THE SEARCH is on for an Oswestry town-centre manager to drive initiatives identified by the newly-formed Business Improvement District.

The team behind the BID, which got the go-ahead after a vote from local firms at the start of the year, has, says chairman Ian Follington, been busy putting the foundations of its business plan in place.

And this includes looking for a new manager ­– with a salary of up to £38,000.

Mr Follington said: “We are seeking a BID manager to drive and deliver on the business plan for members and the town at large.

“We’re looking for someone to hit the ground running – it’s an exciting and challenging role and a great opportunity to build on the what we have now and develop successful projects that will make a real difference to Oswestry’s economy.”

The brief for the role – which has been distributed to recruitment agencies nationwide – says the candidate must be able to “develop strong relationships with local businesses and partners, create project plans, co-ordinate activity and ensure effective delivery against the objectives.”

The successful candidate must also have “excellent communication skills and the ability to develop and maintain productive relationships.

“They must also have a structured approach to their work, be able to operate as part of a small team and be self-motivated to work on their own initiative. The ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and be experienced in managing multiple concurrent projects.”

Mr Follington said some of the other key activities being worked on by the BID team include:

- Establishing the BID framework to govern working relationships with members, local authorities and other organisations to comply with legislation.

- Starting the development of a new definitive mobile-first website for Oswestry to raise the profile of member businesses and the town to a range of key audiences to strengthen local businesses.

- Working to provide Oswestry with a clear and striking brand to amplify the reach and impact of town messaging to visitors, customers, workers, investors and residents.

- Conducting a signage survey of the approaches into Oswestry, industrial estates and the town centre to identify opportunities to eliminate unnecessary signs, improve existing ones and introduce a much-improved navigation.

Mr Follington said the team had been been strengthened by the appointment of James Woodward of Cold Move Ltd and Patrick Evans of Evans Enterprises Ltd to the board.

“We would welcome the opportunity to talk to any other members interested in getting more involved in their BID,” he said. “We have held a number of public meetings to listen to members’ concerns, issues and ideas, and to take direction. This process will continue with regular meetings rotating around the BID area to give all members ready access.”

Email info@oswestry4bid.co.uk for more information. For the BID manager vacancy, see www.oswestry4bid.co.uk/bid-news for details.