Business Unit Director (MD)

Software Development Business
c£100-125,000 plus package

This is an outstanding and unique opportunity to join a well-funded software development start-up business, already experiencing significant growth. An autonomous part of a larger privately-owned group, they benefit from the corporate, commercial, and financial support as well as highly ethical stance the parent group possesses. 

Sitting within a growth market of outsourced consumer-services software and system integrations, their products and technically capability as already been proven ahead of their expanded launch into new external markets. The business has a clear focus on technical and product innovation to develop all markets they enter. Quality of product and service is at the core of the business.

As the business continues to expand with commercial growth set to exceed expectations, they now find themselves with the need to appoint a Business Unit Director, a newly created no.1 leadership role for the business, providing strong leadership across the business with strong upward relationships into the Group Board.

This sits as a Group business, but with significant independence which the appointee will lead.  

Customer & stakeholder relationships and service delivery of products and services are critical to this onward growth of this business, and thus the appointee will place relationships and stakeholder management as their core focus, safe in the knowledge that the technical development functions, whilst also under their tutelage and forming a vital part of their leadership responsibility, are largely self-managing with existing strong support & management, and operating well.They will be empowered and tasked with leading established teams of high-performing professionals to be efficient, productive, and effective. The appointee will adopt a high calibre customer & stakeholder relationship ethos (both internal AND external); being the client face of the business, working closely with the Business Development, technical and delivery teams as well as overall business leadership.

The desire to seize the opportunities presenting themselves and carve out new opportunities, new products, new markets and new routes to those markets gives this business huge momentum, the Business Unit Director will enjoy fueling that momentum, bringing about even greater strategic leadership and commercial skills as they further penetrate into new markets. Existing customers (targeted and actual) are also largely customers of the parent group; whilst this brings substantial commercial benefit, it also brings increased importance of exceptional customer relationship, stakeholder management & overall service levels.

The Business Unit Director is ultimately the overall leader of this business; this a true business leadership and general management appointment; the gravitas and leadership credentials this individual needs cannot be underestimated.

Key Accountabilities

Business Leadership

• Provide effective leadership and oversight of business operations to ensure smooth running of all departments in compliance with the company direction 
• Responsible for setting and driving organisational vision, operational strategy, and overall commercial relationships 
• Translate strategy into actionable goals for performance and growth helping to implement organization-wide goalsetting, performance management, and annual operating planning 

Customer Relationships

• Ultimately responsible for all stakeholder relationships, customer service & delivery
• Advance the departments outlook to Consumer and Customer needs in the ever-changing landscape of Customer Service
• Monitor performance with tracking and establish corrective measures as needed, and prepare detailed reports, both current and forecasting
• Maintain and build trusted relationships with key customers, clients, partners, and stakeholders
• Analysing internal operations and identifying areas of process enhancement to improve delivery
• Oversee, report, and maintain resource management across the business for both Programme/Projects and recruitment
• Ensure the provision of Products and Service is ‘Best in Class’
• Develop and control all operational budgets in line with objective success

Business & Product Growth

• Spearheading the continued advancement of Product sets and functionality within selected market spaces
• Ensuring financial and contractual accuracy in all commercial agreements are maintained
• Working in partnership with Marketing to successfully deliver and maintain the digital presence (and continual advancement) of the business

Person Specification

The ideal candidate will have prior business leadership experience, although not necessarily as GM/MD or ‘No.1’ position. They will have demonstrable ability to place stakeholder relationships at the heart of the business as well as lead multiple teams and departments within a relationship-centric environment, adept as leading through influence and collaboration as well as direction; their personality and leadership style will be highly evident and the key to their leadership success. They will enjoy setting the leadership tone of the business.

They will be able to demonstrate a successful track record of business growth and designing customer and stakeholder initiatives and solutions, whilst remaining a strong leader and influencer with a strong customer ethos.

As a key team player, they will be adept at leading from the front and being hands-on when necessary, as they drive the teams and get behind the business for which they are responsible for.  With such a fast-paced, lithe consumer-focused business, you will be highly adaptable, agile, and love working in a high-profile, dynamic business, constantly driving new innovations and commercial success.

Key Attributes

• Commercially aware business leader, with recent experience in a customer service led business, ideally with scale-up growth exposure.
• Ability to design and take ownership of all aspects of the business strategy, as well as communicating, orchestrating, and leading its delivery.
• Be the relationship lead for the entire business, both in setting the tone and action style and in hands-on engagement internally and externally.
• Able to manage a business in a complex consumer software market, although tech/IT/software exposure is not ultimately a prerequisite.
• Adept with working within a diverse role, reflecting the comparatively young age of this business.
• Exceptional leadership skills – able to motivate people and attain buy-in
• Be able to diagnose problems quickly and have foresight into potential issues

• A charismatic leader and coach who clearly demonstrates an ability to empower and motivate a team.
• Exceptional skills in communication, motivation, and interpersonal relations; able to convey a message that is understandable and relevant, linking business issues and strategy
• Experience of operating at the highest level of professionalism and personal integrity
• The successful candidate will have a passion for continuous improvement, commercial and operational performance, and a strong sense of accountability.
• Critical analysis of data with the comfort to challenge.

Core Capabilities

• Results driven
• Commercial focus
• Leadership capabilities
• Stakeholder managment
• Planning and monitoring
• Judgement and decision-making
• Forward thinking
• Ability to lead operational, technical, and commercial teams
• Excellent people management skills
• Integrity
• Self-motivated
• Ability to prioritise workloads, meet deadlines and maintain accuracy at all times
• Ability to work independently and with the vision to ensure exemplary operational performance

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