Account Director (Higher Education)

Our intention is for this job advert to run until Monday 16th January 2023 and we have dedicated dates for interviews/assessments towards the end of January 2023. However, we encourage applicants to apply for this role at their earliest convenience as we may be able to facilitate earlier interview/assessment dates, and, if we find the right candidate, we may bring this job advert to a close earlier than the stated application deadline.

Note: In addition to this Account Director role, we are also currently advertising for a Senior Account Manager. Please note that it is quite likely that we will only fill one of these two vacancies.

 

Job summary

At Revolution Viewing, we empower people to make life changing decisions – this is our mission.

We do this by producing solutions to help prospective students select their perfect university and home buyers to select their perfect home. Our clients are universities and top home builders from across the UK and in our specialist fields we are the leading supplier in both sectors. However, this role has a sole focus on the University side of our business.

Comment from Founder and CEO Tom Greveson:

“You will be joining RV at an incredibly exciting time. We launched our market leading Personalised Virtual Experience Platform – Vepple (www.vepple.co.uk), in 2021, capitalising on extensive research and over 15 years of experience delivering virtual experiences to the Higher Education (HE) sector. I’m pleased to say that we already have numerous clients under contract and the platform has already received rave reviews. Clients are beginning to experience the power of Vepple as a recruitment and conversion tool. The user engagement levels are incredibly positive and the resultant data we are collecting will help us to demonstrate a very strong Return On Investment (ROI) for our clients. If you are passionate about Higher Education and want to help us achieve our mission, then please do apply!”

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced sales professional with a passion for people and building relationships to join a very talented team. Experience in the HE market is essential for this role, as a key remit of the role will be to keep abreast of the latest trends and insights from the sector to inform RV strategic decisions, product development and RV content across our marketing channels.

You will be responsible for driving new business across our HE clients, you will be a champion of the Vepple platform and use your knowledge of sales / marketing to further develop our positioning of the platform to our clients.

You will report to Tom (our CEO), and work closely with him and Marieke (Head of Marketing and Partnerships) with specialist support from Jonny (CTO) to accelerate the market penetration of our Vepple platform & other complementary RV products. Jo (Marketing & Communications Manager) has recently started her maternity leave, but when Jo returns (c. Jan 2024) you will work closely with her as part of the Client Services team.

You will be accountable for maintaining and developing relationships with our existing top tier of clients across HE, using your natural flair and passion for the sector to foster these relationships.

You will be accountable for driving new business across our HE clients, with a particular focus on Vepple and our complimentary suite of HE products. You will be a champion of these products and use your knowledge of HE to further develop how we position them with our existing and prospective clients.

In addition, you will represent RV at relevant HE conferences and lead on client sales meetings, client product demo meetings (for Vepple) and RV Webinars.

More senior position / career progression

For the right candidate that wishes to progress into a more senior / leadership role and demonstrates the necessary skills and competencies, we would be open to discussing the possibility of a future ‘Board level’ position. In addition to this elevated position within the company, share options will be a possibility. Similarly, if a more experienced applicant was to express an interest in that more senior position within the company (i.e. Board level director, possible share options) and can demonstrate where and how they could add that additional value to the business, we would also be open to having that conversation.

Renumeration explained

We’re looking for someone with great commercial awareness and an ability to spot and capitalise on opportunities for growth in the HE sector. The  package for this role includes  a base salary as listed above and a generous, uncapped bonus scheme which would see OTEs of a £25k bonus.

The bonus scheme would run for 12 months from when you start with the company. During this time / your first year we forecast 15 x new Vepple sales to be a realistic target (new targets to be set / agreed each year). Of those 15 new sales, an estimated 10 would qualify for the bonus scheme – assumes 5 sales are already ‘underway’ (product demos already conducted, quotes supplied or sat with procurement etc.). There would be a bonus matrix based upon the value of the sale (e.g. 1, 2 or 3 yr contract; Silver, Gold or Platinum platform etc.), a realistic average bonus value of £2.5k for those 10 x new sales  = £25k bonus. Crucially, for all sales you will be supported by the wider team, this includes the CEO or CTO partnering with you on sales demos/pitches.

Please note: A comprehensive set of bonus terms will be supplied to candidates at the interview stage of the process.

Working at RV

Why work at RV?

Revolution Viewing is a leading visual content and technology business that produces world-class solutions.  We are a team of 20 people and operate as niche specialists at the top of our game; this is why over 110 UK universities and some of the UK’s largest home builders keep coming back for more!  See what makes us tick –  www.revolutionviewing.com/about-us

Working from office / home

The Board is keen to provide employees with the flexibility to choose working patterns and working locations (office, home, hybrid) that will support their work-life balance, maintain our great working culture and encourage team collaboration. All of our employees currently have the freedom to choose where they work from, be that from home or the office. A number of our team regularly make use of our office situated on Kirkstall Rd on the outskirts of Leeds City Centre. This office space provides work stations, collaborative / break-out space, a formal meeting room and plenty of free car parking spaces.

Who we are (team and office)

RV Office 360:  see here (former office, but nice to see a few smiley faces!)

Work-life balance manifesto

The feedback we receive from our team suggests that this is an unusual policy for such a business, hence the mention here in the job spec.  This is from Tom, our CEO: “You will get paid for the hours you work or you will be given the time back.”  Quite simply, you will never be asked to work more hours than contracted, without receiving that time back in lieu or being paid overtime.

Ten reasons to apply for a role with Revolution Viewing

  • We have a Work-life Balance Manifesto that is policy!
  • Our team tell us RV is a great place to work
  • We produce sector-leading digital media products
  • Our clients love what we do and our client satisfaction is extremely high
  • Every six weeks we have a whole team catch-up / social
  • Holiday loyalty scheme – extra holidays for years of service
  • Individual objectives set in annual appraisals and progress reviewed in monthly 1:1 meeting with your line manager
  • We share our strategy, including mission, direction and financial progress
  • We offer a thorough induction and comprehensive training for your career
  • Bonus based on performance 

Our core values

These values are a key consideration when hiring a new team member; we need to feel each team member shares these values:

  • Respect for people
  • Vibe (contribution to a great)
  • Sustainable progression (we don’t make rash decisions that jeopardise the company)
  • Honesty & integrity
  • Innovative & dynamic
  • Passion & pride (in all we do)

    Your role

    Key areas of accountability in this role will be the remits of key client relationships, new business and revenue growth through relevant knowledge of the HE sector.

    A Day in the Life

    You may decide to start a typical day by scanning any relevant HE newsletters / news sites to which you subscribe to stay abreast with the latest news & insights.

    As you are a key part of the HE client services/sales team you will have regular check-ins to understand any key sales challenges or opportunities. You will arrive at the best possible outcome for both RV and the client – this may involve approving ‘nudge’ sales strategies or attending the next client session in person.

    Often you will have a client meeting or pitch in the diary (typically you would have 2 or 3 client meetings per week in person or virtually) so you will finish off any preparation and ensure all attendees are fully briefed and clear about the desired outcomes before the meeting or pitch commences.

    You’ll spend time discussing quotes and projects with our various teams. Perhaps seeking advice from our CTO to help prepare for a Vepple pitch or client enquiry or discussing Vepple data, analytics and product road map, offering feedback from recent client meetings in order to improve our product offering.

    Depending on the locality of the client meeting and travel time required, you will utilise any remaining part of your day to contact your target clients.

    You’ll often be working closely with our Head of Marketing, consulting on the planning for the next HE conference we’re sponsoring, client drinks event or Advisory Board event. We have a Strategic Advisory Board of 10 members (Assoc/Marketing Director level) and a Digital Advisory Board of 15 members (Head of Web level).

    Finally you look at the latest sales figures to see how we are tracking against targets and start to formulate a plan if you foresee any challenges…and then reflect, relax and bask in the satisfying glow of knowing you’ve made some significant contributions towards achieving the RV Mission and that you’ve developed numerous skills along the way!

    Job remits

    To achieve the upper-level of the salary range you must provide evidence that you have at least 5 years experience in a sales role, ideally in the HE sector or within a SaSS business and in fulfilling each of the job remits below. If you don’t have the relevant experience and require further training/time to reach the required skill level, then this will be reflected in the salary offered.

    • Sales:  You will have full accountability for sales with our HE clients. From drawing upon your experience to enhance and improve our sales process to setting and ultimately achieving sales, revenue and contribution targets
    • Client Relationships:  Responsibility for nurturing and growing key client relationships, creating RV fans and strong commercial gains across our HE base, utilising HE knowledge and expertise to attract new clients to RV
    • New Business:  Network and prospect across the HE industry at relevant events and conferences to build new relationships with potential Vepple clients
    • Marketing:  Work with our Head of Marketing and Partnerships to develop and deliver the HE marketing plan
    • Strategy:  Contribute to the strategic direction of the business through quarterly OKR (Objective Key Result – Strategy) sessions
    • Product Development:  Responsibility for ensuring clients have a full understanding of all relevant RV products / services and use client feedback and your market knowledge to suggest and help RV improve existing products and develop new products
    • Financial Performance:  Monitor and maintain a robust sales forecast to allow accurate business and account performance reporting and review product packages, pricing and profitability and actively contribute to the creative solutions we provide, ensuring we remain competitive in the industry
    • Conduct:  Represent RV professionally at all times in both verbal and written communication but with a friendly, enthusiastic and personal nature
    • Knowledge:  Be responsible for keeping abreast of sector trends and competitor work and positively influencing RV’s products and services

     

    Key Skills, Experience & General Outlook

    To be considered for this role you will need to meet all of the ‘Essential’ items listed in both the ‘Key Skills’ and ‘Experience’ sections.

    To achieve the upper-level of the salary range you must provide evidence that you exceed a number of the ‘Essential’ items and meet or exceed a number of the ‘Desirable’ items listed in both the ‘Key Skills’ and ‘Experience’ sections.

    Key Skills (essential)

    • Excellent communicator (written and verbal) with the ability to adapt your approach to clients and team members
    • Exceptional attention to detail, particularly related to numeracy and target forecasting
    • Exceptional and wide-ranging communication skills which enable you to build and maintain strong client relationships and confidently represent RV’s people and products
    • Be a respected and experienced leader, with the ability to hold senior-level relationships
    • Knowledge:  Absolute understanding of the sales cycle/process
    • The ability to quickly grasp sophisticated client requirements, solve client problems, arrive at a solution and eloquently communicate the solution
    • Be a genuine ‘people person’ someone whom people warm to quickly 
    • The ability to be calm and collected under pressure, in a sales environment but also when dealing with numerous complex tasks
    • Be a seasoned public speaker who can represent RV 

    Key Skills (desirable)

    • Experience of writing content for marketing channels (this isn’t essential, what is more important is the actual insight / viewpoint)

    Experience (essential)

    • Experience of working in a sales (or related sales) roles in a senior position for at least 5 years
    • Financial:  At least 5 years’ experience of working to sales targets of £300k+ or 5 years working with HE marketing departments from the supplier side
    • Industry Knowledge: An excellent understanding of digital marketing within higher education and the student recruitment cycle
    • Experience of working for an HE institution or working for an HE focussed supplier

    Experience (desirable)

    • Experience of SaaS/software products sales and account management
    • At least 5 years’ experience of managing people and teams of more than three team members

    General Outlook

    • An insatiable passion for Higher Education
    • Inquisitive – always looking for a different way to approach a barrier or problem, able to spot the insight (whether from client or industry) amongst an array of information 
    • An energetic and positive approach to work
    • Determination to achieve sales targets
    • Alignment with our company core values

    How to apply

    See the top of this job spec for the application deadline.

    Send your email to: working@revolutionviewing.com

    Your application must include the following information:

    1. Please let us know how soon you could start if you are offered a job
    2. Let us know where you heard about this vacancy
    3. As part of our recruitment process we will be conducting 1st stage interviews (via video call) before inviting candidates to assessment/2nd stage interviews. The dates of the 1st stage interviews will be the 18th & 20th January (times for interviews will be confirmed with candidates following the application deadline). Please let us know if you can be available on these dates. Note: you will only be required to attend one of these dates
    4. Applicants successful at the 1st interview stage will then be invited to assessment/2nd stage interview. The dates for assessment/2nd stage interview are the 25th & 31st January. Again, please let us know if you can be available on these dates and to be clear, you will only be required to attend one of these dates.
    Note: Whilst we’re asking you to commit the majority of the day to the 2nd stage interview, we make our decision based on this one session. Feedback suggests candidates find it useful spending this time in our working environment.
    5. Attach your current CV
    6. Attach a 10-line cover letter outlining how you will add value to our company

    Please note: the successful candidate must, by the start of their employment, have permission to work in the UK.

    For updates on Revolution Viewing and any vacancies, we recommend you follow us on our social media channels.

    Privacy policy

    How will RV use the information about you?

    We will use your data to process your application, including complying with any legal obligations, to enable us to manage the recruitment process. We will only share your data with relevant parties as part of our recruitment process and we will not share your data for marketing or employment purposes outside of RV. For more information on RV’s job applicant privacy notice, please follow this link.

    No recruitment agencies – thank you.

    Details

    Location: Flexible remote (WFH) & hybrid working from our office:
    103 Kirkstall Rd, Leeds (LS3 1JL)

    Salary: £50,000 – £60,000 P/A  + OTE £25,000 / uncapped bonus scheme

    Looking for a more senior role and believe you can add more value to RV? See ‘Job Summary’ section

    Hours of Work: Full-time: 40 hrs P/W (standard working day is 8 hours, but our flexible working day policy provides employees with the flex they need to balance their work and personal lives)

    Annual Leave: 32 days including bank holidays (flexible up to 37 days with pro-rata salary reduction)

    Annual leave loyalty scheme kicks in after first full year of employment

    Pension: Contribution to a pension in line with the mandatory government workplace pension scheme

    Application Deadline: 16/01/2023 (start date ASAP)

    Why work at RV?

    We’re a leading visual content and technology business at the top of our game. We produce world-class solutions for our clients – this is why over 110 UK universities and the UK’s largest home builders keep coming back for more!

    We have a work-life balance policy!

    You will never be asked to work more than your contracted hours without receiving that time back either in lieu or as paid overtime (your choice).

    Best at what we do

    We produce sector-leading digital products and our client satisfaction is extremely high 

    An open and honest approach

    We share company strategy and financial progress with the team every quarter and review Objectives and Key Results together

    Hybrid working

    Our team decide where they’d like to work – at home, in our Leeds office, or a mixture of both!

    Fun and friendly team

    Every six weeks we have a whole team catch-up/social



    Holiday loyalty scheme

    Receive extra holiday for years of service