Operations Director – Regional Independent Builders Merchant

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Operations Director – Regional Independent Builders Merchant

Northern head office, with travel throughout their trading region

This is an excellent opportunity to join the senior team of this market-leading business. They have a successful track record of growth combined with an exciting strategy for the future.  This position of Operations Director will work closely with the senior team and indeed all colleagues with direct responsibility for Transport, Health & Safety, the Distribution Centre and Branches, via Regional Directors.

This is a key role and needless to say a very important piece of recruitment with a desire for a successful long-term appointment.

Personality type and cultural fit are even more important than the company’s potential candidates have worked for. The senior team (and indeed the entire business) would benefit from someone with high levels of intellect and drive with an ability to challenge colleagues to ensure the business achieves its desired results. Given the breadth and commercial complexities of the role we also require someone with excellent communication skills: internally and externally. 

Potential candidates should be/have:

• Extensive experience with a successful track record in a similar role (although we’re also open to someone with the right ability stepping up to this level for the first time)
• A broad operational background encompassing multi-site branch operations, transport, distribution centre and Health & Safety
• Know how to maximise trading and margin opportunities: Delivering that strategy through diverse teams
• A good understanding of how such a business works. B2B multi-depot, multi-products into a variety of project types across the construction industry.  Experience in a builders merchant is of course, highly desirable
• Experience with e-commerce as well as traditional branch-based trading is also highly desirable 
• An appreciation of the balance between providing an excellent service whilst improving the margin
• An inspiring and engaging leadership style, creating confidence and demonstrating credibility
• An ability to work at pace and successfully develop and deliver the operational strategy
• An appreciation of the nature of a privately owned business with a long history and long-serving employees
• Located within or be easily commutable/relocatable to a Northern head office and be able to travel throughout the region and indeed across the UK to visit suppliers and attend conferences and exhibitions. This is a visible leadership role; an ivory tower or fully remote approach will not work! 

The Bottom Line:

This is not a turnaround situation, nor does it require a revolution. It’s about building on what you have, improving it and identifying further areas for growth. The business is well-placed with a capable senior team.

There is a competitive salary, bonus and benefits package. To apply please send your CV to nick@wilsonbrook.com 

National Sales Manager – Specialist services & technical consultancy 

UK wide role, flexible with candidate location, with some time in offices in Hertfordshire, West Midlands and Manchester

This is an excellent opportunity to join a well-established and growing organisation.  They provide a range of technical solutions and services to multiple sectors, including Construction, Infrastructure, Utilities, Energy, Property and Manufacturing. They are part of a global group with further organic and acquisitive growth to come, both in the UK and Europe!

In order to facilitate further growth and add additional capability to the senior team they are now looking to strengthen the commercial structure that supports their business.  This will also link into how they can create a more joined-up approach across their various products and services, delivered via several business units, into their client companies.  Some of their clients might not realise the full scope of the service offering, so there are naturally up-selling and cross-selling opportunities.  

Potential candidates should have a successful track record in a similar National Sales Manager role in a consultancy or technical solutions & services business-to-business environment within either a medium (£20m+) or large company with a defined sales strategy, process, and structure.

The role's overarching objective is to achieve contracted sales, gross margin, and EBITDA growth targets through additions to services scope and new business units within national accounts within the defined market sectors.

You will assume overall responsibility for managing a team of skilled professionals through a matrix approach, complete with 3 direct reports in Marketing, Insights, and Bid Management, propelling growth and profitability. Your strategic foresight, astute business acumen, and remarkable leadership prowess will be indispensable to achieving the business's sales strategy.

Potential candidates should have:

• (+ 5 years) Previous experience in a UK Sales Management role 
• Experience within some kind of technical services, consultancy type business with high levels of technology: this could be Inspection and Certification, Surveying, Geospatial, Health & Safety, Monitoring etc.
• Track record of driving business growth and achieving financial targets selling into multiple sectors
• Proven track record of working across an organisation through a matrix structure to accomplish strategic objectives with conflicting priorities. 

Candidates can live anywhere in the UK, although the role will involve national travel supporting the team and visiting key clients and the operational parts of the business.

There is an excellent salary, bonus and benefits package, with equity opportunities in the future

To apply send your CV to ethan@wilsonbrook.com 

Managing Director – Mr. Plant Hire: Regional tool, plant & equipment hire business, part of AER Rents

Based South East; ideally within the M25 or easily commutable to it.

Head Office in Enfield

This is an excellent opportunity to join a well-established regional tool & equipment hire business and help grow it! There is huge growth potential across the multiple markets they serve. The business is part of a family-owned independent group with businesses in related sectors. They are long-term owners who trust their business managers to run their businesses as if they were their own. They are happy to invest in a number of areas:

• New locations throughout the South and South East
• New equipment
• Improved sales & marketing strategy
• Strengthening the team

Trading from several sites in good locations they have a great reputation for customer service, a modern fleet of equipment and a committed and experienced team.

With the right leader, this business could expand considerably, adding new product categories and services. There will be freedom to trade in an autonomous environment with no bureaucracy and the support of an experienced senior leadership team.
 

Potential candidates should have:

• A successful track record of profitably running and growing a tool/equipment/plant hire business or something closely related, such as a multi-site merchant or b2b distribution business, as Managing Director or another senior leadership role, ideally with a commercial bias. 
• Can successfully operate in such an environment without the support structures of a larger corporate 
• A proactive, inquisitive, common-sense approach
• Willingness to roll sleeves up and always looking for opportunities to improve the business
• To be customer-facing and enjoy doing this. Knowledge of the customer base is an advantage, but not a prerequisite
• Fit in with and positively develop the culture within the organisation, ensuring respect for all within the business
• Leadership of the highest calibre: inspire, lead, motivate, engage with people throughout the business
• Commercially and financially aware
• You will own the P&L and be responsible for creating and delivering the strategy to achieve this. 
• You must live within a reasonable commuting distance of London, ideally within the M25 or nearby. Their head office is in Enfield. There will be some travel regionally within the role. The nature of the business and this role means that this isn’t really a Work from Home role or environment.

To apply send your CV to ethan@wilsonbrook.com   

Managing Director: furniture & interiors products distributor, multiple SKUs, sectors and routes to market

• Develop and deliver an exciting growth strategy
• Fully utilise excellent modern facilities and infrastructure
• Improve productivity and efficiency across all aspects of the business
• Provide leadership of the highest calibre, developing their people in line with a strong values-based culture in a family-owned business
• Based just off the M5 on the edge of the Cotswolds, just South of Gloucester, candidates must live within 60 minutes commute
• Excellent salary + bonus + benefits

This is an excellent opportunity to join a well-established and highly-regarded business. It is well placed with strong financials, a modern and spacious operational set-up, and a broad and on-trend range of products. It has a proud history and an impressive track record of success and growth. Like any business, in recent years, there have been challenges, but it is well placed for further growth through innovation and NPD both within current and new markets. It already has strong relationships with major customers and other resellers. They are known for their comprehensive stock-holding and excellent service.

Despite their success, they are not resting on their laurels. They see plenty of opportunities for growth and improvement. 

Hence, they are looking to recruit an experienced and successful Managing Director to develop and deliver the growth strategy. With continued investment in people and products, they have the foundations in place, along with a supportive senior team and a positive family-feel culture.

Suitable candidates should have a successful track record in a similar business leadership role. Experience in leading a business selling similar products in markets such as hospitality, commercial, education and healthcare is beneficial but not essential. We’re open to candidates who have run a business with a similar model: B2B distribution, high-SKU, into multiple markets. We’re looking for individuals with an analytical and strategic approach, given the complexity of a large number of categories, SKUs and customers, along with credibility, leadership and gravitas. You’ll also need plenty of energy, drive and dynamism. We’re open to candidates stepping up into an MD role for the first time as long as you have experience in helping a medium-sized business through significant growth and transformation. This could be as the Finance Director, Operations Director or Sales Director. As a good MD you’ll naturally need a broad knowledge of all these areas!

Candidates living within a reasonable daily commuting distance are required, maximum 60 minutes. There will be some travel in the role, but clearly, visibility is essential in a business leadership role.

To apply send your CV to ethan@wilsonbrook.com  

Head of Commercial Sales & Head of Technical & Design – 

Cladding/Façades/Rainscreen/Profiles/Roofing systems

Ideally South East based, commutable to their office just off the M4

Competitive Salary + bonus + benefits (car allowance, pension)

This is an excellent opportunity to join a well-established specialist exterior products business. They have a great reputation for bespoke manufacturing, producing systems in a range of materials, shapes and sizes. In many cases, they are the only UK business that can produce such systems. 

They have grown successfully over recent years with good potential for further growth, operating at healthy margins. There will be freedom to operate in an autonomous environment with no bureaucracy and the support of experienced senior leadership.

Potential candidates should have:

• A successful track record in a similar Head of Commercial Sales or Head of Technical/Design type role. Specific product knowledge is highly desirable along with experience designing and manufacturing such systems
• Can successfully operate in an SME environment, rolling sleeves up and making informed decisions quickly 
• A proactive, inquisitive, common-sense approach
• Fit in with and positively develop the culture within the organisation, ensuring respect for all within the business
• You should live within the South East, commutable to their office just off the M4.

The future is very bright for this business. Come and be a part of it. 

To apply send your CV to nick@wilsonbrook.com