Commercial Partnership Manager

The Commercial Partnership Manager will be responsible for growing key Partnership activities across student recruitment and commercial sponsorship strategy areas. The manager will manage the student recruitment campaign number annually as part of Student Growth Strategy programme, encompassing student acquisition (including campaign lead management and third level relationship building), member relationship development and providing customers (students, firms, members) with an excellent joined up institute offering.

The Commercial Partnership Manager will also be responsible for growing the Institute’s Commercial Sponsorship Strategy development and adding member value propositions and working with key stakeholders like District Societies. Achievement of commercial targets, excellent stakeholder management and the delivery of an enhanced customer proposition will all form critical aspects of the commercial Partnership manager role.

Institute Values

The Institute seeks to ensure an environment based on its values of Innovation with Ambition, Collaboration for Impact, Speed and Simplicity, Trust, Inclusion, and For Tomorrow, For Good. Candidates should be able to demonstrate how these may apply to them in the role for which they are applying and how their previous experience is relevant to them.

The role: 

Reporting to the Head of Commercial Development the Commercial Partnership Manager will be responsible for:

Student Growth Strategy (SGS)

The role has a broad scope, in four areas:

• Manage leads and resolve queries from prospective students as part of the annual flexible route recruitment campaign.
• Develop and manage long-term relationships with a small number of accounts on behalf of the Institute to improve customer satisfaction levels, training and student numbers and increase engagement of wider Institute services.
• Develop and nurture Partnership style relationships with key 3^rd level institutions and feeder organisations (ATI) to become a ‘go to’ ambassador to inform students on Chartered Accountancy.
• Manage 3^rd level engagements, such as presentations and attendance at Career Fairs across 3^rd level institutions in ROI.
• They will undertake a range of other recruitment activities in support of the Key Account Management (SGS) strategies.

Sponsorship and revenue generation: 

To further develop the Institute wide sponsorship programme which maximises value for members, the Institute and all stakeholders. The function of this role is to nurture, manage and onboard new Partnerships, and service existing Partnerships, making sure that all parties are aligned, especially in regard to event management and other commercial Institute products/services like publishing, advertising and thought leadership assets. A key objective will be developing tactical commercial opportunities to add value to members (for example; member benefits, tactical exhibitors at Institute events) and act as a first engagement point for prospect commercial Partnership activity.  Activities will include: 

• Assist in the development of institute’s commercial Partnership proposition
• Identification and development of potential commercial Partnerships and income generation opportunities
• Management of existing commercial Partnership relationships
• Manage the budget of the team, including invoicing, POs and KPI monitoring of revenues, year end and future forecasting and planning.
• Co-creation (with Partners) of additional benefit for members and students, through sponsorship activations and new member benefit offers.
• Management of key stakeholders, with particular attention on relationships with student and district societies colleagues.
• Assist in the onboarding of the new large commercial Partners.
• Monitor market trends, research consumer markets, and competitors' activities. Work with Partnerships Onside and Coyne Research.
• Measure and report performance of all commercial sponsorship campaigns and assess ROI and KPIs. Where needed develop KPIs.
• Devise innovative growth strategies.

Planning and budgets: Assist in developing, implement and manage the annual plan with a supporting budget and income plan (where applicable).

Policies: implement Chartered Accountants Ireland policies, standards and initiatives locally including but not exclusively in relation to Performance management, relevant codes of conduct, Data protection, IT policies, etc.

Team: the role will involve managing projects directly, colleague and stakeholders indirectly. 

Other duties and projects as assigned by the Head of Commercial Development and Director.

The candidate:

The Commercial Partnership Manager should have demonstrable experience in a customer service or revenue generating role. They should be able to demonstrate a capacity to communicate and influence credibly and effectively at all levels and through various communications channels (writing, presenting, phone, social media etc). Ability to identify and action commercial opportunities from insights and business intelligence. Experience in the membership, education or professional services sector is highly preferable.

Other skills required:

• Self-motivated, enthusiastic and tenacious - able to take ownership of issues and thrive in a results-driven environment.
• Excellent listening and presentation skills – comfortable communicating via email, phone, online presentations, screen-share and in-person meetings.
• Ability to develop and manage research programmes to develop insights and actionable commercial intelligence.
• Have a strong affinity with a range of marketing techniques and appetite to collaborate with marketing team– knowledge of email/database marketing particularly relevant.
• Experience in devising and delivering client-focused solutions based on customer needs.
• Excellent project management skills.
• Experience in working in a continuous improvement environment.
• Minimum degree-level educated.
• Requirement to travel (predominantly within island of Ireland) – full clean drivers licence.

Flexible work Arrangements

The Institute is seeking and encourages applications from experienced candidates who may be looking for flexible work arrangements. If such arrangements are being sought please bring these to the attention of your interviewer.

The Institute will use the information which you have provided in this form to respond to your request or process your application and will hold and protect it in accordance with the Institute's privacy statement, which explains your rights in relation to your personal data.  By submitting this application acknowledge you have read our privacy statement.

How to apply:

Please complete your CV and cover letter and send via email to hr@charteredaccountants.ie.

You may post applications to the HR department:

Human Resource Department
Chartered Accountants Ireland
Chartered Accountants House
47 Pearse Street,
Dublin 2,
Ireland. 

Chartered Accountants Ireland is an equal opportunities employer.

The Institute is developing an environment based on its values of Innovation with Ambition, Collaboration for Impact, Speed and Simplicity, Trust, Inclusion, and For Tomorrow, For Good. Candidates should be able to demonstrate how these may apply to them in the role and Institute.