JOB DESCRIPTION
Supporter Acquisition Officer
Job Title:
Supporter Acquisition Officer
Function:
In liaison with the Head of Fundraising and Marketing to devise and implement a
comprehensive supporter acquisition strategy and operational plan to maximise
Kent Wildlife Trust’s income from new members, donors and supporters,
identifying areas for improvement and growth.
To lead, train and manage the membership recruitment team, developing and
retaining people and skills ensuring motivation and performance are excellent.
Supporting staff, volunteers and Trustees in membership recruitment.
To develop existing and new entry points for recruitment activity including door
drops, door to door and telemarketing, ensuring that targets are met and the
reputation of Kent Wildlife Trust is upheld.
To actively pursue cost effective methods of recruiting members based on
external world research with a focus on lifetime value.
To develop and manage new and existing methods of conversion to convert
passive support to active financial support.
Responsible to:
Head of Fundraising and Marketing
Responsible for:
Membership Recruitment Administrator; Face to Face Recruiters
Kent Wildlife Trust
Kent Wildlife Trust is one of the largest of the 47 Wildlife Trusts, which together make up the Wildlife
Trusts Partnership. We are supported and governed by our 30,000 members, and have the simple aim
of protecting Kent’s wildlife for the future. To this end, we own or manage some 65 nature reserves
covering over 8,100 acres; we campaign and lobby politicians, decision makers and landowners to
ensure site protection and good habitat management; and we run a full programme of education work
with schools, colleges and adult groups. The Trust also has five Visitor Centres.
The Trust operates from its headquarters at Tyland Barn, just north of Maidstone. The 85 professional
and support staff work within five sections of Reserves; Conservation, Policy & Evidence; People
Engagement; Marketing and Membership; Finance and Support Services.
The Trust’s work depends on the active and diverse engagement of many people. This post is aimed
at putting effective systems in place that secure commitment to our work from a ‘first point of contact’.
Direct recruitment is central to this and to the long term financial security of the Trust and this post is
responsible for further developing our own ‘in-house’ team of Face to Face recruiters, maintaining on
and improving current growth trends.
As important is the diversification away from this staple source of financial support into other areas of
recruitment and solicitation. This will include membership recruitment through the wider staff and
volunteer body; through conversion of warm interest into active support; and through other tried and
tested methods such as telephone campaigns and direct marketing channels, at all times maintaining a
strict regard for the reputation of Kent Wildlife Trust.
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JOB DESCRIPTION
This high profile position is at the core of the Trust’s strategic vision and thus will receive
considerable support from the rest of the marketing team. Therefore the ability to meet targets in line
with budgets is a critical element of this role.
Visit our website to see the range of our activities – www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk.
Job Purpose
This post draws together a number of tasks that are crucial to the long term financial security of the Trust. The post
holder will work closely with the Head of Marketing, the Supporter Development Officer and the Membership
Database Officer in delivering increased numbers of new members and supporters. This is a post which will use to
the full a broad mixture of skills built on wide, hands-on experience. The qualities of the individual appointed to the
post will play a large part in determining the nature of the job.
The post holder will play a key part in ensuring that Kent Wildlife Trust maintains and develops the traditional or
existing sources of income of the Trust to provide continuing financial stability into the future and to develop, monitor
and invest in additional income streams that will fund the gap between traditional or existing income sources and
the income required to meet strategic targets.
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Principal Duties
1. Face to Face Recruitment
• To lead, train and manage the membership recruitment team – including the Membership
Recruitment Administrator - developing and retaining high quality people and skills, ensuring
motivation and performance levels are excellent.
• To develop a long term vision of membership recruitment within Kent and to ensure that Face to
Face recruitment remains a primary driver of operations.
• To ensure that the membership recruitment team are well trained, properly resourced and
motivated to achieve their targets and delivering to target (as a minimum.)
•
To regularly update the team with a summary of performance via team meetings and emails.
• To lead on the recruitment of members to Kent Wildlife Trust ensuring membership income
targets are achieved in a cost effective manner, and work closely with the Supporter Development
Officer to ensure that attrition is minimised over the first two years.
2.
Telephone Campaigns
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Develop a comprehensive and innovative programme of telephone based campaigns for
member recruitment, including re-activation and conversion.
To liaise with the telephone services provider, monitoring quality and return on investment.
Work with the telephone services provider to develop scripts, support caller training, and
monitor and respond to any complaints.
Deploy data collection mechanisms to supply lists for conversion campaigns.
To produce full written telephone campaign results reviews and spreadsheets (including
analysis of testing) with key findings, analysis and monitor results daily from external agencies.
To ensure that the reputation of Kent Wildlife Trust is upheld as a priority.
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3.
Direct Marketing
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Work with the Senior Management Team to help develop compelling, multiple cases for support
Develop a programme of topics for campaigns that are delivered to potential supporters through
a range of mechanisms – including door drops – utilising segmentation analysis, and seeking
cost effective forms of delivery.
To launch campaigns against pre-agreed and measured outcomes.
To develop a complete understanding of supporter motivations/needs and build coherent
recruitment campaigns around this.
To work with the Digital Media Officer to ensure that supporter acquisition is linked to online
activity in line with the direct and digital marketing strategy.
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4. Raffle
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The post holder will work with the Head of Fundraising and Marketing to develop, test and
deliver successful raffles with a high return on investment.
To effectively build the number of active gamers and to ensure that this feeds directly into
recruitment strategies and that supporter progression and development is ensured.
5. Research and general systems support
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To work closely with colleagues from across the movement identifying trends and
opportunities which will inform future acquisition.
To work with the Supporter Development Officer and Membership Database Officer to
analyse acquisition performance, monitoring the effectiveness of current activity, tracking
attrition rates and the long-term value of supporters and build findings into the strategy and
operational plans.
Manage income and expenditure budgets, ensuring accurate forecasting and strong
financial management.
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To ensure relationships with prospective members/supporters are managed to the highest
professional standards and with care.
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To keep abreast of Direct Marketing Fundraising trends to ensure Kent Wildlife Trust is a
model of best and innovative practice.
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To analyse member / donor acquisition performance, monitoring the effectiveness of
activity, tracking attrition rates and the long-term value of supporters and build findings into
the strategy and future behaviour.
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Working closely with the Membership Database Officer to design and produce reports and
data for analysis and reporting, and to oversee file segmentation seeking to understand
and refine an understanding of our audience.
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To lead on the recruitment of new raffle players and work closely with the Supporter
Development Officer to monitor the effectiveness of this recruitment activity over time.
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Help develop, plan, implement, manage and deliver welcome strategies for a range of new
audiences.
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6. Share with all staff a common duty to recruit members and volunteers, raise funds
and enhance the good reputation of Kent Wildlife Trust wherever the opportunity arises.
7. Have due regard to health & safety issues, including ensuring that all works by volunteers
conform to Health & Safety best practice (i.e. as a minimum are in accordance with the Health
& Safety at work act 1974).
Any other duties as reasonably required by the Chief Executive.
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Skills and Qualifications
The post holder will have:
Essential
Experience of management and team leadership in either
fundraising or a sales based role - motivating, managing and
developing staff –against agreed targets.
Experience of successfully scheduling and co-ordinating a
variety of direct marketing campaigns to deliver results
against agreed objectives and targets and to tight deadlines.
Direct marketing expertise gained through working in either a
sales, commercial, or charity-based environment with strong
working knowledge of direct marketing techniques.
Experience of budget management including budgeting,
forecasting and analysis.
Commitment to sound financial management and achieving
financial targets.
Experience of fundraising and detailed knowledge of the
development of acquisition strategies.
Experience of customer care processes and planning cycles.
Ability to analyse and interpret results of large campaigns to
provide recommendations to improve future performance.
Knowledge of working with Excel spreadsheets and CRM
database to analyse data.
Project management skills.
Experience of a flexible approach to managing and prioritising
a wide and varied workload, ensuring achievement of targets
within a fast –paced and changing environment with tight
deadlines.
Person Specification
Strong organisational, project and time management skills,
demonstrating effective team-working and supporting others
to deliver to agreed standards and results.
Excellent numerical skills and ability to analyse results.
Experience of legacy marketing.
Experience of digital media as a tool for supporter acquisition.
Good experience of maintaining efficient administration
systems.
Ability to co-ordinate with others to enable highly effective
team-working.
Desirable
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Other Considerations
1. The post is advertised as a full time post but flexible, part-time arrangements will be considered providing
that they apply throughout the year.
2. The post is offered on fixed term for three years.
3. Appointment will be subject to a six month probationary period.
4. No person shall be treated less favourably than another on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation, marital
status, race, ethnic or national origin, religion, colour, age or disability.
5. The Trust operates a no smoking policy
6. Kent Wildlife Trust is an equal opportunities employer and applicants for staff vacancies shall be shortlisted for interview and appointed purely on the grounds of their suitability for the post as laid out in the
advertised job description (subject to 7 below).
7. All staff share a common duty to recruit members and volunteers and enhance the good reputation of the
Trust whenever the opportunity arises
8. KENT WILDLIFE TRUST aims actively to enhance, wherever possible, the opportunities for people with
disabilities to experience, understand and enjoy the natural environment. All staff share the responsibility
in achieving this. Further information is available from the Head of People and Wildlife.
9. Under Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, all staff have a legal responsibility to:
a.
take all reasonable care of their health and safety while at work;
b.
ensure as far as reasonably practicable the safety of other persons,
whether other employees or members of the public, who may be
adversely affected by their own actions
c.
co-operate with the Trust to enable it to discharge its obligations
satisfactorily
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Employment Package
All posts within the Trust operate within pay bands. The relevant band for the Supporter Acquisition Officer
post is Points 18 to 22 on the Trust salary scale. At full time rates these are £28,376 to £31,603 with annual
increments. Part time workers are paid on a pro rata basis. The point on the scale at which applicants start
will depend on skills and experience. Finances permitting, these bands are updated once a year to allow for
the rate of inflation. Incremental rises also happen annually depending on available finances and
performance.
Normal working hours are a 37.5 hour week, which will involve some evening and weekend working. Some
flexibility will be possible within the demands of the post. Overtime is not paid, but time may be taken off in lieu.
The KENT WILDLIFE TRUST holiday allowance for full time workers is 23 days a year plus 8 days’ statutory
holidays.
After 3 months in post, eligible staff will be automatically enrolled into a workplace pension scheme. Trust will
contribute 9% of gross salary provided the employee contributes a minimum of 4%.
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Procedure for Applicants
Applications
Applicants should read the Guidance Notes carefully before completing the application form – clearly and
in black ink please (for copying purposes). Please DO NOT send your CV.
If you wish to discuss this post, please telephone Ed Charles on 01622 357803.
The closing date for applications is mid-day on Thursday 4th February 2016
Interviews
Interviews will be held on Friday 12th February and will include a Presentation and Task for which you will
be fully briefed. After the interview, candidates will be given a tour of the offices and have the opportunity to
meet Trust staff.
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