Head of Advanced Operations

Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) is a world-leading technology and engineering services business delivering pioneering innovation to improve performance, efficiency and sustainability to a global customer base. Combining cutting-edge technological advances and the industry’s best engineers with precision and speed to market derived from the ultra-competitive environment of motorsport, WAE’s capabilities cover a wide range of disciplines.

The company provides ground-breaking innovation covering advanced battery and electrification technologies and product development; aided by advanced simulation, testing, rapid prototyping, and volume manufacturing 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 Head of Advanced Operations, you will be responsible for the leadership of a new advanced operations team providing vision and purpose for scaled manufacturing, continuous process improvement and digital maturity within the WAE organisation. Further responsibility will include;

• Provide leadership and oversight for advanced operations in support of the product industrialisation strategy of WAE. Including developing a manufacturing strategy for best in class scaling of battery production.
• Drive the continuous improvement agenda throughout WAE- ensuring that the maturity of systems and processes, Including business functions outside of manufacturing.
• Manage planning of best in class manufacturing facilities, including location strategy, capital plan and automation for volume.
• Define best practice standardised production system and ensure common approach across locations.
• Drive specific facility inception and launch, capital sourcing and commissioning, team hiring and training, implementing a lean manufacturing system.
• Provide guidance and support to plant team on all scaling and significant scaling projects. Be knowledge centre of excellence for WAE manufacturing.
• Establishing best in class digital strategy across the business, including ERP and associated ecosystem to ensure real time data and feedback in all aspects of the engineering, and manufacturing business.
• Ensure alignment of the Supply chain and manufacturing processes to ensure both supply chain and production facility are fit for manufacturing location.
• Source and drive integrators and equipment providers to achieve plant design and implementation.
• Deployment of standards for manufacturing that define the production system.
• Support HyperBAT with design and implementation of an FFI pilot line that is the foundation for production solutions in other locations.

The Successful Applicant
As the Head of Advanced Operations you will be a proven operations’ professional, with demonstrated leadership of manufacturing facility inception from start-up through to fully launched plant, with proven ability to start from a blank sheet of paper.

• A background in Lean manufacturing, including hands-on experience in the Automation delivery and establishing best in class facilities including IOT digital manufacturing.
• Business process leadership experience, driving a culture of broader business improvement outside of operations (streamlining and process deployment for all functions).
• Knowledge of assembly processes (welding, adhesive, robotic assembly, automated lines, manual assembly) of complex electromechanical products.
• Demonstrated leadership in cross functional roles also desirable – programme management, broad operations, business unit management.
• Excellent programme management skills- demonstrated portfolio management capability.
• Track record of sizeable operations (Capital Projects >£20m, Manufacturing plants and cost centres >£25m annual turnover)
• Technical degree preferable (STEM or Operational management).
• Post graduate management studies would be advantageous.
• Knowledge or formal training in Lean 6-Sigma methodologies beneficial.

What’s on Offer
In addition to joining a fantastic business with huge growth potential, you will receive a highly competitive basic salary and benefits package.