CityCo Manchester is seeking a proactive and organised Northern Quarter BID Officer to support the delivery of the new Northern Quarter Business Improvement District.

This business-facing role will help coordinate activity across safety, security, cleanliness, place management, and levy payer engagement, working closely with businesses, Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Police, contractors and other city partners.

The successful candidate will be confident building relationships, responding to business needs, coordinating projects and maintaining accurate records for reporting. They will support the Northern Quarter BID Manager and wider CityCo Operations team to ensure levy payer requests are acknowledged, prioritised and progressed effectively.

Role details: Full time, 37.5 hours per week. Salary £30,000–£34,000 per annum, depending on experience. Based at CityCo’s Head Office in Manchester.

To apply: Please email your CV and covering letter to alex.king-byatt@cityco.com

Closing date: Friday 25 September 2026. In-person interviews will take place in Manchester from Monday 5 October 2026.

Applications without Covering Letter will not be accepted.

CityCo is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates and will make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process where appropriate. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.

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Job Description: Northern Quarter BID Officer

Background

Manchester is one of the most visited cities in England, attracting significant annual footfall to the city centre and retail district. The city operates as a major visitor, business, cultural and tourism destination.

Manchester city centre continues to be a key area of economic growth within Greater Manchester, with ongoing development across hotels, offices, leisure, culture, public realm and conference activity.

The city centre has a growing residential population, a large student population and a significant graduate retention base, all of which contribute to demand for services, amenities and a well-managed city centre environment.

Recent development has included new commercial space, public realm improvements, major venues and mixed-use neighbourhoods across the city centre.

Examples include Co-op Live, NOMA, Circle Square, Mayfield Park, St John’s, Aviva Studios / Factory International, Deansgate Square and New Jackson.

CityCo Manchester supports the management, coordination and partnership activity required to help the city centre operate effectively for businesses, visitors and stakeholders.

CityCo Manchester

CityCo is the Manchester City Centre Management Company and operates as a not-for-profit partnership supporting the city centre business community.

CityCo’s work focuses on supporting a welcoming, well-managed and economically resilient city centre. Through its networks, CityCo works with more than 1,500 companies, ranging from small independent businesses to major investors.

CityCo represents business interests with public sector and city partners, including Manchester City Council, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Police and Marketing Manchester. CityCo reports to a Board made up of business and civic leaders.

CityCo manages Manchester City Centre BID (Business Improvement District) and is a delivery partner of Manchester Accommodation BID.

CityCo also delivers the Manchester Business Crime Reduction Partnership and administers the Manchester Pub and Club Network.

Through its Business Support Services, CityCo provides advice and coordination on planning, operations and projects. It also supports communication between businesses and public agencies to ensure private sector requirements are understood.

CityCo’s role is to support effective partnership working and provide practical guidance to help the city centre function well for businesses, partners and the wider community.

Business Improvement Districts

Business Improvement Districts are established areas in which businesses contribute to a shared fund, usually through a levy based on rateable value or through an agreed visitor service charge. BID income is used to deliver additional services, initiatives and projects that support businesses and improve the places in which they operate.

CityCo has managed the Manchester City Centre Business Improvement District since 2013. The BID includes approximately 600 retail, leisure and office operators.

Manchester City Centre BID delivers Operational and Security services, City Hosts, Additional City Cleaning, City Intel, Training and Briefings and Public Events.

The Manchester City Centre BID also delivers public events and promotional activity intended to support visitor footfall and positive profile for the city centre. Current annual programmes include The Manchester Flower Festival and Halloween in the City (MCR Monsters).

CityCo is also a delivery partner for Manchester Accommodation BID, which represents approximately 80 hotels. The Accommodation BID supports hoteliers through operational services and activity relating to tourism marketing, business conventions and public events.

Current Accommodation BID programmes include SCENE: Manchester’s LGBTQ+ Film & TV Festival and The Super-Duper Family Festival.

In July 2026, businesses in the Northern Quarter voted in favour of establishing a new Business Improvement District. The Northern Quarter BID will deliver a programme focused on improved safety measures, enhanced cleaning, place management and representation of levy payer interests. The BID term will run for five years from January 2027.

The Role

The Northern Quarter BID Officer will support the day-to-day delivery, coordination and reporting of activity for the Northern Quarter BID. The postholder will provide operational support to levy payers in line with the Northern Quarter BID business plan, ensuring that requests are acknowledged, prioritised and progressed within the agreed scope of the BID.

The role is business-facing and will involve regular liaison with levy payers, Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Police, partner agencies and private contractors. The postholder will arrange one-to-one appointments, sector meetings, training sessions and briefings, and will support effective communication between businesses and BID partners.

Working closely with the Northern Quarter BID Manager, the wider CityCo operations team and the Senior Management Team, the BID Officer will help deliver initiatives that improve safety, security, cleanliness and place management across the district. The role will include encouraging accurate and timely reporting to partner agencies, recording reports through CityCo’s Business Crime Reduction Partnership, managing feedback and promoting outcomes to levy payers.

Key Responsibilities

Delivery and performance

• Respond quickly and efficiently to levy payer requests, field enquiries, record outcomes and ensure appropriate follow-up.
• Work within agreed budgets, financial procedures and reporting requirements.
• Support the Northern Quarter BID Manager and wider operations team to develop practical responses to common issues, including street cleansing and local environmental concerns.
• Plan and coordinate business engagement during project delivery, including notifications relating to deep cleaning, painting, security activity or other operational works.
• Adapt operational plans in response to levy payer feedback and emerging local priorities.
• Ensure timely and accurate communications on business continuity matters.
• Maintain systematic engagement with levy payers, recording issues, actions, business sentiment, emerging trends and relevant intelligence for management reporting.
• Maintain contact records for sector-specific and project-specific working groups in line with data compliance requirements.
• Support delivery of bespoke projects, including street security, enhanced reporting and initiatives that improve the quality and volume of business crime reporting through BCRP platforms and processes.

Levy payer engagement:

Act as a point of contact for Northern Quarter BID levy payers when the BID Manager or other senior managers are unavailable. Arrange welcomes and introductions for new levy payers and following key staffing changes. Attend relevant meetings with the council, police and other partners as required. Use professional discretion at all times when working in commercially confidential or sensitive forums.

Work flexibly to meet the needs of Northern Quarter businesses, including occasional evening or weekend activity where required. Any such working arrangements will be planned with reasonable notice where practicable and managed in line with contractual terms and working time requirements.

Reporting and Skills:

Reporting to the Northern Quarter BID Manager, the Northern Quarter BID Officer will work as part of CityCo’s operations team. The role will support delivery across the Northern Quarter BID, CityCo operations and the Business Crime Reduction Partnership, ensuring activity is coordinated, recorded and reported effectively.

The Northern Quarter BID Officer will be confident using a range of communication channels and comfortable presenting information to businesses, partners and stakeholders.

Partnership:

The Northern Quarter BID Officer will represent levy payer interests in relevant operational and tactical forums, working with key partners such as Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Police, the Association of Town and City Management and the Security Industry Authority, where appropriate.

Essential knowledge, skills and experience:

• Good computer literacy and administration skills.
• Knowledge of, or experience working with, Business Improvement Districts or comparable partnership/governance frameworks.
• Ability to support effective business and stakeholder relationships.
• Ability to prioritise levy payer needs and coordinate multiple strands of work.
• Strong written, verbal, negotiation and stakeholder communication skills.
• Ability to identify problems, develop practical solutions and coordinate appropriate responses.
• Experience of budget monitoring, record keeping and management reporting.

Desirable knowledge, skills and experience

• Experience of media, public relations or social media activity.
• Experience of line management or supervision.
• Experience of contract management or supplier coordination.
• Competence in Microsoft Office and relevant database, CRM or reporting systems.
• Ability to carry out duties across the Northern Quarter and attend operational activity, with reasonable adjustments considered where appropriate.
• Good knowledge of Manchester city centre.
• Existing relationships with relevant local stakeholders.

General Information

The role will be based at CityCo’s Head Office: St George’s House, Peter Street, Manchester, M2 3NQ. Some home working may be available, subject to business requirements.

The postholder may be required to work from the office full time during key event periods. Evening and weekend working may be required during event delivery or other operational periods, with reasonable notice where practicable and appropriate rest arrangements in line with contractual terms and working time requirements.

CityCo benefits include life assurance from the start of employment. Following successful completion of the probationary period, benefits include private healthcare, pension scheme, salary sacrifice for travel and 26 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, subject to contract and pro-rated where applicable.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. Right to work checks will be carried out consistently for all successful candidates before employment begins, in accordance with Home Office guidance and without discrimination.

CityCo is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. We will make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process and, where appropriate, in employment.

Candidates will be assessed against the requirements of the role using consistent, job-related criteria. Any equality monitoring information collected will be kept separate from the selection process.