Charity Link Job Description

Job Title: Business Manager - The Goods Depot

Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer

Location: Leicester, site/office based

Salary: £35,000 - £40,000

Contract Type: Permanent, Full-time (37 hours per week)

Lead and grow The Goods Depot, Charity Link's trading arm, by developing B2B sales and partnership opportunities while ensuring effective operational delivery, logistics and distribution of white goods and beds. This role requires a commercially minded, practical and values-led leader who can build relationships with housing associations, social landlords, charities, not-forprofit organisations, local authorities and socially minded businesses, while ensuring the service is efficient, sustainable and maximises social impact.

Primary Objectives

1. To support the strategic aims of Charity Link and the Chief Executive Officer by growing The Goods Depot as a sustainable, mission-led trading arm.

2. Partner and collaborate with the Senior Leadership Team to develop and implement trading arm strategies, policies and growth plans.

3. Lead business development, B2B sales growth and partnership development with housing associations, social landlords, not-for-profit organisations, local authorities and other relevant customers.

4. Ensure trading operations, customer relationships and growth activity remain aligned with the charity's mission, vision and values.

5. To ensure the effective day-to-day running of the trading arm, including logistics, fulfilment, customer service, contractual compliance, regulatory compliance and quality assurance.

6. To meet agreed sales, income, service quality and social impact targets approved by the Board of Trustees.

Role Focus

1. Business development and partnership growth, around 50%: building a B2B pipeline, converting opportunities and managing external customer relationships.

2. Operations, logistics and fulfilment, around 35%: ensuring orders can be fulfilled safely, efficiently and to a high standard.

3. People, finance and compliance, around 15%: managing the team, budgets, reporting, health and safety, and relevant compliance requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development, Partnerships & Commercial Leadership

• Develop and implement a trading and B2B growth strategy aligned with the charity’s objectives and social impact ambitions.

• Identify and convert growth opportunities, including new B2B customer relationships, account growth, product development, partnerships and funding streams.

• Monitor market trends, customer needs and competitor activity to inform pricing, positioning, sales activity and partnership development.

Business Development & Sales Growth

Establish, nurture and convert partnerships with housing associations, social landlords, charities, not-for-profit organisations, local authorities, businesses and community groups to expand market reach and generate sustainable sales opportunities.

Lead targeted outreach and relationship-building activity to attract new customers whose values align with the charity’s mission, using networking, direct approaches, events, referrals, social media and partnership platforms.

Collaborate with marketing colleagues to develop promotional materials and case for support messaging that highlight the social value of purchasing through The Goods Depot.

Analyse customer feedback, pipeline data, sales performance and market intelligence to inform business development activity and ensure alignment with the charity’s objectives.

Account Management & Customer Engagement

• Oversee sales and account management activity, ensuring excellent customer service, clear communication and strong customer satisfaction.

Manage pricing structures, quotations and updates to ensure competitiveness, affordability, sustainability and appropriate margin.

Build, maintain and develop relationships with B2B customers, referral agencies, internal teams and suppliers, with a focus on repeat business and long-term partnerships.

Develop a strong understanding of Charity Link’s client base and the needs of people in crisis, ensuring growth activity remains ethical, trauma-informed and focused on practical support.

Supply Chain & Procurement

Oversee stock management, including monitoring inventory levels, managing stock rotation and replenishment, and reconciling inventory discrepancies to ensure efficient and effective supply for business operations.

Source and negotiate with suppliers to ensure quality, value, and ethical standards.

• Maintain strong supplier relationships and ensure timely procurement of stock.

Logistics & Distribution

• Oversee delivery operations, including route planning, vehicle maintenance, and driver coordination.

Ensure timely, high-quality and cost-effective delivery of goods to clients and external B2B customers, with operational capacity aligned to sales growth.

• Maintain accurate records of deliveries, returns, and warranty claims, including issues experienced with clients and/or client premises on the Gap Grant database to inform future decision making.

Premises Management

Oversee third-party storage logistics by managing relationships with external storage providers as primary key holder.

Financial Oversight

Manage budgets, sales targets, pipeline reporting, margin monitoring and financial reporting for the trading arm.

Manage payment systems, petty cash, and Sage sales input/invoicing.

• Ensure compliance with financial procedures, including invoicing, petty cash, and stock valuation.

Work with Charity Link’s Finance Team to strengthen financial procedures, sales reporting, invoicing processes and stock valuation controls.

Team Leadership & HR

Recruit, train and manage staff and volunteers at The Goods Depot, fostering a collaborative, commercially aware and high-performing team culture.

• Lead on staffing issues, performance management, and team development at the Goods Depot.

• Coordinate with SLT with regards to external HR, as required.

Collaborate with the Charity Link Casework Team to ensure the product portfolio reflects client need, operational learning and opportunities for responsible growth.

Health & Safety & Compliance

• Lead on all health and safety matters including risk assessments, fire safety, and first aid.

Ensure compliance with data protection (ICO) and other regulatory requirements.

• Maintain vehicle safety standards including MOT, servicing, and tail lift checks.

• Conduct risk assessments and implement safeguarding procedures where relevant.

Success in the First 12 Months

A clear B2B sales pipeline is in place, with active prospects and new relationships across housing, social landlord, charity, not-for-profit and public sector markets.

New and repeat customer relationships are generating sustainable sales while remaining aligned with Charity Link’s mission and values.

Operational systems, stock management, delivery processes and customer service arrangements are strengthened to support growth.

Performance reporting clearly demonstrates sales activity, financial progress, service quality and social value created through The Goods Depot.

Person Specification

The candidate should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge, experience, skills and abilities:

Essential

1. Proven experience in business development, B2B sales, account management or partnership growth.

2. Excellent leadership, interpersonal, communication and influencing skills.

3. Strategic thinker with the ability to translate growth ambitions into practical, deliverable plans.

4. Proven ability to identify leads, build a pipeline, pursue new business opportunities, develop strategic partnerships and convert relationships into sustainable sales.

5. Experience of or confidence in engaging with housing associations, social landlords, local authorities, charities, not-for-profit organisations or socially minded businesses.

6. Practical operational management experience, ideally involving logistics, fulfilment, stock, retail, warehousing, distribution or service delivery.

7. Experience of stock management, supplier coordination or operational systems improvement.

8. Strong team leadership skills, with the ability to motivate staff, encourage knowledge sharing and build confidence in a changing service.

9. Ability to represent The Goods Depot externally with confidence, credibility and a clear understanding of Charity Link’s mission.

10. Ability to make decisions, manage competing priorities, delegate effectively and balance strategic growth with hands-on operational delivery.

11. Commercial awareness and financial literacy, including pricing, margins, budgets, targets, pipeline information and performance reporting.

12. Excellent standard of IT including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint or equivalent), Microsoft Teams and relevant operational software (e.g., Sage, stock management and route planning systems).

13. Ability to network and liaise effectively with housing associations, social landlords, local authorities, charities, not-for-profit organisations, businesses and public sector stakeholders.

14. Self-motivated, solutions-focused and creative self-starter with the confidence to open doors and develop new opportunities.

15. A commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion within the workplace.

16. Able to achieve sales, service and operational targets and work to deadlines.

17. Ability to work flexibly.

18. Full driving license, access to own transport and willingness to travel regionally.

Desirable

1. Experience in the charity, not-for-profit, housing, social enterprise or public sector supply chain environment.

2. Experience of white goods, furniture, reuse, retail, logistics, fulfilment or facilities-related services.

3. Knowledge of the statutory, voluntary, housing and social welfare landscape.

4. Experience of contract management, service-level agreements, tenders, quotations or structured B2B sales processes.

5. Knowledge and understanding of HR, people management and team development.

6. Knowledge and understanding of Sage 50, CRM, stock management or route planning systems.

7. Understanding of social value reporting, impact measurement and how to communicate social benefit to external partners.

To apply, please email your CV and covering letter to Sue McEniff, Charity Link CEO, at susan.mceniff@charity-link.org