Partnership Director

Job Introduction

Sodexo have a fantastic opportunity for an Experienced Partnership Director to join us on a permanent basis to lead and manage all service activities across our new University of Greenwich contract. You will work closely with the client and all internal Sodexo operations to deliver consistency in offer whilst ensuring financial targets are met.

You’ll be confident in providing strategic leadership across the account portfolio, including both Hard and Soft Services, enabling the delivery of significant profitable growth and developing business strategy in line with current and emerging client needs.

You’ll lead on client development and retention through pro-actively developing and building client relationships, and act as the key strategic interface between our client(s), Sodexo Directors and functional delivery teams developing a community of best practice. Including providing expertise as & when required to other Sodexo accounts.

Role Responsibility

Rigorous management of results

• Take overall responsibility for ensuring the contract portfolio performs to budget, achieves business plans and improves financial performance utilising nominated suppliers, maximising labour productivity in line with Company models, policies and procedures and controlling costs

Growth, client and customer satisfaction

• Take overall responsibility for ensuring that the contract is operated within its contractual terms, have a client business plan which is reviewed at least quarterly showing key objectives, goals and measures that link to the overall business plan and strategy for the segment

Contract management

• Own, define, maintain and manage account development plans, as well as leading the change management process and associated Service Levels Agreements (SLAs) ensuring risks are mitigated
• Review KPI’s and results achieved and deliver competitor benchmarks

Client relationship management

• Grow strong relationships with clients to ensure a profitable long-term partnership
• Lead by example in providing excellence in contract and relationship management
• Manage relationships and key interfaces with the client and the clients' key decision makers
• Seek feedback and validation of service from all levels within the contract

Compliance, environment, Health and Safety and risk management

• Ensuring that all aspects of the business are conducted in accordance with all relevant statutory requirements and Codes of Practice.
• Ensure that health and safety is given the number one priority by delivering all Safeguard administration in advance of and during logistical operations.  Lead where appropriate, and take part in management and employee briefings to deliver safety information to include; Food Safety, Health and Safety, Fire Safety, First Aid and any statutory, client or venue specific safety requirements

Leadership and people management

• To establish and effectively lead a highly capable team who will deliver against the strategic growth objectives
• Recruit, induct, motivate, manage, train and develop all employees following Sodexo HR policy and guidelines
• Lead excellence in performance through coaching and drive a greater understanding of technical competence versus behavioural capability

The Ideal Candidate

Essential

• Experience of having operated successfully within an outsourced B2B environment 
• Demonstrable track record of developing successful operational strategies across a broad portfolio of target client groups
• Exceptional client relationship management skills
• Development of commercially viable solutions based on rigorous techniques to understand client needs and price products/services accordingly
• Considerable experience in sector contracting and sector technical service delivery 
• Proven financial acumen essential with commercial experience and business acumen
• Proven track record of initiating and leading demanding business transformation programmes
• Proven experience of developing profitable relationships with clients
• Proven experience in identifying new business
• Excellent communication, influencing and facilitation skills
• High standards of numeracy and written communication, particularly sales/bid copy
• Continuous professional development in industry/specialism

Desirable

• Representative and active involvement on Industry bodies
• Facilities/Engineering degree/Technical background

Package Description

As part of our commitment to improving the quality of life for our employees, Sodexo offers a Flexible Benefits Scheme, allowing you to tailor a reward package to suit your needs but includes a technology scheme, private dental insurance, travel insurance, gym membership, Gourmet card, private medical insurance and the ability to purchase or sell annual leave. We also have a Sodexo Discount scheme, which offers employees and their friends and family the opportunity to benefit from over 1,200 discounts from top retailers both online and in-store. Plus bonus incentive.

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs some 36,000 employees to deliver integrated facilities management services to clients at over 2,000 locations in the energy, corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, defence and justice sectors. With an annual turnover of over £1bn, we provide everything from catering, cleaning and reception to security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling our clients to focus on their core business.

At Sodexo we are committed to a leading role in promoting equality opportunities and valuing diversity and inclusion. We seek to create a work environment based on mutual respect for all individuals, building a culture that appreciates and values the experiences and skills brought by each person to benefit our organisation and work hard to ensure that all people, whatever their race, colour, sex, gender identity  disability, nationality, national or ethnic origin, religion or belief, marital/partnership or family status, sexual orientation, age, social class, educational background, employment status, working pattern, are welcome to and included within our organisation. 

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations.

We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process.