Strategic Project Development Manager

The Strategic Project Development Manager will help to develop strategic relationships and projects with existing and potential service users (members and partners) from across the respective underwater industry sectors. These extend to large corporations, SMEs, OEMs, start-up companies, trade, industry and academic partners. A significant focus of this role will be in relation to floating technologies including mooring, anchoring, connection systems design, installation and testing.

The GUH programmes and forums exist to align with GUH strategic focus areas. These forums will drive the current and future activity and direction of industry engagement and membership value. This will then also influence and drive the GUH activity agenda in areas such as events, publications, and external communication across a wide range of stakeholders. The role will take an active leading role in multiple GUH strategic programmes. This includes participant and member recruitment, objective setting and alignment with genuine industry demand.

The programme will be defined by a whitepaper, steering and sub-group structure and measured deliverables including but not limited to industry guidance papers, investment signposting, sector gap analysis and demonstrable sector transition. The role will be key in the leadership, administrative management and alignment of GUH programmes associated with floating technologies including mooring, anchoring, connection systems and testing. Strategic programmes guide many of GUH’s nationally significant conferences, events and external communications and so the role will be pivotal in setting the direction and focus of these outputs related to areas of management.

Member Development and Recruitment: Aligned to the wider Strategic Programmes (over and above those under management), the role will be responsible for securing GUH membership and enhanced participation. GUH mandate to convene industry is supported by appropriate membership and so the post holder will support this objective by recruiting organisations with alignment to programme areas.

Business Development: Additional business development activities include pursuing proactive revenue generation opportunities through enhanced member activity including programme/forum participation, event sponsorship or stand agreement, workshop facilitation, bespoke market intelligence or other value-adding activities provided by GUH. While active across the GUH full membership, this role is anticipated to focus on members which align with programme management focus.

Given the multiple areas of focus, line management for the role sits directly under the Strategy and Policy Director with responsibility for the delivery of all strategic programmes. Reporting lines and functional alignment also sit under the Regional Director with responsibility for membership development activities. This role will be crucial to identifying, developing and implementing the key membership targets for the GUH, while supporting development of national and international relationships where appropriate. As such the role holder will work closely with the Regional Director and GUH senior management team (SMT) to develop and implement aligned membership targets to support the GUH growth plans. In broad terms, the role can be seen as a balance between programme leadership and business development which a broad ratio of 2:3 days per week spent on each activity on average.

Key Accountabilities:

• Develop and manage a series of strategic programme areas focusing on areas of supply chain excellence. This includes the design and population of industry-led steering and sub-groups and the delivery of group-agreed objectives and outputs.
• Authorship and delivery of whitepaper for programmes of responsibility.
• Subject matter expertise for GUH within floating technologies including thought leadership, presenting, chairing, content generation and leadership of technical forums.
• Develop, build and maintain strategic relationships with members and potential members with particular focus on floating technologies such as mooring and anchoring systems, connection systems, design, installation and testing.
• Manage and grow relationships with stakeholder organisations including enterprise, local and national government, strategic delivery bodies and trade development organisations, building on existing relationships and securing partnership agreements.
• Ensure GUH is represented in external forums, working groups and panels of note where there is alignment with our strategic programmes.
• Promote the value proposition of membership and play a leading role in new business development, membership recruitment and retention.
• Manage and drive membership renewals and ensure full and proper maintenance of membership records and internal membership databases.
• Secure enhanced (financial) support for GUH. This includes additional proactive revenue generation opportunities from membership (stand sales, advertising, bespoke intelligence projects) in addition to relevant funded projects within the strategic programmes by Government, enterprise, delivery bodies etc.
• Ensure that existing and potential new members key drivers, organisation and current plans are known, understood and shared within the wider GUH organisation.
• Support strategic initiatives in driving the organisation forward, and provide data gleaned from existing, new and prospective members to support business cases and initiatives.
• Work closely with the market intelligence team and sector specialists to ensure that strategies are aligned, and provide data input from market intelligence gained via member companies as appropriate.
• Encourage collaboration within the global underwater community.
• Other duties as directed by the Regional Director or SMT.

The role holder will be computer literate, confident in using Microsoft Office and have experience in utilising and maintaining customer relationship management systems.

Trustworthy– We are an open and welcoming organisation.

Strategic– We are an intelligence led organisation providing stakeholders with access to information relevant to the underwater marketplace.

Expertise– We are industry subject matter experts, providing specialist knowledge of all sectors of the underwater industry.

Insightful– We ensure our stakeholders have access to relevant data and market analysis to allow them to harness opportunities in a growing global marketplace.

Collaborative– We work across industry sectors to facilitate and support collaboration with colleagues and stakeholders.

All our activities are underpinned with a demonstrable focus on our own personal health and safety and the health and safety of our colleagues and stakeholders. We always demonstrate safety leadership in our words and actions.

Person specification

Qualifications and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent demonstrable relevant experience in an operations, technical or business-related discipline.
• Strategic and operational experience within relationship management.
• Demonstrable relevant experience in a similar role / environment.
• Knowledge and experience of underwater business environments across multiple sectors.
• Advanced knowledge and demonstrable experience with floating underwater technologies.
• Has proven ability to interact and develop respect with a broad range of stakeholders and senior level management.

Specific training / specialist skills:

• Public speaking, presenting and facilitating industry meetings and events.
• Ability to convey technical knowledge and articulate at a variety of levels.
• Ability to act as the main relationship management contact for the GUH membership.
• Coordinate and deliver membership relationship management activities across the GUH organisation.
• Ability to establish and implement GUH relationship management plan for existing and potential new member organisations across the Subsea sector.
• Ability to represent and build relations at trade fairs and GUH customer events.
• Shaping and safeguarding of internal relationship management agenda.
• Can demonstrate a track record of successful project delivery, on time and budget.
• Ability to manage multiple projects at the same time.

Personal skills:

• Confidence in public speaking, presenting, chairing and facilitating industry meetings and events.
• Has proven ability to interact and develop respect with a range of stakeholders and senior level management.
• Has the proven ability to facilitate and support collaboration with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Is strategically aware but action orientated.
• Is a proven self-starter, capable of working under own direction.
• Commands respect from peers and demonstrates the ability to lead, motivate and develop diverse staff.
• High level of integrity and discretion in dealing with sensitive information.
• A keen attention to detail.
• Excellent organisational skills.

Next steps: If you are interested in applying for this role, please send a CV and covering letter to Angus Brechin, HR Manager, Global Underwater Hub - angus.brechin@theguh.co.uk. If you have any requirements or adjustments that you may need assistance with throughout the application process, please contact Angus Brechin or call 01224 506600.