Opportunity Brief:  Head of Centre of Excellence

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

Our search directors, search consultants and in-house research team specialise in all vertical & horizontal functions of our clients’ leadership requirements with expertise spanning engineering, commercial, procurement, HR, IT, finance, HSQE, sales, projects, operations and c-suite.

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

We have been appointed by our client on a retained search for a Head of Centre of Excellence (Head of CoE) who will drive continuous improvement initiatives across the current product offering whilst increasing engagement with the wider teams.

Below you will find an ‘opportunity brief’ developed from notes taken during the scoping meeting (Situational Discovery) held between the Business Manager and Managing Consultant of Ford & Stanley Executive Search along with the Managing Director and Head of Recruitment of Safet-Kleen. 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:

“Fundamental to the success and growth of our business is the identification and successful hiring of a proactive and pragmatic Head of Centre of Excellence. They will drive the creation of engineering packages for our current product range, ensuring all engineering drawings are present and ultimately allowing us to improve the reactive and preventative maintenance processes”

“A newly created role for in the business, the Head of CoE provides an opportunity to reshape our business’ processes surrounding innovation and will play a pivotal role in the group’s development of continuous improvement alongside ensuring we continue to offer the highest levels of service to our customers”

“Ultimately, we have identified a huge opportunity within our current business to capitalise on the significant amount of data we have available and utilise it to improve our own internal efficiencies and we are excited to identify a proactive and capable individual to lead this team!”

Company Overview:

Capital equipment manufacturer and maintainer across various industries.

Challenges expected within the first 12 months include:

• We are expecting some resistance from internal stakeholders as the incoming Head of CoE changes and develops our approach. However, it’s important we ensure a consistent approach to these changes across the group and therefore, the Head of CoE will need to win the “hearts and minds” of all stakeholders.
• We have a serious amount of data available surrounding our assets. It’s a big job to collate and analyse all of the date to build a vision and methodology for the Centre of Excellence.
• Additionally, the arrival of the Head of CoE comes at a time when there is a lot of change within the business. There are those who are resistant to change throughout the company and will most likely question the approach of this new team.

Key deliverables within the first 12 months include:

• Creation of engineering packages for all current machine ranges, ensuring engineering drawings are present, improving the reactive and preventative maintenance processes.
• The Head of Centre of Excellence will need to demonstrate cost reduction through innovation, modifications and improvements to their existing machine range.
• The successful candidate will have built strong working relationships with key stakeholders across the group.

Essential Hard Skills (Skills & Experience)

• A qualified engineer with experience in a design engineering role or innovation environment.

• Ideally will come from a Capital Equipment background, however, experience working in a high-integrity manufacturing environment will also be suitable.  

• Project Management experience is essential – while this individual does not need vast people leadership experience, they will have managed R&D and/or engineering projects and will be able to demonstrate strong management of internal stakeholders.

• Evidence of previously managing multiple stakeholder relationships from shop floor through to boardroom.

•  Desirable: Experience of working within a Research & Development Function.

Essential Soft Skills (Attributes & Behaviours)

• Proactive and Hands-On. The Head of CoE will need to be highly autonomous and self-motivated to ensure they get initiatives off the ground.

• Good commercial acumen will be essential, as this individual will be tasked with creating cost-effective and practical innovations for the business’s product range

• A strong track record of stakeholder management and internal networking will be required – the successful candidate will work with their counterparts in Europe influencing change and being a proactive communicator.

• Able to work collaboratively with colleagues across different departments.

Working Arrangements & Location:

• The Head of Centre of Excellence will work out of their South Yorkshire site, with infrequent travel expected to the Group head office in London and other UK sites. Additionally, there are other European Operations that will require minimal presence.
• There is some flexible working available (up to 2 days a week from home), but a successful candidate will need to be comfortable with infrequent international travel, as it will be integral to the success of this role.

Ford & Stanley Interview Process:

• 1st Stage – Formal Interview. Candidates are assessed on their suitability for the job in the context of the above and challenged on how the opportunity lines up with their career aspirations, motivations, and financial expectations.
• 2nd Stage – The ‘shortlist’. Candidates are asked to reflect on 1st and 2nd stages, providing evidence and discussion on how they match up to the key hard and soft skill essentials. Package requirements are reiterated and finalised.

Our Client’s Interview Process:

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

Good to know:

• The company is a Private Equity owned group, spanning across the UK, Republic of Ireland, various European countries.
• 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 site specialises in the refurbishment and servicing of machines and work closely with a manufacturing business that was acquired by the group a few years ago.
• Previously the business 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 UK side of the group is currently undergoing a cultural transformation where they aim to replace the small independent SME feel of the sites and acquired businesses to an organised, collaborative, global business.
• Many of the machines currently used by the group have not been manufactured in-house and as such, there is a gap in the business’s knowledge. They are presently lacking the engineering drawings for several machine ranges and therefore have no procedures for preventative maintenance. This has resulted in large volumes of reactive maintenance and reduced reliability.
• The Head of CoE position has been created to resolve this, and they will coordinate the creation of engineering packs as well as leading on machine innovation projects, to continuously improve the business’s offering and take the business from reactive to proactive.
• With the successful delivery of innovation projects, the Head of CoE will aim to secure IPs for machines to maximise the exclusivity of their product range, and ensure they remain competitive in the market.  
• We expect this to reduce the currently high maintenance costs and provide a better value proposition for their customer, increasing their satisfaction and overall business profitability.
• They will need to build relationships with their counterparts in Europe and learn of current processes and solutions, deciding on the best ones. They will be required to roll those out across the group leading to improving efficiencies and reducing costs.
• The Head of CoE will report directly into the Managing Director, taking full ownership of the success or failure of the department.
• They will play a key role in building a Design & Innovation Team, which will consist of a Design Engineer and Junior Design Engineer. They will also have the opportunity to weigh in on impending restructure plans and help shape the future of the function. Therefore, this is an excellent opportunity for an aspiring leader of people who is keen to set up their own team.
• This role provides an opportunity to reshape a business’ processes and culture, playing a pivotal role in the group’s development and continuous improvement.

Role Budget:

• Low: £70,000 Mid: £75,000 High: £80,000

Supporting benefits

• Car allowance – £5,200 per annum
• 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.

Executive Search Delivery Team:

• Billy Jackson – Managing Consultant (Client Recommendations/Advisory, Offer Negotiations, Networking)
• Emma Barlow – Senior Research Associate (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.

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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.