Company
Business Support Business Finance (BSBF)
Contract type
Permanent/ Full- time
Salary
Up to £44,050 per annum
The Growth Company’s (GC) Business Growth Hub (BGH) team is looking for a Business Advisor – Early Years Growth Specialist. Working with ambitious Early Years business owners and senior managers across Greater Manchester, you will assess growth potential, identify barriers and develop tailored action plans to unlock opportunities for innovation and business growth. Liaising regularly with GMCA and local authority Early Years leads, you will connect businesses with specialist services and practical support to strengthen long-term performance and success.
BGH supports businesses across Greater Manchester with expert advice on funding, innovation, people, sales and sustainability. We provide tailored support to meet the needs of each business at every stage of its growth journey.
Key Responsibilities:
- Handle client enquiries by telephone and email, assessing growth potential and business needs using appropriate tools, processes and systems.
- Establish and maintain effective relationships with key client contacts.
- Ensure potential clients meet project eligibility criteria by completing initial eligibility checks before formal assessment and action planning.
- Introduce clients to appropriate internal and external services, monitoring delivery to ensure support meets their objectives and addresses identified barriers to growth.
- Monitor and collect output and impact data throughout each project, in line with funders’ requirements.
- Accurately record client enquiries, partner referrals and progress against agreed actions on GC’s CRM and relevant service-specific systems.
- Undertake detailed diagnostics with Early Years businesses to identify needs and develop comprehensive growth plans.
- Develop and maintain a network of Early Years local authority, business and professional contacts to generate referrals.
- Research, develop and deliver an Early Years cohort programme for the Early Years sector.
About You:
- Significant business and senior management experience within the Early Years sector.
- Proven track record of managing a range of business issues associated with periods of growth.
- Experienced in working effectively as part of a professional team.
- Professional approach to managing and delivering business assessments, advice and development.
- Strong understanding of customer-focused approaches to engaging businesses and encouraging their commitment to economic development.
- Knowledge of key national, sub-regional and local organisations involved in supporting economic development, business growth and the Early Years sector.
Skills Required:
- Strong sales and account management skills.
- Excellent written and verbal presentation skills.
- Confident communicator with effective networking and relationship-building abilities.
- Well-developed planning, organisational, administrative and project management skills.
- Proficient IT skills, including computerised management information systems, spreadsheets, diary management, email and CRM databases.
- Technical knowledge of strategy, financial management, sales and marketing, resources and operations.
We are currently unable to provide sponsorship for work permits or visas. Therefore, we can only consider candidates who already have the legal right to work in the UK.
Artificial intelligence can assist you during the application process, but every example and statement you include must be honest, accurate, and based on your own real experiences. If plagiarism is detected, meaning you present someone else’s ideas or experiences, or AI‑generated content, as your own, your application may be withdrawn, and internal applicants could face disciplinary action.
At GC, safeguarding the welfare of all individuals including vulnerable adults and young people is a top priority, and we expect all staff to uphold this standard. All appointments follow Safer Recruitment Procedures, including a DBS check carried out by Due Diligence Limited (DDC Ltd), at no cost to the successful candidate.
Please note: It is a legal offence to apply for a role involving regulated activity if you are on the Barred List.
We are committed to increasing workforce diversity and offer a guaranteed interview to applicants who meet the essential criteria and either have a disability or are from a diverse ethnic community.
If this applies to you, you can request consideration under this scheme during the application process. Your request will be shared only with the Hiring Manager and Internal Recruitment Team.
We also aim to make our recruitment process inclusive and accessible. If you need reasonable adjustments or have any general enquiries at any stage or the recruitment process, please contact [email protected] or call us on 0161 237 4447.
Examples include:
Meeting the hiring manager or touring the venue in advance.
Extra time for tasks.
Interview questions shared beforehand.
Accessibility software or equipment for assessments.
We’re proud to support the Ban the Box campaign, which helps people with convictions access job opportunities. As part of this, we’ve removed questions about convictions from the initial application stage.
GC is committed to fostering a culture of flexibility and agile working. Many roles will increasingly support full agile arrangements. If you require more permanent flexibility, we encourage you to discuss this during your interview so your request can be considered early in the process.
All GC colleagues will work in line with the Health and Safety at work act and the GC Health and Safety Policy.
