Community Associate

**Community Associate**

**About the Central Research Laboratory (CRL) and Plus X**

The Central Research Laboratory is one of the UK’s leading innovation hubs, a place where breakthrough product ideas become reality. Since opening in 2015 we have helped businesses build everything from next generation service robots to devices that help relieve chronic eczema to new, sustainable, plastics made from potato waste. Our coworking community of startups (our ‘members’) has built a global reputation.

Building on the success of CRL, we are now expanding our innovation hubs into a national network under a new brand name, Plus X. The first of these spaces, Plus X Brighton, opened in 2020 and in 18 months CRL will move into a beautiful, newly converted Victorian power station 3 minutes’ walk from our current location and become Plus X Powerhouse.

**Plus X mission and values**

Our innovation hubs offer flexible workspace (from hot desks to private offices) specialist prototyping facilities (3D printers, laser cutters and more) and innovation programmes (design, engineering and business support). Through this support, Plus X helps ambitious entrepreneurs and companies to grow which, by creating high value jobs, makes the local areas in which we are based more vibrant and productive. Over the next few years, we will expand to do this at scale so that we can both create a bigger positive social impact and drive the commercial growth of Plus X.

To fulfil this mission, we are looking to attract people to join Plus X from a wide variety of backgrounds who can add their unique experience and perspective and help us deliver on our ambitious goals. While championing diversity of backgrounds, we also recruit for shared values and believe that our strong company culture is key to our success. PlusX Brighton is a living wage employer.

**Job summary**

**Location**: Central Research Laboratory, Shipping Building, 252 Blyth Road, Hayes UB3 1HA

**About the role**

As Community Associate you will manage the smooth running of the day-to-day operations of our workspace, community management, community marketing and workshop assistance.

**Goals and Objectives **
- Build a welcoming and collaborative community environment amongst our members through space management and building relationships between members 
- Support the Location Manager and team to ensure the building is running efficiently
- To support the Heads of Marketing in executing and delivering the marketing plan to attract startups and SME’s to the Central Research Laboratory coworking space
**Communal Space Management**
- Ensure standard operating procedures for opening the space are carried out, closing down of space & event set up and that the member experience of the communal spaces are consistently excellent
- Tracking of inventory and reordering of consumables for communal spaces
- Lead ideas and initiatives to enhance the members experience of the facilities
- Formulate a relationship with external neighbors and local business, e.g leading new initiatives for local discounts
- Support Location Manager with supplier research, sourcing and identify potential cost reductions for the company.

**Marketing** (Training given)
- Support on the generation of marketing content including digital and print assets
- Support with event co-ordination for both online and offline events
- Collating marketing and sales reports

**Workshop Assistance**
- Daily opening and closing checks for the Electronic and Heavy workshops
- Organising and maintaining the Workshop consumables
- Assisting the Workshop manager with member inductions and machine training
- Basic maintenance of machinery

(specialist training will be given for all aspects of the workshop assistance, if required)

**Community Management **
- Develop relationships with members and proactively gather information on their needs to identify initiatives that could help them achieve their goals.
- Organise internal community events and co-ordinate with external event groups
- Support Location Manager in research of prospective members in the sales pipeline, follow-up and closing requirements as necessary

**Experience and Requirements **:

- Demonstrate integrity, responsibility, accountability, and empathy 
- Exceptional organisational and multitasking skills 
- Must have strong verbal and written communication skills 
- Passion for entrepreneurial communities 
- Ability to take initiative 
- Customer service experience
- Experience with creative software such as Adobe and/or Canva is a plus
- Proficient in Microsoft Suite: Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Teams, Sharepoint
- Attention to detail with data, copy writing and creative assets

**Key Result Measurement**
- Positive feedback from wider location, programme and marketing teams
- Achievement of location OKR’s
- Demonstration of Plus X values

Salary and Benefits Salary: £20,000 per annum Plus X is proud to offer the following bene