Executive Director

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Executive Director to join MIDAS, Greater Manchester’s award-winning Inward Investment Agency, whose purpose is to attract companies and wider capital investment in to Greater Manchester from the UK andoverseas.

The Executive Director will be responsible for the overall strategy, management and performance of the MIDAS Business Development team, supporting the Chief Executive to deliver organisational targets, supporting on senior client, stakeholder and commercialpartner relationships at a regional, national and global level and deputising for the CEO.

**Key Responsibilities**
- Spearhead MIDAS’ business development function, personally creating and developing a portfolio of major investment projects and negotiating them to conclusion. Also overseeing wider lead generation programmes and the overall MIDAS project pipeline - contributingsignificantly to MIDAS’ core targets
- Manage 6 Heads of Business Development, covering different sector or market specialisms, ensuring strong performance management and personal development plans run throughout the teams in order to hit KPIs
- Maintain high, consistent quality standards in customer service, business development activity and data capture, evaluating performance to ensure continual improvement
- Lead the development of market strategies and implementation plans for MIDAS’ core international markets, enhancing individual market activity with overarching business development campaigns across primary market channels
- Manage and develop a strong international network, including relationships with key partners such as Greater Manchester Local Authorities (including GMCA), DIT, universities and commercial partners in order to enhance MIDAS’ reach, capacity, stakeholderrelationships and performance
- Support the continuing development of the 'MIDAS Partnership’, MIDAS’ commercial partner programme, helping to increase income that supports business development whilst achieving strong partner buy-in and feedback
- Work closely with the International Marketing Director and other GC service areas to create strong campaigns with integrated sales and marketing activity as well as a wider integrated approach
- Liaise with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority International team and international market groups such as the Manchester India Partnership and Manchester China Forum to maximise the inward investment opportunity from those markets and initiatives
- Utilise market intelligence to ensure MIDAS’ products, services and propositions remain competitive, as well Greater Manchester as a 'product’, thus creating a climate that is supportive to business investment/expansion and knowledge transfer/growth

**About You**
- International Business to Business Services/Sales at a senior level
- Sales team management experience, driving results through others
- Understanding of multiple industry/commercial sectors and international markets and the overall business environment
- Appreciation of local / national economic development issues and inward investment
- Knowledge of public and private sector funding opportunities and regimes including ERDF

**Skills Required**:

- Strategy development - the ability to develop plans that take in to account global demand/economic trends and GM’s strengths in order to hit MIDAS’ BD performance targets
- Deal making - the ability to negotiate at a senior level in order to close deals/sales in an effective timeframe
- Client-centric - ability to build strong relationships and trust at a senior level, understanding the needs and drivers of clients and partners
- Conceptual Thinking - the ability to deal with and make sense of abstract concepts
- Effective Stakeholder Management - developing effective networks of key stakeholders
- Quality Focused - ensuring delivery to a level of quality and standards
- Developing Delivery Capabilities - creating a high performing team climate

**As part of our commitment to increase the diversity of our workforce, The Growth Company (GC) provide a guaranteed interview to applicants who meet the minimum requirements for a role who are Disabled or from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community.