Head of Production

Opportunity Brief:  Head of Production

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 clients 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 our client company on the search for a Head of Production who will drive efficiencies, process governance and operational excellence across a facility that is primed for improvement. 

Below you will find an ‘opportunity brief’ developed from notes taken during the scoping meeting (Situational Discovery) held between the Head of Executive Search, Tom Norton and Principal Consultant, Billy Jackson (Ford and Stanley Executive Search) and Operations Director of the client company. 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:

“The newly created Head of Production role will be pivotal in supporting our growth, and continuous improvement of our West Sussex site. We need to focus on driving strategic and process improvements in our production, planning, and factory operations.”

“As a group we are focused on rapid growth, whilst maintaining our rich culture and reputation. At the West Sussex facility, we have great opportunity for improvement of our end-to-end manufacturing process and fully expect the Head of Production to be able to have an immediate and tangible impact on the efficiency of our operation”

“We need to take the facility on a transformational journey to which this role will be the catalyst. The Head of Production will be the “right hand” to the Operations Director and drive a culture of operational excellence across the facility through hands on leadership and collaboration”

Challenges expected within the first 12 months include:

• The incoming Head of Production will be leading a factory that is looking to make extensive improvements to planning and process. As such there is a lot of opportunity for efficiencies to be gained.
• Although backed by the wider group, the business do have budget constraints; as such the incoming Head of Production will need to focus on maximising the output from the workforce and upskilling the teams where possible. As evidence of improvements are made, we anticipate flexibility on budget will increase.
• There is a delicate balance between using resource within the business to successfully deliver product and using resource to implement change within the factory. This is a balance the Head of Production will have to strike

Key deliverables within the first 12 months include:

• Demonstrate an increase to the output of the factory across the current product portfolio.
• Significantly improve the organisation of the site, ensuring it is clean and organised with strong processes and underpinned by lean methodologies.
• Implement strong processes and KPI’s on the site to encourage productivity and growth.

Essential Hard Skills (Skills & Experience)

• Strong track record within SME businesses that operate a lean and well-established manufacturing process, providing an understanding of “what good looks like”.
• Understanding ‘best in practice’ processes such as Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing etc.
• Strong problem solver with an ability to ‘think outside of the box’.
• Experience within heavy engineering or manufacturing businesses.
• Ability to manage multiple functions within a factory environment (Stores, planning, production, factory operations).
• Proven track record of being accountable for the success or failure of an operation.

Essential Soft Skills (Attributes & Behaviours)

• A resilient character who will lead from the front and ensure a positive culture.
• Collaborative individual who will build strong partnerships across the business and drive collaborative working.
• A sense of confidence and energy to drive change.
• Experience building relationships from shop floor to boardroom.
• Demonstratable experience of ‘feeling the weight of the table’ in the operations they have led.

Working Arrangements & Location:

• To be based out of the West Sussex facility
• Expectation to be present on site 5 days per week.

Client Company Interview Process:

• 1st Stage teams’ interview to be held with the Operations Director.
• 2nd Stage interview will be held on site with the Operations Director and HR.

Ford & Stanley Interview Process:

• 1st 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.
• 2nd 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:

• The business are a specialist manufacturer of vibration control technology rubber. They provide their products to customers in the UK and internationally.
• Under private ownership, the business are a workplace of agility and true entrepreneurialism. A leader with an ‘entrepreneurial’ spirit would be advantageous, to drive growth.
• There is a high level of interest in the business by the ownership group, positive engagement, support, and regularity of communication is to be expected with the level of investment on offer.
• The Head of Production is a brand-new role created within the business and part of the plan to continue to accelerate the growth of the division.
• It’s the intention that this individual will become the ‘right hand’ of the Operations Director and the leader of the West Sussex site.
• There is a Production Manager on site who has been with the business for 30 years and holds a significant amount of knowledge around the business, it’s processes and procedures.
• This role will have accountability over Production, Stores, Planning and the Factory.
• Worth noting that the business has over two years’ worth of order book with plenty of opportunities to grow the business.
• It’s vital that we hire a Head of Production who can ‘win hearts and minds’ within the teams on site and lead from the front with a strong presence on the shop floor.  
• This role will have four direct reports. A planning Manager, Production Manager, Stires Manager and Maintenance Team lead.
• The group plans for investment and the creation of a state of the art manufacturing facility it’s vital that they get the foundations right now.

Budget:

Low £60k, Medium £65k, High £70k

Supporting benefits

Car Allowance £6k per annum

Executive Search Delivery Team:

• Tom Norton – Head of Executive Search (Client Recommendations/Advisory, Offer Negotiations, Headhunting, Networking)
• Billy Jackson – Principal Consultant (Shortlisting, Offer Negotiations, Headhunting, Networking, Research, Search, Longlisting, Interviews, Data & Market Intel)
• Ralitsa Kuzeva – Executive Assistant (Diary Management, 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.

1. Ford & Stanley TalentWise - Business specialising in blue collar trade & technical services – permanent and temporary.
2. 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.
3. Ford & Stanley Executive Search – Business specialising in Executive Search & Executive Interim Solutions in the UK, North America, Middle East and Europe.
4. 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.