination to constantly exhibit the agreed values and behaviours of the University, the Finance Office, and BE.
• A passion for and commitment to the role that business engagement plays in a connected global university.
• Experience of working in a large and complex organisation.

Dimensions

• Staffing: No permanent line management responsibilities but will manage part time staff provided via WorkLink to support marketing and events activity. Will also provide strategic direction and advice to three Business Engagement Officers on the Discovery Day programme.
• Financial: Effectively manage budgets for each individual event as well as overseeing the overall spend for the annual marketing and events budget. Including responsibility for raising purchase requisition orders and budget reconciliation and monitoring.

Planning and organising

• The post holder is expected to manage their own workload to ensure that all tasks are performed to a deadline.
• The post holder is expected to balance the reactive and proactive aspects of the role, generating their own work but also responding the requests from the Head and Deputy Head of Business Engagement, Business Engagement Partners and other contacts from across the University.
• The post holder will be required to plan and organise a comprehensive events programme for the Business Engagement team comprising of internally organised events as well as University representation at external events.

Problem solving and decision making

• The job holder’s decisions should be informed by clear, up to date knowledge and understanding of the University’s core objectives and those of the Business Engagement team.
• The post holder is expected to make decisions independently of the direction of the Deputy Head of Business Engagement and find solutions to any issues that might arise.