STRATEGIST - PROCUREMENT CATEGORY MANAGEMENT & PLANNING
£/€Very Competitive Bonus Blue Chip Benefits
Location: Flexible/Hybrid Role - UK, Netherlands, or Germany
"It's a slightly unusual role".
And that's a great way of summarising this position for our client. They're a well-established organisation in the specialist renewables and power generation industry that wants to become "best-in-class" in terms of its procurement process.
As part of this strategic development plan, they would like to appoint a Category Manager Specialist to sit within their large pan European procurement team. The main focus of this role is to work alongside each Category Manager to help them develop longer-term procurement strategies for each category.
As such, you'll be mentoring, coaching, and developing the category management team to help them think differently and innovate new ideas. This may take the form of working one-to-one with the managers or running workshops to create an open culture of collaboration between the team.
So, they're looking for a category management expert who's used to working in a blue-chip, world-class procurement function and can bring new ideas into the company. Experience of working in the power generation industry is not essential, and they're open to considering candidates from any highly regulated industry in the public or commercial sector such as utilities, defence, aerospace, chemicals, automotive, FMCG as long as it's within a multinational matrix structure with a substantial procurement and category management function. Candidates who combine in house and leading procurement consultancy backgrounds would also be very interesting
Your personality will be a deciding factor in this role, as you'll need the drive and desire to develop a high-performing team. You'll be a natural people-person who can connect with colleagues to help them become the best versions of themselves. In addition, you'll have the vision and the presentation skills to convey it to the team and get them excited about the levels they can achieve. Career development prospects are excellent.
This role can be based at any of our client's business units in the UK (North West or Buckinghamshire), Germany (Lower Saxony), and the Netherlands (Overijssel).
Candidates should be university degree/Masters degree educated ideally with a professional procurement/purchasing qualification such as CIPS or equivalent.
It really is a unique role, but it's going to be a rewarding one for the right candidate. As you can imagine, there's plenty more detail to discuss about this role, so please indicate your interest by emailing your CV, quoting reference LX 1175876
Manufacturing General Manager - Automotive Aftermarket Products
"A Rare Opportunity for a Manufacturing Expert to Transform & Diversify Operations and Drive Excellence."
£80-90000 Car Allowance Bonus Benefits
Derbyshire
Are you a seasoned manufacturing leader with a talent for operational excellence and a track record of driving transformative change? If so, we have an opportunity that will ignite your ambition and challenge you to new heights.
As our client's newly appointed Manufacturing General Manager, you will spearhead a company-wide transformation, implementing modern, lean manufacturing techniques and best-in-class performance across their three manufacturing sites. The company specialises in the manufacture of aftermarket and retrofit automotive products manufactured from design and development, through to fabrication, advanced laser cutting, CNC machining and press forming and product finishing.
In this pivotal role, you'll oversee all manufacturing activities, ensuring efficient production processes, stringent quality control, and unwavering compliance with safety regulations.
Your strategic vision and data-driven decision-making will be instrumental in optimising workflows, reducing costs, and enhancing productivity while fostering a continuous improvement culture.
Specifically, the objective will be to continuously improve existing production processes, ensuring excellent OEE so that you can then work with your commercial, engineering and design colleagues to start to introduce new product lines to diversify the product and client portfolio further into automotive OEMs and other industrial clients
With a team of highly capable and motivated professionals eager to learn, you'll have the perfect canvas to showcase your expertise and leave an indelible mark on their operations.
Your Challenge:
· Operational Management: Orchestrate daily manufacturing operations, ensuring efficiency, productivity, and adherence to production schedules and delivery timelines.
· Quality Assurance: Uphold rigorous quality standards, implementing robust control procedures to minimise defects and rework. Experience of automotive related quality control and audit processes will be essential.
· Safety and Compliance: Champion a safety-first mindset, ensuring all manufacturing activities comply with regulations and company policies.
· Financial Management: Prepare and manage the manufacturing budget, monitor financial performance, and implement cost-saving initiatives without compromising quality. Prepare capital investment business cases and proposals.
· Team Leadership: Inspire and develop a high-performing manufacturing team, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment. Experienced in succession planning, coaching and mentoring from apprentices to experienced professionals.
· Process Improvement: Use your expertise in lean manufacturing principles and other methodologies to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.
· Strategic Planning: Contribute to developing long-term manufacturing goals staying ahead of industry trends and technological advancements.
· Customer Focus: Ensure customer satisfaction by maintaining exceptional product quality and delivery standards. Experienced in working with automotive OEM clients and similar.
Your Background:
· Degree educated in Engineering.
· Strategic visionary leader to manage production at one key site and two smaller operations also located in the East Midlands.
· Substantial experience in senior manufacturing operational management and leadership role, minimum 80-100 people.
· Track record of continuous improvement including transformation and growth to support diversification of product lines and customer portfolio.
· Proven expertise in manufacturing processes, quality control, and safety standards including experience of fabrication, laser cutting and CNC machining, press forming and finishing processes highly advantageous.
· Experienced in volume batch production environments.
· Proficiency in manufacturing software and tools for manufacturing planning, process control, maintenance etc
· Excellent people development skills including succession planning and talent development.
· Strong financial acumen and budget management skills including preparation of capital investment proposals and costings. Experience presenting to board level.
· Excellent problem-solving, decision-making, and communication abilities.
· Experience in automotive, aerospace, or plastics manufacturing industries is highly desirable.
· Able to commute daily to our client's Derbyshire facility.
If you're a seasoned manufacturing professional with a passion for driving operational excellence and a desire to make a lasting impact, we want to hear from you.
Apply now by emailing your CV, quoting reference LX 2408787
Chief Financial Officer
"A CFO Role for an Entrepreneurial Financial Trailblazer to join the UK division of a Global Multinational".
£100-140,000 (DOE Car/Allowance Benefits
East Yorkshire
Are you a seasoned financial leader who thrives on driving transformational growth strategies across borders? Do you have the vision and cross-cultural intelligence to propel an ambitious B2C brand to new heights? If so, this CFO role for our client could be your next exhilarating career move.
Leaving the Conventional Behind
Forget being just another number-crunching CFO. In this role, you'll go beyond traditional finance leadership to be a pivotal change agent and business catalyst. With their integration into a larger multinational, they're reshaping the future of transactional B2C sales through innovation and operational excellence. Your mandate? Develop bold strategies that outmanoeuvre market volatility and align their trajectory with the parent company's global vision.
The Challenges:
· Steering Financial Strategy Across Complex Operations - From cash flow optimisation to M&A execution, you'll architect a robust financial framework to fuel sustainable growth across their branch network.
· Bridging Cultures Through Financial Diplomacy - With a dual reporting structure to UK and EU leadership, you'll navigate differing corporate cultures with poise, ensuring financial strategies harmonise local realities with international objectives.
· Championing Transformation and Operational Agility - You'll optimise their operational model through strategic decision-making on branch performance, investments, and structural shifts in line with market dynamics. Your previous experience of applying lean CI methodologies to drive improvements will be an asset.
· Fostering a Financially Conscious, Growth-Oriented Mindset - As a finance leader, you'll rally cross-functional teams behind a shared vision, nurturing an innovative, entrepreneurial culture of accountability.
The Expertise That Resonates
You'll bring substantial experience in progressive financial leadership at multinational corporations, preferably in transactional B2C sectors. As a CFO or senior finance executive, you've excelled at M&A, fundraising, strategic investments, and steering complex cross-border integrations. But it's your unique blend of:
· Razor-sharp business acumen and financial mastery
· Inspirational leadership and influential communication skills
· Adaptability to thrive in ambiguity and drive transformative change
· Cultural intelligence to bridge diverse corporate philosophies
...that will help you elevate our client to new realms of success within their dynamic retail arena.
The Opportunity of a Lifetime
For globally minded financial experts, this CFO role is a chance to redefine the future of an innovative brand while catalysing its integration into a large multinational. You'll shape strategies, optimise operations, and galvanise teams to capitalise on new growth avenues. Most importantly, you'll cement your legacy as a linchpin of our client's ongoing transformation.
Experience gained in a financially regulated B2C or B2B transactional environment such as retail car sales, commercial vehicle sales, kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, consumer electronics, financial services, retail banking would be very relevant, but our client is open to consider candidates from other sectors.
This role is predominantly office based as you will play a key role as a member of the executive leadership team. There will also be some national travel to branches and occasional travel to parent company HQ in mainland Europe.
If you're ready to swap corporate bureaucracy for an entrepreneurial growth mandate, submit your CV, quoting reference LX 2428228 via email to . Alternatively, contact us for a confidential discussion on 01905 381 320.
Financial Controller - UK Sales & Distribution Operations
£Very Competitive (DOE) + Bonus + Blue Chip Benefits
Hertfordshire
Are you ready to take on an exciting role within a dynamic start-up environment? Do you have the expertise and drive to establish and manage the financial accounting operations of a newly formed UK business unit, a division of a US multinational? Join our client's team and make your mark in the construction materials sector!
Our client is a rapidly growing US-owned global brand specialising in high-performance tile and stone installation systems, waterproofing, and flooring systems. With a legacy of innovation of nearly 70 years, the company has expanded worldwide, setting industry standards and achieving ISO 9001:2015 certification. They are now setting up a UK business unit to drive their growth and success in the European market.
The Role: As the Financial Controller, working with the UK General Sales Manager, you will establish and manage the financial accounting operations and financial control of the newly formed UK business unit, ensuring compliance with UK statutory and tax requirements. You will handle the financial infrastructure setup, manage statutory compliance, oversee financial transactions, and provide financial management insights to support strategic decision-making. This will include implementation of an off the shelf accounting system in the interim before transitioning, as the business unit grows, to implementation of our client's global ERP system. As the business expands you will also support the move to toll/contract manufacturing partnerships in the UK. In the future you may also have the opportunity to participate in the establishment of in-house manufacturing through acquisition. So this is a role where you will start off as part of a team of three and will ramp up to quite a substantial operation in a key market for our client.
Key Responsibilities:
Ideal Candidate Profile:
Why Apply?
How to Apply: If you are a proactive financial professional with a passion for driving growth and establishing robust financial accounting operations, apply now and be part of our client's dynamic team. Email your CV quoting reference LX 2392222 and start your exciting journey today!