Development Director - Scotland

Are you our next Development Director in Scotland, someone who is passionate about business development and leadership in Scotland? Our current Development Director, John Heraghty, is stepping down from Common Purpose and leaves a great legacy for his successor

Common Purpose is a global not-for-profit, with an outstanding UK footprint, devoted to good leadership. We believe in a world with the potential to be more equitable and inclusive. Where people can navigate and challenge cultural, institutional and social divides, at work and in society. Where the power of diversity & difference unlocks new thinking on common problems. Where people are having the real, purpose-driven conversations, the types of conversations we need to be having to bring about real change.

The context - Common Purpose in Scotland

Scotland is a key strategic area for Common Purpose. We are well-established here and our reputation is strong. Glasgow and Edinburgh are our key focus areas and where the majority of our activity and income generation is based, although there are a number of Scotland-wide customers and buyers from other parts of the country.

The team run The Common Purpose Programme for Senior and High Potential Leaders. Each programme attracts between 25 and 30 participants from organisations as varied as: Rolls Royce, The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Vibrant Scottish Mosques, Elderpark Housing Association, NHS Lothian, Lloyds Banking Group, The Place2Be, Morgan Stanley and the Traverse Theatre.

We also work closely with partners on customized leadership programmes, some of which aim to increase the diversity of leadership in Scotland. Key partners include: Baillie Gifford, the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, the University of Edinburgh, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and Glasgow Life.

We also run student programmes with universities in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, and ran our first Legacy programme for young people in Glasgow last year, with the ambition to run them in both cities on an annual basis.

The role

The role is predominantly focused on sales and business development. You will be responsible for maintaining and growing our well-established partner relationships in Scotland as well as developing new relationships. Some of these will be self-generated and some through referrals by our alumni network, Advisory Groups and existing customers.

In the first year, the new Development Director will work closely with both the UK Managing Director and UK Partnerships Director to understand the needs of, and work closely with established partners in Scotland. Your role is to be a proactive partner that can help them anticipate and address future needs and provide solutions.

The Development Director needs to be able to operate at a senior level. They will be an ambassador for Common Purpose across a wide range of networks and sectors in Scotland. The right person will have a strong understanding of the Scotland context and be able to work alongside senior players across the country as a peer.

The Development Director will be responsible for securing an annual income target, a proportion of this income is already secured or likely as part of ongoing partner relationships.

The role will also require some facilitation of our leadership programmes for both high-potential and senior leaders. Candidates may come with those skills or will be willing to develop them through training and experience within the first 12 months of the role.

The role offers the scope to become a key player in the future development of our presence in Scotland.

The Development Director role is a full-time permanent role, home-based but with some in-person client meetings in Glasgow and Edinburgh. We are willing to consider part time employment for a suitable candidate.

You will:

• Sell our open and customized programmes to a variety of customers, with particular focus on the private sector, working to stretching income targets.
• Manage multiple and diverse stakeholders, including local alumni and buyers
• Ensure that the Common Purpose image locally is high profile, independent and professional - promoting our Common Purpose programmes and campaign through a range of communication channels including social media
• Ahead you might facilitate some of our leadership programmes including The Common Purpose Programme for high potential and senior leaders

You are:

• Enterprising, entrepreneurial, energetic, resilient and curious

• A strong communicator and relationship builder

• Driven by the need to make a difference in society as much as by business development

• Able to manage and prioritize a demanding workload in a fast-paced environment

• Able to work cross-culturally and be able to engage with people from different backgrounds and perspectives

• Have a good knowledge of, and connections across, Scotland

• Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office

What we offer in return

• A competitive salary of between £38,000 - £42,000 per annum pro rata, depending on level of experience
• 25 days of annual leave per annum, plus 3 additional days over Christmas
• A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) supporting you in your work and life
• Free Access to the Headspace mindfulness mental health app
• A best in-class Flex@CP flexible working policy, enabling you to work in the ways that suit you best
• A fast-paced environment – which will continue to test and develop you
• Plentiful opportunities for growth – you will be continually developing key skills and capabilities for your future through the role and our internal training and development programmes
• A chance to have a real impact – you will see the impact of your work as you develop content across the organization
• A strong connection to purpose – the chance to work with a diverse range of colleagues across the world driven by the same mission
• Responsibility from day one – you will be given real accountability and ownership in your role

Sound interesting? Please send us your CV and cover letter - we will not consider any applications that don’t contain a cover letter. Your cover letter must clearly outline why you think you’re a good fit for this role.

As a purpose-led not-for-profit committed to access and equity, we welcome applications from different and diverse backgrounds; attitude, mindset and energy are the critical currency for this role. Our ambitions are big, yours need to be too.

Common Purpose is an equal opportunities employer. If you have any access requirements that you would like us to be aware of to support your application, please get in touch with us at hr@commonpurpose.org