• Position Title: Business Development Manager
• Start date: December 2023
• Employment Status: FT/PT
• Standard hours: 30 hours per week
• Duration: 36 months, fixed term
• Location: Collingwood Yards @ 101/30 Perry St, Collingwood
• Reporting to: CEO

About The Social Studio

The Social Studio is a not-for-profit social enterprise based in the Collingwood Yards arts precinct. 

Our unique model is made up of three fashion-based not-for-profit social enterprises: an RMIT-accredited school, an ethical production studio, and a store which stocks our own sustainable label alongside other socially-conscious brands. The common thread? Every one of these different initiatives exists to empower Australia’s refugee and migrant communities through education and employment. Each part of our ecosystem either provides these practical opportunities or funds them.

The Social Studio is a place that can change dramatically from day to day. It can sometimes be a quiet place where only a few students are working and it is easy to manage. Other times, however, the Studio can be a place with many students sharing the one cutting table and the sewing machines to complete their work, manufacturing trainees completing their work experience hours, the retail space busy with customers and the manufacturing studio bustling with staff working to deadlines. Flexibility and adaptability are essential to manage the constantly changing nature of the Studio and the staff, students and trainees within it. Ability to build rapport with all students and staff is crucial; it is the relationship that the students have with staff that encourages consistent attendance and success.

The Social Studio is an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to reflecting the social and cultural richness of our community. This is a rare opportunity to join our close-knit, values-driven team. People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, or with lived experience of displacement or migration, are strongly encouraged to apply for this role.

Role overview

The role of the Business Development Manager is to assist the CEO and Board in growing the social enterprise operations of The Social Studio, build stakeholder relationships with corporate and government clients, and drive organisational systems change to balance our social impact goals with increased financial sustainability.

Key responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Working with the CEO, department heads and Board members to identify potential clients and sectors that align with Studio values and pursue new partnerships
• Working with the CEO to develop the Studio’s next three-year social enterprise business strategy
• Setting social enterprise-related budgets and KPIs while monitoring and motivating each department to meet and exceed these targets
• Organising stakeholder meetings and events to convert relationships into revenue-generating opportunities and help spread the impact and mission of The Social Studio
• Representing the Studio at networking and funder events, as needed

If you were working at The Social Studio last week you would have:

• Met with the production manager to assess the pipeline of work and staffing needs
• Discussed e-comm and bricks and mortar retail strategy for the coming Christmas season with the retail manager
• Attended a community potluck lunch with students and staff
• Invited funders and supporters to an end-of-year Studio celebration

Skills and experience

Above all, staff at The Social Studio must be empathetic to others and able to work collaboratively within a cross-cultural context. The ideal candidate for this position would also have:

1. At least three years of leadership or management experience, preferably within fashion design/manufacture, retail or more broadly within a social enterprise
2. A tertiary qualification in a related field
3. Experience devising and implementing strategic plans
4. Excellent communication skills:
   • Ability to listen carefully and adapt communication styles when verbal and written communication are difficult (EAL challenges)
   • Ability to communicate effectively with other staff members, especially with other part-time staff; and
   • Ability to work as part of a team, even when not all members of the team are present (ie team members may be working remotely, or work on different work days)
5. Positive personality and an interest in people
6. Excellent time management skills and attention to detail
7. Strong alignment with The Social Studio’s values of community, creativity and opportunity

To express interest in this role, please click Apply Now and send through your CV and a cover letter to The Social Studio’s CEO, Dewi Cooke.