Henley On Thames Town Council
Business Development Manager
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Deadline for applications: Friday 23rd October 2026 at 1pm
How to apply: CV and cover letter stating how you feel you meet each aspect of the person specification below to clerk@henleytowncouncil.gov.uk.
Salary: £45,529 to £48,738 pa pro rata
Hours: Part-time 21 per week (0.6 FTE) - Full-time considered
Contract type: Permanent
About the Council
The Town Council represents the thriving and picturesque Henley-on-Thames, bordered by both the Chilterns and the River Thames. Henley is renowned for its beautiful market town facilities, its sporting achievements, and an ever-growing programme of cultural and recreational events.
The Town Council is the first tier of local government, with 16 councillors and a staff of c.30. We are one of the busiest town councils in the country, providing a wide range of quality services including parks, recreation grounds, open spaces, sports and arts facilities, allotments, cemetery, moorings, car parks, a visitor information service, and community buildings. We also have an extensive property portfolio and significant financial investments.
We are a very ambitious town council, dedicated not only to fulfilling our statutory functions, but leading on a wide range of projects and services to benefit the community. Recent and ongoing projects include a new adventure playground and installation of air source heat pumps and solar panels on Council-owned buildings, constructing a new 3G football pitch; provide a new sports pavilion, parks depot, and more affordable housing for the town; expanding the town bus service; renovating several Council buildings; creating new pedestrian crossings; improving the Christmas Festival and lights; and campaigning for better water quality in the Thames.
The Council has also declared both climate and nature emergencies and is dedicated to leading on schemes to improve biodiversity, sustainability and reduce emissions throughout the town.
Purpose of the role
This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious and commercially minded individual to join Henley-on-Thames Town Council and play a key role in increasing the income generated by the Council's commercial activities.
The Council has a range of commercial assets, services and activities, including its property portfolio, car parks, moorings, markets, venue hire, 3G and 2G sports pitch hire, advertising, sponsorship and other income-generating activities. The successful candidate will be responsible for reviewing the performance of these income streams, identifying opportunities for growth and developing and implementing practical initiatives to sustain and increase income.
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The purpose of the role is not simply to generate additional income. Increased commercial income will enable the Council to invest more in the services, facilities and projects that benefit the local community. The successful candidate will therefore need to combine commercial and political acumen with a strong understanding of public service and the Council's responsibilities to its residents.
A key part of the role will also be to improve the overall customer experience. The successful candidate will look at the way customers interact with Council services, identify opportunities for improvement and ensure that commercial activities are professionally managed, accessible and responsive to customer needs.
Duties and responsibilities
- To develop and implement a commercial development strategy for the Council's income-generating activities.
- To identify and develop opportunities to increase income from existing Council assets and identify new sustainable sources of sustainable income.
- To review and recommend appropriate fees, charges and pricing structures, ensuring they are commercially sustainable, competitive and appropriate to the Council's objectives.
- To improve the customer experience across the Council's commercial services and facilities, using customer feedback, market research and data to identify and implement improvements.
- To develop and maintain effective relationships with councillors, businesses, commercial partners, tenants, community organisations and other stakeholders, identifying opportunities for collaboration and income generation.
- To identify and develop opportunities for sponsorship, partnerships and commercial collaboration where these can generate income or provide wider benefits to the town.
- To work closely with the Estate team to maximise the appropriate use, income and long-term value of the Council’s property portfolio.
- To work closely with the Town Centre Manager and Communications Manager to develop appropriate marketing and promotional activity to increase awareness, usage and income from Council services, facilities and commercial opportunities across the town.
- To establish and monitor key performance indicators for commercial activities, reporting regularly on income, performance, customer experience and progress against objectives.
- To prepare clear and well-evidenced reports, business cases and recommendations.
- To work closely with the Finance team and relevant service managers to monitor financial performance, manage risks and ensure commercial activity complies with the Council's governance requirements.
- To undertake other such activities as may be required for the effective running of the Council.
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Person Specification
Essential
- A proven successful track record in business development, commercial management, income generation or a related field.
- Demonstrable experience of identifying and successfully implementing opportunities to increase income or improve commercial performance.
- Strong commercial awareness, with the ability to identify opportunities while understanding financial, operational and reputational risks.
- Experience of developing business cases, commercial proposals or business plans, including financial analysis and assessment of return on investment.
- Strong financial and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data and use evidence to inform decisions.
- Experience of improving customer experience and developing customer-focused services.
- Excellent project management skills, with a proven ability to turn ideas and opportunities into successful outcomes.
- Excellent negotiation, communication and relationship-management skills, with the ability to work effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.
- Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities.
- Self-motivated and able to work under own initiative, while also working collaboratively as part of a wider team.
- An understanding of the role and responsibilities of local government, including the particular considerations involved in generating income within a public-sector environment.
- The ability to operate with impartiality in a political environment.
Desirable
- Experience of working within local government or another public-sector organisation.
Further details
The Town Council is an equal opportunities employer and committed to good staff welfare. This includes flexible working arrangements and the Council is willing to work with the successful applicant to negotiate working hours to suit both the employee and the Council.
The Town Council also offers a very generous pension scheme, free town centre parking, an Employee Assistance Programme and training opportunities.
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