Who are Cardo Group?
Cardo Group is a family of companies delivering building maintenance services to local authorities, social housing providers and their residents.
Our multi-company group provides quality, value for money maintenance, compliance and retrofit services across the south west, south east and midlands. Future plans will see this develop into a national footprint.
We are currently recruiting for a Director of Partnerships to join us!
OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
The Director of Partnerships is pivotal in Cardo, driving strategic growth and managing the work-winning team. Reporting[GU1] directly to our Executive Director, this position works across our current and future clients driving strategic growth and collaborates across the organisation to create and implement effective business development and growth strategies. This role is central to achieving our vision as an ambitious organisation with strong growth plans.
ACCOUNTABILITIES / RESPONSIBILITIES:
Client Engagement
- Leverage client relationships and extensive sector knowledge, ensuring a proactive approach to identifying and securing opportunities.
- Represent Cardo in the marketplace, positioning the organisation as a trusted partner in the sector. Build and maintain relationships with clients to promote business growth activities.
Strategic Leadership
- Collaborate with managing directors and heads of service to develop divisional business development strategies aligned with growth objectives.
- Identify and prioritise opportunities and clients in the UK social housing market, building a robust pipeline of potential clients and opportunities.
Team Management
- Lead and inspire the work-winning team including business development, estimating and bids, ensuring alignment with organisational goals.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement, developing the team’s skills and enhancing overall performance.
Bid & Proposal Excellence:
- Oversee bid team submissions and execution, improving win rates through effective planning and innovative approaches.
- Ensure high-quality, competitive submissions aligned with client needs and organisational standards.
Performance & Growth:
- Develop and track KPIs to measure the success of business development initiatives.
- Drive continuous improvement in processes and outcomes, ensuring the team remains agile and competitive.
Qualifications & Skills:
- 5 Years experience in sector and similar role
- Demonstrable experience in senior business development or leadership roles within UK social housing and related sectors.
- Strong strategic thinking and market analysis skills, with a track record of building successful pipelines and partnerships with leading housing associations, and local authorities.
- Multi-disciplinary team management.
- Strong project management skills.
- Strong negotiation skills, with experience in managing stakeholder relationships at all levels.
- Strong understanding of cost estimation, pricing strategies, and financial modelling.
- Strong understanding of risk management principles and the ability to apply them to ensure successful and compliant bid submissions.
- Familiarity with industry-specific bidding processes and regulations (e.g., government contracts, procurement frameworks).
- Understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities in social housing maintenance, including sustainability, community impact, and social value.
- The ability to identify challenges within the bidding process and develop innovative solutions to address them.
- Demonstrable work winning experience.
Key Attributes:
- Exceptional leadership and management skills with the ability to motivate and develop teams.
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously under tight deadlines.
- Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
- Strong verbal communication skills.
- Excellent attention to detail.
- Proactive approach.