Vacant job

Social Trade is now looking for a key person who wants to help develop businesses that create jobs, inclusion, and sustainable societal development.

Social Trade is a sales and marketing cooperative owned by social enterprises in West Sweden. Since its founding in 2015, we have been developing, marketing, and selling our member companies' services and products to customers throughout the region – everything from cleaning, moving, and gardening to sewing and catering.

We are the only sales company of its kind working for labor-integrating social enterprises (LISE). When someone buys through us, they contribute to more people moving from exclusion to self-sufficiency – from benefit recipients to taxpayers. This is what we call Business for Inclusion. Every business transaction should create customer benefit, employee benefit, and societal benefit simultaneously.

About the role

This is not a traditional sales role. The social economy is a sector with tight margins – no one gets rich here, and the businesses you create are measured just as much in societal benefit as in kronor. What we are looking for is someone for whom this is the driving force: seeing people come closer to work and seeing member companies get more assignments so they can hire more people.

In this role, you are:

• a relationship builder and business developer
• a networker and enabler
• the hub connecting customers, the public sector, and social enterprises

You will:

• develop new business opportunities and create more business for our member companies
• create and nurture long-term customer relationships within the business community and the public sector
• identify collaborations, agreements, and assignments
• visit customers, analyze their needs, and match them with the right social enterprise and service
• contribute to more people getting jobs through socially sustainable business

Since Social Trade is owned by its member companies, the role also involves being close to the cooperative's principals – understanding their capacity, highlighting their offerings, and helping more of them grow.

We are looking for you who

• Understand, or want to learn, how labor-integrating social enterprises (LISE) work and what they can deliver. You don't need to be an expert from day one, but you must want to understand the operations deeply.
• Are comfortable working independently in this role. You plan your own week, book your own meetings, and follow up with a customer even when the first conversation didn't lead anywhere.
• Can speak with both a municipal procurement officer and a foreman at a small social enterprise – and adapt to who you are talking to.
• Are confident enough to make "cold calls" and build new relationships from scratch, and do not take "no" personally. You understand that business can take a long time to mature.
• Are driven by seeing the result at the other end – that a social enterprise got an assignment and could give someone a job.
• It is an advantage if you have contacts within the public sector and business community in West Sweden.

Why the role is important

Every new business can create jobs, inclusion, a stronger local economy, and social sustainability – while simultaneously making our member companies more viable. Here, sales become something bigger than just business. You help people closer to working life.

We offer

• A meaningful and society-developing assignment
• Market-competitive salary and proper employment conditions
• Great freedom and opportunity to influence the content of the role
• A strong network within the social economy and sustainable development in West Sweden
• Opportunity to help develop the social businesses of the future

The position is a permanent part-time role at 50%, which may be expanded in the future as the business develops. We apply a 6-month probation period.

Location

Gothenburg region, with assignments throughout West Sweden and flexibility.

Application

Send your CV and a short presentation of yourself. Please tell us:

• why you are applying for the role
• what networks and experiences you bring
• how you view social business and inclusion

In this recruitment, we have assistance from our member Coompanion Gothenburg Region.

Please send your application via email as soon as possible as we conduct rolling selection and interviews.

Social business that makes a difference – for real.

We kindly but firmly decline direct contact from staffing and recruitment agencies, as well as sellers of additional job postings.