General Manager
Recruiter: Michael Page
Location: Wantage
Salary: Competitive package
Application date: 12th Jul 2022
Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) is a fast-growing technology and engineering services business delivering innovative electrification and light weighting solutions to meet the demands of the future mobility industry. WAE delivers world-class technical innovation, engineering, consulting and more recently manufacturing products and services – particularly in high performance batteries and battery management systems – to deliver energy efficient solutions for its customers and generate a strong portfolio of IP.
The business serves an increasingly diverse customer base across motorsport, automotive, aerospace, defence, energy and other transportation markets. Formed in 2010, WAE has over 400 employees based at Williams’ Technology Campus in Grove, Oxfordshire. Formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of the Williams F1 Group, WAE is now owned by Fortesque Metals Group (FMG) who with its subsidiary Fortesque Future Industries (FFI) are driving a path to decarbonisation of the energy supply and mining sectors. The business has a clear vision to develop foreground IP using WAE and to exploit and disseminate this into multi-sector commercial offerings.
Key focus areas for WAE include;
• Continuing to maintain and grow its market leadership position in motorsports formats
• Delivering compelling growth in solutions and product supply to the automotive, aerospace and defence sectors
• Forging a path in commercial vehicles and heavy industry, utilising the FFI GreenFleet agenda and investment appetite as solid foundation for growth.
Job Description
As the General Manager – Heavy Industry, you will provide leadership and oversight for project delivery and product industrialisation of the energy storage solutions for WAE in the heavy industry sector. You will drive and fulfil the ambitions of electrification and green energy in the mining sector and other commercial applications.
Key responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:
• Leadership of all critical FFI (Parent Co) programmes, including the delivery output from different groups: Advanced concepts, product development and all mobility projects in Heavy Industry.
• Product planning for different market applications.
• Commercial positioning, product commonization and platform approach, supply chain establishment, manufacturing scale preparation, spares and after service strategy.
• Project portfolio oversight – ensuring commercial viability, delivery planning and execution is provided.
• Driving all project delivery teams within the Heavy Industry market segment to achieve application and product milestones in support of validation schedules, production requirements and vehicle in-service dates.
• Ownership of key delivery KPIs – achieving production start, manufacturing cost ramp down and target margins.
The Successful Applicant
As the General Manager – Heavy Industry, you will have a proven track record of success in a similar role having worked for a business with a focus on mobility applications such as automotive or heavy industry (Off highway/mining/commercial). You are likely to be degree educated in a technical discipline (or qualified by experience) with additional post graduate qualifications being advantageous.
You will have excellent commercial acumen with the ability to own and develop a business line and a strong focus on project delivery and margin growth. You will be comfortable presenting the capability of the business externally with an excellent ability to be the voice of the customer internally. You will be comfortable operating with autonomy.
Further selection criteria will include, but not be limited to;
• Experience in leading cost centres or P&L for business units within an engineering or manufacturing related role
• Proven track record within functional management roles inclusive of; Product Engineering, Commercial
• Programmes, Operations, Business Unit Management, Vehicle Product Line Management
• Experience in commercial stewardship of products from market positioning, business case modelling, customer engagement, product delivery and aftersales.
• Excellent programme management skills; demonstrated portfolio management capability.
• Demonstrated ability to drive creation and then delivery of business case.
• Track record of leading and delivering large projects.Capital projects >£10m
• Project portfolio with >£30m in sales
• Business unit annual revenue >£20m
• Cost centre budgets >£50m
What’s on Offer
In addition to joining a rapidly growing business at an exciting time in its journey, you will be well rewarded with a highly competitive basic salary and excellent benefits. You will also be working for a business with a strong sense of purpose and one that is passionate about the electrification of the mobility sector and beyond.