Head of Manufacturing - Ford & Stanley Executive

Ford & Stanley Executive

Opportunity Brief: Head of Manufacturing Confidential Search

Ford & Stanley Executive Search (Part of the Ford & Stanley Group) are a leading Executive search firm to the UK, North American and European Engineering, Technology, Sustainability & Heavy Manufacturing industries.

Our search directors, search consultants and research teams specialise in all horizontal functions of our client’s organisation with expertise spanning engineering, commercial, procurement, HR, IT, finance, HSQE, sales, projects, operations and c-suite.

We are trusted by over 100 leading organisations when they seek to make a leadership appointment, be that a permanent appointment or an interim solution.

We have been retained and appointed by an international leader in the manufacture of capital equipment on the search for a data-driven and engaging Head of Manufacturing who will act as the catalyst to the business reducing costs, driving efficiencies and nurturing a more empowered workforce.

Below you will find an ‘opportunity brief’ developed from notes taken during the scoping meeting (Situational Discovery) held between Business Manager and Managing Consultant within the Ford and Stanley Executive Search Team and Managing Director and Head of Recruitment of the business. This brief is designed to give candidates a deeper insight into the opportunity inherent within the role, the challenges the role presents and provide access to the detail that sits behind the job specification.

Client Opportunity Statements:

“Integral to the continuous improvement, growth and efficiency of our business is the appointment of an analytical and pragmatic Head of Manufacturing. Someone who will be the catalyst in ensuring we have robust, lean and efficient processes, setting the foundations for our continued growth.”

“Our vision is to professionalise both our manufacturing and refurbishment capability, with the overall aim to reduce costs and increase efficiencies. We recognise there is great opportunity for process improvement, relevant KPI setting and data optimisation, to power our strategic thinking.”

“It is essential that we maintain the current levels of quality that our customers have come to expect, whilst finding more cost-effective and lean ways of working. We are looking for a highly capable Manufacturing leader who can balance the empowerment of our shop floor staff with executive-level thinking and strategy, ultimately enabling us to take the business from good to great!”

Challenges expected within the first 12 months include:

The Head of Manufacturing will have limited budgets to work with. Additionally, it’s worth noting ‘payback’ for successfully accomplished work will be stalled by roughly a year due to the lifecycle of projects, it is expected a successful candidate will need to “recalibrate” how they measure success.
The successful incumbent will need to increase employee engagement and gain buy-in on the Executive Team’s strategic vision. It is expected that the teams will be resistant to change, and a successful candidate will need to empower their direct and indirect reports to drive a culture of continuous improvement.

Key deliverables within the first 12 months include:

The Head of Manufacturing will be tasked with achieving overall cost reductions. We expect this to be achieved through the driving of efficiencies, resulting in the ability to produce more and/or identifying opportunities to reduce the cost of manufacturing the machines.
A further area for development is employee engagement and team morale, there has been a “gap” in seasoned leadership across both sites and the team need direction, motivation and strong communication as they go through a key period of growth/change. .

Essential Hard Skills (Skills & Experience)

Proven ability and experience in Lean Manufacturing. A successful candidate will have a track record of implementing lean manufacturing processes and procedures.
Candidates to ideally come from a Capital Equipment manufacturing background, however, high-integrity, heavy engineering and manufacturing will also be considered.
An understanding and appreciation for engineering is necessary, however, we do not expect the Head of Manufacturing to be a qualified engineer.
Candidates to have a proven track record of “hands-on” leadership and management of team sizes of no less than 20 heads. We expect to consider candidates who are ready to step up and lead a larger team.
A data-driven individual, who is naturally analytical. We expect a candidate to not only be able to analyse and digest data, but equally be confident in presenting this information to the Senior leadership team to drive the strategic development of the business.

Essential Soft Skills (Attributes & Behaviours)

A motivational and inspirational leader who will be able to bring teams on the ‘journey’ of continuous improvement.
Commercially astute, driving leaner processes and, in turn, positively influencing the “profit per head” across the business.
Process-driven individual, to increase efficiencies and the value contributed by their direct and indirect reports.
They will fit the profile of a ‘Player Coach’, equally able to demonstrate ‘big picture’ strategic thinking and executive maturity, balanced with the ability to inspire and engage the shop floor. A naturally ‘hands-on’ individual, pushing initiatives and results over the line, it is essential this individual doesn’t get “caught up” in the detail.

Working Arrangements & Location:

South Yorkshire – Will need to be comfortable commuting to site 5 days per week in the long term.
North Yorkshire – Within the first few months, they will need to commute to this site location around 3 – 4 days a week (Expenses paid).
Room for flexible working – Up to 2 days a week from home, however, this will not be a guaranteed and regular pattern. Due to the nature of the role, the successful Head of Manufacturing will be a present hands-on leader who prefers to lead from the front, which will require them to be on-site the majority of the time.

Client Interview Process:

1^st Stage interview: A face-to-face technical competency-based interview with the Managing Director, followed by a site tour with a team member.
2^nd Final Stage interview: Teams interview with the Chief Operating Officer for the Group. To focus on cultural fit and leadership skills.

Ford & Stanley Interview Process:

1^st Stage – Candidate Discovery: An open, conversational and consultative discussion where interested candidates are assessed on their suitability for the role in the context of the above and challenged on how the opportunity lines up with their career aspirations, motivations, financial expectations and personal circumstances.
2^nd Stage – The ‘shortlist’: Candidates are asked to reflect on the candidate discovery discussion, take time to reflect on the opportunity and undertake subsequent research on the client business reporting back on their thoughts, questions and providing additional specific information on their suitability (if applicable). Final checks of role, package and logistical alignments made.

Good to know:

Our client is a Private Equity owned group, spanning across the UK, Republic of Ireland, several European countries.
They are a specialist provider of capital equipment, and have a unique service offering.
The business predominately leases their machines to their end customers, therefore maintaining ownership of the asset, its servicing and its waste disposal. It’s worth noting that there are machines that are sold directly to the customer, but this is in the minority.
The Head of Manufacturing will look after two sites one based in South Yorkshire, the other in North Yorkshire, with the long-term site presence expected at the South Yorkshire location.
The North Yorkshire site manufactures around 600 machines a year while the South Yorkshire site is involved with the refurbishment of 600 machines per month. The values of these machines can range between £6,000 – £60,000 (standard off-the shelf) to £150,000 (bespoke products).
Previously the North Yorkshire facility was heavily bias to the manufacturing of bespoke projects, but this has recently shifted to predominantly “configurable” off the shelf products, resulting in an improvement to business performance. The pipeline is now roughly made up of 85% “configurable” off the shelf products, and 15% bespoke machines, and the manufacturing of a bespoke machine can take up to 6 months.
The initial focus on improving efficiencies and creating processes will be on the North Yorkshire facility, and the Head of Manufacturing will spend more time at South Yorkshire facility once the other is up to speed.
The Executive Team have identified a gap in the processes, KPI setting and utilisation of data within the business. They believe there are marginal gains to be made by ‘professionalising’ the manufacturing function by bringing in a strategically minded individual who will re-design processes with Lean Manufacturing in mind.
A key task will involve cost reduction and increasing the value proposition of the business to enable its long-term sustainability and growth. They will need to retain the current levels of quality while finding more cost-efficient and commercially viable ways to serve their existing markets. We expect a successful candidate will increase the “profit per head”.
Reporting into the Managing Director, The Head of Manufacturing will have 4 direct reports (Procurement Manager, Production Manager, Refurbishment Production Manager and a Team Leader) and just under 100 indirect reports across the two businesses. They will need to drive collaboration between the businesses, cultures and grow their joint capability.
Worth noting that the direct reports to this role are hardworking and capable individuals but do have areas of development.
Our client covers a vast client base, from small local garages to the likes of JCB and BAE Systems, spanning across various industries such as Rail, Aerospace, Automotive Manufacturing & Services, Construction, Defence and Engineering.
The Head of Manufacturing is a newly created role, and this will be an opportunity for the right individual to both work on improving existing business and creating new teams, new processes, centralising Manufacturing and the Supply Chain.
In the past month significant progress has been made to set up a team effort between the two companies, and this individual will continue the journey.
This role provides an opportunity to reshape a business’ processes and culture, playing a pivotal role in the group’s development.
There is an opportunity to be priced more competitively in several European countries, as a result they are looking to re-capitalise on these markets.

Budget:

Low: £70,000 Mid: £80,000 High: £90,000

Supporting benefits

Car allowance £5,200
Pension employer contribution – 5% employer, 4% employee.
Bonus – 10%
Family Life assurance of 3 times life cover salary.
Private healthcare scheme from day 1.
Enhanced maternity and paternity pay.
Corporate discount scheme focussed on your wellbeing, including discounted Virgin Active Gym membership.
Discount and cashback at many retailers.
Cycle to work scheme.
Employee Assistance Program with 24/7 confidential helpline support for employees
Enhanced occupational sick pay scheme for employees with illness and/or conditions requiring treatment.
Employee recognition program.
Employee referral scheme.
Provide support and access to a range of internal and external courses to help and progress your career with them.

Executive Search Delivery Team:

Tom Norton – Business Manager (Client Recommendations/Advisory, Offer Negotiations, Networking)
Billy Jackson – Managing Consultant (Shortlisting, Offer Negotiations, Headhunting, Networking, Research, Search, Longlisting, Interviews, Data & Market Intel)
Ralitsa Kuzeva – Executive Assistant (Diary Management, Interview Arrangement, Coordination, Candidate Experience)

About Ford & Stanley Executive Search:

Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group are in the business of people and performance. Our mission is to create one million better workdays through facilitating great recruitment, leadership and occupational mental fitness. We support our clients in their most challenging business areas – recruiting, developing and retaining the best talent from shop floor to boardroom.

Ford & Stanley TalentWise – Business specialising in blue collar trade & technical services – permanent and temporary.
Ford & Stanley Recruitment – Business specialising in white collar spanning all company functions with specialist verticals within Digital, Rail Engineering, Civils & Infrastructure, General Manufacturing, Supply Chain & Logistics both permanent and contract.
Ford & Stanley Executive Search – Business specialising in Executive Search & Executive Interim Solutions in the UK, North America, Middle East and Europe.
Ford & Stanley Genius Performance – Performance is always accelerated when good people are coached, inspired, trained and focused in the right way.

Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group Ltd is a Disability Confident employer that is committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all opportunity seekers. We shall adhere to such a policy at all times and will review on an on-going basis all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination. We will treat everyone equally irrespective sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief or political beliefs and we place an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with the policy.

Services advertised by Ford & Stanley are that of an employment consultancy business.