About
WeAreWaterloo is a truly local Business Improvement District made up of passionate individuals working to empower local businesses, enhance the Waterloo area and elevate the experience of everyone that visits.
We help improve Waterloo as a place to work, visit and live by delivering diverse and creative programmes that enhance and protect our environment, celebrate and promote its unique character and connect those within it.
Supported by the board of directors, thematic sub-groups drawn from the business community and an enthusiastic team, you will lead the BID through its next renewal ballot, securing a strong mandate from the local business community and drive the BID forward in its next term.
Our Vision
We want to empower Waterloo’s communities and local businesses to succeed now and thrive in the future.
We want Waterloo to be London's head-turning, underdog destination for business, life and leisure and be the best BID in Europe.
By promoting Waterloo's unique character alongside the creation of complimentary, innovative projects, we will enable more audiences to discover our surprisingly central neighbourhood, and raise the profile of the BID’s work. We strive to:
- Enhance place brand perception
- Reduce vacancy rates
- Increase footfall
- Increase spend
- Provide services that benefit our levy payers and local community
Context
The BID area is spread across northern portions of Lambeth and Southwark Councils. The BID receives its funding through an additional - and mandatory - levy which businesses in the BID area have agreed to pay every year, much in the same way that they pay council taxes. The BID must continue to demonstrate commitment towards the success of Waterloo, not only because this is the BID mandate, but also, because businesses in the district return to the polls every 5 years with the chance to vote on the BID renewal process. The next vote will be taking place in early 2026 which makes the next two years all the more important in showcasing the BID’s commitment to the area.
The BID also holds a licence to run the Lower Marsh Market, which is a hot street food and craft lunchtime market located on Lower Marsh, a street which runs through the heart of the BID district. The market currently runs from Monday - Friday and is a destination for workers in Waterloo. It also acts as a major placemaking driver for the area. The Lower Marsh Market is currently undergoing dynamic change with the potential to expand to operating on Saturdays.
Job details
Tenure: Permanent, full time.
Place of work: This is an area-based role and you will need to be active and present in the Waterloo area when needed, with evening and out-of-hours work required occasionally e.g. for events and community meetings.
We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities. We are happy to discuss flexible working arrangements, job shares or other well-considered proposals for the role.
CEO Job Description
The Chief Executive Officer reports to a board that is composed of representatives from local businesses. The Chief Executive is responsible for running all of the day to day operations of the BID as well as overseeing the running of the Lower Marsh Market. No two days are alike for the CEO as BID work is extremely dynamic. Responsibilities included within the role will include, but are not limited to, the following:
Management
- Overseeing all managerial aspects of the BID on a day to day basis.
- Managing a staff of approximately 7 executive members as well as a number of field workers.
- Creation and composition of annual and 5-year business plans.
- Project management and finance tracking to ensure actions are falling in line with business plans and budget.
- Working on a long-term vision for the organisation by liaising with local stakeholders and staying up to date with proposed plans for the neighbourhood and using these to define goals for the organisation.
Governance
- Regularly liaising with board members to encourage participation and involvement in BID projects.
- Planning, preparation and execution of quarterly board meetings.
- Planning preparation and execution of meetings with subgroups in the lead up to quarterly board meetings.
- Marketing & Public Realm (meets quarterly)
- Hotel General Managers (meets intermittently throughout the year)
- Waterloo Strategic Security Group (meets bi
- Finance & Admin sub-group (meets quarterly) - Yearly execution of the BID’s AGM and completion and submission of annual accounts on Companies House.
- Consideration towards the BID’s incorporation documents to ensure that BID activities and procedures continue to adhere to these founding documents.
Finance
- Preparing the annual budget for approval by the Board, with the support of the BID’s external accountant, reflecting the ambitions of the Business Plan within the resources available
- Regular monitoring of expenditure against budget in conjunction with the BID’s external accountant and reporting to the Board through its Finance and Administration Committee
- Working closely with staff to ensure all expenditure falls in line with individual project budgets.
- The BID receives its annual levy payments from Lambeth and Southwark councils. The CEO is responsible for working with the councils to ensure that these payments are received in a regular timeframe.
- Overseeing all aspects relative to the BID bank accounts. This includes distribution of external payments and staff salaries.
Lower Marsh Market
- The Lower Marsh Market is a subsidiary company of the WeAreWaterloo BID. Although it has its own board and staff, WeAreWaterloo holds the licence to run the market from Lambeth Council and therefore remains responsible for the overall running of the market.
- The CEO is responsible for ensuring that the market has everything that it needs in order to run smoothly. This includes ensuring that staff are well-resourced and that assets continue to be maintained.
- The CEO participates in quarterly board meetings for the Lower Marsh Market.
Business Engagement
- Regular back and forth with the BIDs approximately 430 businesses. This includes both responding to inquiries and proactive engagement to ensure that the businesses are capitalising on BID services as best as possible.
- Working with managerial staff on the delegation of an engagement strategy, which is especially important in the lead up to the BID renewal vote.
Marketing the Waterloo Area
- Working with the Head of Marketing and Strategy to ensure that messaging about Waterloo continues to remains on point and accessible from a variety of channels.
- Working with the Head of Marketing and Strategy by contributing to the annual events programme, including concept creation and recommendations for partner organisations.
- Ensuring that all BID-related information remains current and up to date on external platforms.
High Quality Public Realm
- Working with the Head of Public Realm to ensure that all tangible current and future projects are designed and executed in such a way to fall in line with internal strategies and priorities.
- Working with the Head of Public Realm to come up with project ideas that are designed in such a way to highlight Waterloo’s notable offerings and improve the accessibility and experience of workers, visitors and residents alike
Project Management
- Relying on the BIDs internal suite of documents, which include the Waterloo Placemaking Strategy as well as a BID strategy and Place concept. Using these as a foundation to continually devise and execute a series of projects and programmes that are designed to bring out the best in what Waterloo has to offer.
- Overseeing weekly staff meetings
- Overseeing any required organisational-related renewals with licences or subscriptions.
People Management
- Ensuring that the staff have all tools and assets required to perform their jobs in the best way possible.
- Providing onboarding for new employees.
- Recruitment efforts on an as-needed basis to ensure that required staff roles continue to be filled.
- Working with external payroll provider to ensure receipt of timely payment-related paperwork.
- Working with external HR consultants to ensure that the BID continues to operate on a compliant basis.
- Holding annual appraisals with all members of staff.
External Representation
- Working with international trade association, The BID Foundation, to ensure that Waterloo has a voice in the country-wide conversation.
- Representing the BID in high impact stakeholder groups such as those that may involve the Greater London Authority or local councils.
- Representation of the BID on a local level with surrounding stakeholder groups, being mindful of local issues and concerns
- Liaising with current and prospective developers to ensure that their visions fall in line with BID plans and priorities.
- Working closely with a variety of different departments within Lambeth and Southwark Councils.
You will need:
- A passion for placemaking and sustainable urban development
- A strong understanding of issues faced by businesses and city centres
- Experience of working with multiple stakeholders across the public, private and third sector
- The ability to develop an inclusive vision and strategy for an area
- An engaging and persuasive approach to communicating
- Experience of implementing projects on the ground
- Experience of leading a small team and supporting staff to work to their full potential
- Excellent written skills and the ability to write clear, compelling copy
- Strong numeracy skills, with experience of budgeting and financial management
- A good understanding of BIDs and awareness of the legislation governing their operations
Overall
The ideal candidate should be someone interested in a dynamic work environment that presents opportunities for flexible thinking and constant creativity.
How to apply
Application is by CV and covering letter, explaining why you would like the role and feel you would be a good fit for the position. Please send your application to Helen Santer - helen@helensanter.co.uk.
No agencies please.
Deadline for applications is midday on Monday 1st July.
Interviews are scheduled for w/c 15th July.
