Job Title: BID Manager
Reporting to: Board of Directors
Benefits: Pension Support
Hours: 37.5 hours (Occasional evening and weekend support as necessary)
Your Horsham Background
Horsham BID supports a wide range of businesses in one of West Sussex's busiest town centres. After two successful years, the BID begins a new term to provide improved services, lead placemaking projects, and invest strategically to help local businesses and boost Horsham’s commercial appeal.
Key Qualities and Experience Required
Essential Attributes:
An individual who can effectively unite people to achieve objectives, both through strategic partnerships and direct action as the face of Your Horsham. They should demonstrate strong natural leadership qualities and possess excellent people skills, first class communication qualities, enabling them to deliver results both independently and collaboratively with others and preferably worked at/with C-Suite level.
Relevant Experience:
The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of delivering results in previous roles, supported by their day-to-day experience. An understanding of business operations is essential, and insight into the retail or hospitality sectors would be advantageous but also within the plethora of service business on our streets and above them. However, a candidate who can demonstrate the right mindset and a willingness to learn about the needs and preferences of all levy payer sectors will also be a considerable asset.
Personal Qualities:
Energy, enthusiasm, and a passion for supporting Horsham businesses are vital qualities for this role. While there is no requirement to be geographically local and living in the town centre, it is important that the candidate truly understands Horsham and its unique character, strengths, shortfalls and opportunities for improvement/growth.
Additional desirable traits include being personable and able to quickly establish meaningful relationships, highly organised, and a self-starter who can work with minimal supervision. The ability to work well within a team, tenacity, and a professional approach are also key attributes I would value.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Leadership & Governance:
- Act as the accountable person for the BID, reporting to and advising the Board of Directors.
- Lead the delivery, monitoring and periodic refresh of the BID Business Plan, ensuring alignment with levy payer priorities and emerging town centre challenges and opportunities.
- Prepare high‑quality Board papers, briefings, performance reports, risk registers and recommendations to support informed decision‑making.
- Ensure the BID Company operates in full compliance with its Articles of Association, Companies Act requirements and best practice BID governance.
- Support Board development, director recruitment, inductions and succession planning.
2. Business Engagement & Advocacy:
- Serve as the primary point of contact and trusted advocate for over 300 levy‑paying businesses across retail, hospitality, professional services and the visitor economy.
- Maintain strong, visible relationships with businesses through meetings, forums, surveys and one‑to‑one engagement.
- Represent the interests of Horsham town centre businesses in discussions with key stakeholders including Horsham District Council, West Sussex County Council, MPs, developers, police and regional partners.
- Lead consultation and intelligence gathering to evidence business needs, challenges and opportunities, feeding into policy responses and project development.
3. Place Management, Partnerships & Policy Influence:
- Contribute to local planning, regeneration, transport and public realm discussions, ensuring a strong town‑centre‑first voice.
- Monitor and respond to policy consultations, development proposals and external initiatives that may impact Horsham town centre.
- Position Horsham within wider visitor economy, destination marketing and regional growth agendas.
4. Programme & Project Delivery:
- Lead the end‑to‑end delivery of a diverse portfolio of BID projects in line with the business plan, including events, marketing campaigns, business support initiatives and safety programmes.
- Oversee major town‑wide events, managing logistics, risk management, stakeholder coordination and evaluation.
- Ensure all projects are delivered on time, within budget and to a high standard, with clear KPIs and post‑project evaluation.
- Identify opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement across all BID services.
5. Marketing, Brand & Communications:
- Act as brand guardian for Your Horsham, ensuring consistent, high‑quality use of brand, messaging and visual identity across all channels.
- Engage with the appropriate specialists to implement suitable on brand marketing, PR and communications activity including newsletters, website content, social media, press liaison and stakeholder communications.
- Oversee the development and continuous improvement of the Your Horsham website, digital platforms and town‑centre promotional assets.
- Promote Horsham as a distinctive destination for shopping, leisure, culture and events.
6. Financial Management & Funding
- Manage the BID’s annual budget, levy income and expenditure in line with agreed financial controls and in collaboration with the relevant collection agency (Horsham District Council).
- Prepare financial reports, forecasts and cashflow updates for the Board.
- Oversee procurement, contracts, service level agreements and baseline agreements.
- Proactively identify and secure additional income streams including sponsorship, grants, merchandise opportunities, voluntary contributions and partnerships to enhance BID delivery.
7. Team, Contractor & Ambassador Management:
- Recruit, manage and motivate the BID staff team and Town Centre Ambassador service.
- Manage external consultants, agencies and contractors, ensuring value for money and high‑quality outputs.
- Foster a collaborative, professional and values‑led culture aligned to the ethos of Your Horsham.
8. Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting:
- Produce evidence‑based impact reporting to demonstrate value for money to levy payers and stakeholders.
- Use insight and data to inform strategic decisions and future BID planning, including ballot preparation.
9. Compliance, Risk & Operational Management:
- Ensure compliance with employment law, data protection (GDPR), health & safety and equalities legislation.
- Maintain risk assessments, event safety plans and operational policies.
- Oversee day‑to‑day administration including office management, contracts, insurance and record keeping.
10. Ballot Preparation & BID Renewal:
- Lead long‑term planning for BID renewal, including business engagement, proposal development, consultation and ballot delivery.
- Build and sustain levy payer confidence to secure a successful renewal ballot.
11. General Duties:
- Carry out any other reasonable duties required to support the effective operation and reputation of the BID.
How to Apply
Please send your CV and a Covering Letter advising your suitability for the role to chair@youhorsham.com by 12pm on Friday 20th February.
