Commercial Operations Executive & Employer Engagement Lead

Job Overview:

This is a varied, high-impact role for someone who enjoys making things happen. Working closely with the Commercial Director and wider team, you will act as a key operational hub, bringing together employer engagement, business development, CRM, commercial performance, business intelligence, marketing, projects and digital innovation.

You will help identify and convert opportunities, strengthen employer relationships, improve processes and provide an excellent experience for employers, learners and colleagues.

What you’ll be doing

You will take a lead role in the day-to-day operation and development of the Directorate, including:

• Coordinating commercial and employer engagement activity across the College.
• Supporting commercial growth, new business opportunities, proposals, tenders and business cases.
• Managing priorities, projects, action plans and key deadlines.
• Developing employer relationships and supporting the journey from initial enquiry through to successful delivery.
• Owning and developing Grofar CRM, ensuring accurate employer, learner and opportunity data.
• Monitoring commercial pipelines, conversion rates, apprenticeship recruitment and income performance.
• Developing dashboards, reports and management information to support decision-making.
• Researching markets, employer needs, labour market information and competitor activity.
• Coordinating employer marketing campaigns, communications, events, newsletters, LinkedIn activity and case studies.
• Preparing high-quality reports, presentations, proposals and briefing papers.
• Developing Standard Operating Procedures and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Championing the responsible use of AI, automation and digital productivity tools to improve efficiency and the employer experience.

About you

We are looking for someone who is proactive, commercially aware, digitally confident and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment.

You will be able to demonstrate experience in several of the following areas:

• Commercial operations
• Business development
• Employer engagement
• Account management
• CRM and pipeline management
• Business intelligence and reporting
• Project management
• Marketing and communications
• Senior-level support
• Proposals and presentations
• Experience in further education, apprenticeships or skills would be advantageous, but we welcome candidates from other commercially focused sectors who can bring fresh ideas and approaches.

Qualifications & skills

You should have:

• A Level 4 qualification or equivalent professional experience.
• GCSE English and Mathematics at Grade 4/C or above, or equivalent.
• Strong commercial awareness and excellent organisational skills.
• Confidence working with data, performance information and digital systems.
• Excellent communication, relationship management and report-writing skills.
• Strong problem-solving and project management capability.
• Confidence using Microsoft 365 and CRM systems.
• An interest in technology, automation and artificial intelligence.
• The ability to work independently, take ownership and collaborate effectively.

Why join us?

This role offers the opportunity to build a broad commercial career with hands-on experience across:

• Commercial strategy
• Employer engagement
• Apprenticeships
• Business development
• CRM
• Business intelligence
• Marketing
• Project leadership
• Digital innovation
• AI-enabled productivity
• Performance management
• Continuous improvement

You will work closely with senior leaders and have the opportunity to influence how our commercial and employer-facing services develop. The role can provide a strong foundation for future progression into Commercial Operations, Employer Engagement, Business Development or senior leadership positions.

What success will look like

You will contribute to increased employer engagement, apprenticeship recruitment and commercial income, stronger employer satisfaction, improved pipeline conversion, high-quality business intelligence, effective marketing campaigns, greater operational efficiency and continuous improvement across our commercial services.