Senior Client Engagement Consultant - Housing

AKG Group UK Company:

AKG (UK) Learning

Position Title:

Senior Client Engagement Consultant

Role Status:

F/T

Reports To:

Client Engagement and Experience Director

Roles Reporting to this Position:

None

Primary Objective:

The primary purpose of this role is to meet or exceed the company sales revenue targets in your sector. This will be achieved by adopting a consultative approach with clients and working closely with the relevant colleagues from Quality and Operations to develop bespoke programmes that are aligned to clients identified training needs. As a Senior Client Engagement Consultant your primary target audience will be large employers who are apprenticeship levy payers. You will develop new business relationships and manage your accounts to ensure targets are met and there is a continuous flow of new employer opportunities and accounts are well managed to achieve regular repeat business.

As part of the management team, you will work with peers to ensure the service offer meets and exceeds client expectations, support Operations to resolve delivery issues, work with the Enrolment Administrators to achieve targets and remove barriers and bring new ideas to the table. Additionally, you will take on the role of mentor for Client Engagement Consultants, supporting them with research and sales techniques that assist them to generate learner starts in their sector.

A key success factor is to have passion about your sector and share the core community centric values of the business. As part of the AKG, we aim to make a difference and add value beyond the achievement of a qualification and/or apprenticeship.

Key Relationships/Interactions

Internal

• All AKG (UK) Learning Departments
• All wider AKG Group departments

External

• Local Authorities
• Sector Influencers and Networks
• Stakeholders

Key Responsibilities

1. New Business Development

a. Procurement Opportunities

• Register on the main online procurement portals used by your sector.
• Keep abreast of trade publications for potential new opportunities.
• Monitor opportunities arising, for those that are suitable for LPU, summarise the key information for discussion with the CEED and other relevant colleagues.
• Work closely with your peers to ensure you understand their requirements and share any suitable opportunities.

  b. Bids and Tenders

• Adopt a proactive approach to support the writing of bids and tenders in your sector.
• Work with other members of the bid writing team to achieve the best submission.
• Lead on the development and delivery of pitches and presentations to potential clients.
• Take a supporting role with colleagues who are developing and delivering pitches and presentations for potential clients.

  c. Sales Channels, Partnerships and Subcontracting

• Make effective use of a range of sales channels to develop new client relationships and new business.
• Adopt an outward facing approach, identifying potential partnerships that could yield new business in your sector.
• Maximise networks to identify subcontracting opportunities that LPU might be interested in exploring.
• Attend relevant conferences and careers fairs to generate new business.

  d. Apprenticeships: Levy and Non-Levy

• Meet or exceed new business sales targets.
• Target larger levy paying employers to develop long-term sustainable relationships.
• Adopt a consultative approach, looking beyond just apprenticeships, but at the wider business training and development needs.
• Carryout a Training Needs Analysis (TNA).
• If ESOL is identified as an area for development, ensure our USP in this area is brought to the table and the Head of Learner Support is involved in key discussions.
• Promote our apprenticeship matching service.
• Produce engaging business proposals and presentations, with the objective of securing new business.
• Work with the client to develop programmes and plan cohorts of new apprenticeship starts.
• Work with the marketing and design team to develop branded marketing resources.
• Work with Quality and Operations to make agreed adaptations to the core curriculum.
• Refer high quality learner starts that support the business to minimise early leavers and maximise timely achievements.

  e. Commercial and Advanced Learner Loans

• Linking to 1.d.iv and 1.d.vi, ensure that all commercial opportunities are fully explored and included for further discussion as part of the business proposal.
• Identity common requests for commercial training in your sector.
• Promote LPU’s ESOL for Work programmes.
• Linking to 1.d.iv and 1.d.vi, ensure that when appropriate Advanced Learner Loans opportunities are explored and included for further discussion as part of the business proposal.
• Work with the client to develop programmes and plan cohorts of new apprenticeship starts.
• Work with the marketing and design team to develop branded marketing resources.
• Work with Quality and Operations to make agreed adaptations to the core curriculum.

• Account Management

a. Account Management

• Proactively manage your accounts to ensure high satisfaction levels are maintained and to maximise sales opportunities.
• Provide up to date performance data report for your accounts.
• Hold account management meetings at agreed intervals.
• As a minimum formerly review progress towards the objectives agreed from the TNA and business proposal half-way through and at the end of cohort 1, if any changes are required discuss these with the relevant Operations Manager.
• Work closely with the relevant Operations Manager to collaboratively review account performance and meet with clients.
• Continue to plan new cohorts.
• New TNAs may be required as the clients’ business needs change; adopt a supportive approach to keep clients engaged in the process.
• Encourage clients to hold certificate presentations and celebrate success internally and externally.
• Adopt a proactive approach to the development of case studies.
• Adopt a proactive approach to the nomination for employer and learner of the month
• As appropriate promote LPU’s ESOL for Work Programmes and apprenticeship matching service.
• Work with the Operations Managers to drive up the volume of ‘excellent’ employer reviews on ‘Find an Apprenticeship.’

• Quality and Compliance
• Ensure clients are engaged and have a full understanding of their commitments, through effective and robust information, advice and guidance.
• Ensure learner referrals are high quality, result in low levels of early leaver and high levels of achievement.
• Support the Ofsted Nominee with the planning and preparation for inspection, by engaging with clients and learners to book appointments and prepare them for inspection.
• Ensure all data entry meets internal and external requirements.
• Keep up to date with relevant funding rules, including, but not exclusively eligibility and suitability.
• Ensure employer contracts are in place and current for all your employer clients.
• Work closely with your employer clients to support them to manage the various stages of the DAS and wherever possible gain approval for LPU to manage the data input on their behalf.
• Support the Enrolment team with Training Plans as and when required.
• Ensure that the employer client has a health and safety policy, that training is undertaken at induction and there are annual refreshers.
• Where required ensure that health and safety requirements have been met, in particular for learners under the age of 18 or those with a disability or declared ill health.
• Ensure suitable safeguarding arrangements are in place for learners under the age of 18 and vulnerable adults.

Essential/Desirable Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Thisisahome-basedrole;however,youwillbeexpectedtotraveltomeetwithclientsandcolleagues,attendevents and company meetings. The role holder will be required to have a driving licence and be able to have access to a car with business use insurance, for business purposes.

Essential:

• Experience of:
  • developing high-level external partnerships and relationships
  • consultative sales ideally in the skills and apprenticeship sector
  • completing organisational TNAs with clients
  • developing business proposals
  • developing and delivering business pitches and presentations
• A proven track record of:
  • positive outcomes from business proposals
  • winning new large employer business
  • effective account management to generate a continuous flow of new starts
  • problem solving
  • meeting or exceeding targets
• Highly effective communication skills
• Results and solutions driven
• A team player
• A basic knowledge and understanding of ESFA funding rules
• Proficient Microsoft Office user
• English and maths as a minimum GCSE grade C or equivalent

  Desirable:

• Project management skills
• A proven track record of successful bid / tender writing; self-writing or managing the function
• Experience of marketing and design
• Expert Microsoft user with advanced Excel skills

Inclusive Recruitment and Accessibility

AKG UK is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We welcome applications from candidates with a range of backgrounds, experiences and working styles. Candidates are encouraged to let us know if they require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process. Applicants do not need to meet every desirable criterion to apply; we are interested in relevant skills, potential and values alignment as well as direct experience.

Compliance

It is the responsibility of all staff to abide by organisational policies to ensure compliance with relevant standards e.g. ISO 27001 (Information Security), ISO 9001 (Quality) and ISO 14001 (Environmental) as well as adhering to statutory duties in relation to safeguarding, Prevent and health and safety.