Customer Relations Manager

Job summary

Sales Manager - Senior Sales and Marketing Executive Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours per week Contract Type: Fixed Term – Maternity Cover (12 months) Pay: £44,000 per annum Location: Hybrid, requiring three full days per week at our office in Aylesbury and/or one of our services We are seeking an experienced Sales Manager/Senior Sales & Marketing Executive to drive occupancy growth across a portfolio of care homes through proactive sales, stakeholder engagement, and local marketing activity. Taking ownership of the full enquiry-to-admission journey, you will build referral networks, support prospective residents and their families, and deliver an exceptional customer experience to maximise enquiry conversion. Working closely with home teams and the marketing team, you will develop local sales and marketing plans, strengthen community partnerships, and use market insight and CRM data to improve occupancy performance. Combining commercial focus with a compassionate, person-centred approach, you will play a key role in helping families make informed decisions while achieving business objectives. We are one of the largest Not for Profit Care providers in the UK specialising in providing person-centred care for older people in nursing, residential, learning disability and independent living homes.  As a charity we ensure that any revenue goes straight back into our homes for the benefit of our residents and employees who care for them About the role It is an exciting time to join the Trust as we are making a significant investment in our estate portfolio.  We are looking for someone who is experienced in Sales, ideally within the Care Sector, who can combine commercial focus with a compassionate, person-centred approach to ensure prospective residents and their families receive clear, supportive guidance throughout the decision-making process. Typical Duties * Occupancy growth & sales performance * Drive and maintain agreed occupancy targets across a designated portfolio of homes. * Take ownership of the complete enquiry-to-admission journey, ensuring enquiries are managed professionally, followed up promptly and converted effectively. * Develop and implement local sales plans to increase enquiries, improve conversion rates and maximise occupancy. * Monitor enquiry pipelines, admissions, occupancy trends and conversion performance, taking proactive action where improvements are required. * Produce regular sales forecasts, occupancy reports and pipeline updates using CRM data and performance metrics. Stakeholder development * Build and maintain strategic relationships with key referral partners including: * Hospital discharge teams, social workers, GPs, solicitors, and community groups and charities * Develop stakeholder engagement plans for each home, identifying opportunities to generate sustainable referral pathways. * Represent the care services at networking events, exhibitions, community forums and professional meetings to promote services and strengthen reputation. * Customer journey & admissions * Provide compassionate guidance to prospective residents and families throughout the enquiry and admissions process. * Support families in understanding care options, funding pathways and the care services. * Work closely with Home Managers to ensure a seamless transition from enquiry to admission. * Ensure every prospective resident receives an outstanding customer experience that reflects the Trust's values. Marketing & business development * Support the Regional Marketing Manager to deliver local marketing campaigns that generate enquiries and strengthen brand awareness. * Support the delivery of community engagement activities, PR opportunities, open days and networking events. * Support the Regional Marketing Manager with opportunities to enhance each home's local profile through partnerships, digital engagement, social media and reputation management. * Contribute local market intelligence to support wider marketing campaigns and commercial decision making. * Stay abreast of local competitors, occupancy trends and market developments to identify opportunities and risks. * Support with competitor analysis including pricing, service offering and local positioning. * Work collaboratively with Home Managers, Operations, Marketing and Clinical teams to achieve occupancy objectives. * Coach and support Home Managers in stakeholder engagement, customer experience and enquiry management best practice. * Share sales insights and best practice across the region to continuously improve performance. * Champion a commercial mindset whilst maintaining the Trust's person-centred values.  About you To succeed in this role, you will have: * Demonstrable success in sales, business development, admissions or occupancy management. * Proven ability to achieve sales targets and deliver commercial growth. * Strong understanding of sales pipelines, enquiry conversion and customer relationship management. * Excellent stakeholder engagement and networking skills with the ability to influence at all levels. * Experience developing local marketing initiatives, community engagement and lead generation activity. * Commercially astute with strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret performance data. * Experience using CRM systems to manage sales activity and produce reports. * Excellent communication, presentation and negotiation skills. * Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple priorities across several locations. * Strong customer focus with empathy and professionalism when supporting prospective residents and families. * Ability to balance commercial objectives with ethical, person-centred decision making. In return, you can expect benefits such as: * Competitive Company pension * 25 days holidays plus Bank holidays, increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service * Life Assurance * "My Rewards" offering you discount on shopping, days out, restaurants and much more We reserve the right to close this role before the closing date, with no advance notice. We do encourage you to complete an application as soon as possible if interested. #HO