Interviews will take place in person on Friday 18th September 2026 in Kilmory, Lochgilphead. Shortlisted candidates will be offered an interview slot which they will be able to book.
If you have a friendly and professional manner, strong organisational skills and an interest in helping businesses, we'd love to welcome you to join the Council’s Business Gateway team supporting Argyll and Bute’s small and medium sized enterprises. As the first point of contact for enquiries you will be responsible for identifying the client needs and taking appropriate action.
Argyll and Bute is one of Scotland’s most stunning areas. As its award-winning council, we play a vital part in the day-to-day life and long-term future of our beautiful and diverse communities. Our unwavering purpose is to make Argyll and Bute the place to be, the place where people want to live, to work and do business. And we are committed to making the council the place to have a great career, by providing excellent benefits and a friendly, dynamic working culture so that each of our 5000 colleagues can deliver services that help our corner of Scotland thrive. Join us to make a difference.
About the role:
The Council's Business Gateway service provides practical, free, confidential support to help our local businesses start, survive and grow. Working alongside another Business Support Officer as the first point of contact for enquiries, you will handle telephone and email enquiries directly from businesses as well as enquiries passed on from the national enquiry service and website.
You will be responsible for identifying the client needs and taking appropriate action such as setting up a business adviser or specialist advice appointment, sending on relevant information or links, or making a referral to other partners in the business support landscape.
You will be jointly responsible for processing applications and claims for any grant and specialist advice schemes delivered through the Business Gateway service. This will involve proactive client contact to gather information and ensure deadlines are met.
You will need to record information on the Business Gateway CRM system and provide support to the rest of the team using the system.
You will also monitor spend and results, creating reports as required.
You will provide support to marketing activity, specifically scheduling and creating content for social media posts and marketing materials to promote the service to businesses.
You will help schedule and deliver events, both face to face and online.
The post is full time and the location is hybrid. You will mostly be working from home, with regular travel required throughout Argyll and Bute to support clients and meet partners or council colleagues.
About you:
You must have experience of dealing directly with customers, resolving enquiries and co-ordinating a programme of activities, ideally supporting small businesses. You will need to be comfortable on the telephone, proficient in using Microsoft Office 365, and able to use CRM systems and databases to record data and produce reports. You need to understand the financial information used by businesses and ideally will have experience of working in the private sector or running your own business. You must be professional, flexible and able to travel regularly within Argyll and Bute to support colleagues and clients.
Our employees make good things happen in the day-to-day life and for the longer term future of Argyll and Bute. We want you to feel valued working for us. We offer various benefits to support you, such as a competitive salary, pension scheme, generous leave entitlement, cycle to work scheme, discounts on gym memberships and leisure centres, wellbeing initiatives, and opportunities for learning and career growth. We also embrace a modern approach to work, offering a flexible first approach where possible to requests from our employees to how they work. Plus include any benefits unique to role.
We care about our people and the world around us and always aim to do the right thing. From employee recognition schemes to environmental policies we have many initiatives in place to help us look after the things we all care about. Learn more here Argyll and Bute Employee Recognition Programme, Disability Confident, Armed Forces, Fair Work First Statement, Equality and Fairness, Climate Change, Flexible and Hybrid Working Policy
Argyll and Bute Council recognises the numerous benefits of a positive work-life balance to the wellbeing and productivity of our employees. We will take a flexible first approach to requests from our employees to change the way that they work. While we must balance such requests with the need to ensure the quality of the important services we deliver are not compromised, we will ensure that each request is given careful consideration with a view to achieving a positive outcome wherever possible.
We want everyone applying for a job with Argyll and Bute Council to feel confident, supported and informed throughout our recruitment process. Our Work with Us pages are designed to help you put forward your best application. You’ll find practical tips on how to clearly present your skills and experience, along with guidance on using AI tools in a helpful and appropriate way. We’re keen to hear about your own experiences, skills and motivations, so it’s important that your application reflects your journey.
To help maintain fairness for all candidates, please complete your application yourself and follow the guidance provided. This includes advice on how to use AI responsibly to support, but not replace, your own work.
Please note: Applications that rely too heavily on AI-generated content may not be taken forward.
You’ll also find information about our approach to inclusive recruitment, including the steps we take to reduce barriers and support different applicants. Alongside this, we provide details on pay, benefits and the wider employment package, so you have a clear understanding of what we offer. Our aim is to support you every step of the way in your recruitment experience with us.
To apply for this vacancy, please click on the Apply Now button at the top of this page.
If you would like clarification on any information contained within the vacancy advert and/or the job description please contact the recruiting manager, who is Kate Fraser, Senior Development Officer, [email protected] or 01546 604550.
Please note that you cannot apply for this vacancy by contacting the recruiting manager, applications must be made by clicking on the Apply Now button at the top of this page.
Please also note that we do not accept CVs, only applications completed and submitted via the Apply Now button on this page.
We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about our commitment to this please visit Equality & Diversity Policy.
