PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER – DECORATIVE INTERIOR & EXTERIOR HARDWARE, FIXTURES & FITTINGS

“Perfect role for aesthetically strong, style conscious and consumer trend focused Product Development Manager.  Opportunity to take the full product lifecycle lead from concept to launch, introducing new product categories, working closely with key OEM, Retail & Wholesale Key Accounts, and cross functional colleagues in Marketing, Mechanical Design, Technical, Sales & Manufacturing”

Salary:  c£50000 - £60000 plus benefits

Location:  West Midlands

Commutable from Birmingham, Kidderminster, Stafford, Stone, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Wednesbury, Stourbridge, Halesowen, Bromsgrove, Lichfield, Tamworth, Stoke on Trent, Telford, Shrewsbury, Droitwich, Redditch, Worcester, Coventry, Warwick, Sutton Coldfield, Coleshill, Stockport, Crewe

This fast growing and acquisitive client wish to strengthen their product offering with a Product Manager responsible for development of new decorative interior and exterior hardware, fixtures and fittings including mechanically engineered products. You will focus on developing and delivering a pipeline of new product development to time scale and product life cycle management for customers, in the OEM housebuilding/construction, building trade and DIY/hardware distribution sectors.  This would be within three-year rolling launch plans.

Your experience may have been gained within a Product Management role in one of these sectors or in aligned sectors such as furnishings and other home/domestic products, fixtures and fittings.  You will take full ownership and responsibility for your designated product portfolio and will deliver continued commercial success of those products by managing them according to their stage within the product lifecycle. You must have experience of NPD from ‘cradle to grave’.

 The Role

• Evaluate and co-ordinate product portfolio to evaluate market trends and feedback from customer research to identify gaps in the current product portfolio with a view to superseding existing products and introducing new products and new product category strategies.
• In this respect, work closely with key account clients in OEM, Retail and Distributor Channels and internally with cross functional colleagues in marketing, design and technical, quality, procurement and sales to harness cross functional expertise.
• Be the go-to-person in the business for new product ideas, actively promote this and make yourself available to encourage idea generation across the business. 
• Keep abreast of product developments within our client’s specific OEM & Distributor sector and amongst its competitors. Use this intelligence to identify new product opportunities.
• Develop project proposals to be considered for entry into the product development process, paying close attention to cost, price and margin and for projects that merit.progression work closely to the Prince2 product development and Stage Gate processes to deliver products in a timely, high quality and financially compelling manner.
• Monitor project status and communicate to the rest of the business including at Board level.
• Work closely with cross functional colleagues in Marketing, Design & Technical, Manufacturing, Quality, Sales & Commercial to ensure stringent validation approvals against the product design where necessary.
• Monitor the evolving needs of customers and the sales teams to ensure that projects are being treated with the right level of priority at any given time.
• Work with sales, procurement and supply chain to establish initial order quantities and with marketing to deliver a fully featured launch process and collateral and also prepare training material in relation to the new product and ensure it is delivered to all relevant parties.
• In partnership with the sales team and technical teams, stay close to early adopters of new products and gather feedback on experiences of the product feeding back improvements to the design team. Feedback positive comment to the sales and marketing teams to incorporate in pitches/marketing material.
• Conduct a ground up review of the product portfolio understanding the detail and intricacies of the range. Rationalise legacy and obsolete products, classify remaining products and create an action plan for each by revisiting features and benefit and re-launch to the sales force or investigate opportunities for VAVE or replacement.
• Build a category development strategy for the product portfolio and manage all products accordingly including looking for opportunities to reduce the size of the portfolio, categorise & bundle product ranges, review opportunities for VAVE, re-energise products by modernising packaging, manage changeovers and ensure terminated products are sold off profitably.
• Create excitement across the business when stock is available in order that the products are more likely to be talked about to customers by the sales team.
• Be fully involved with colleagues in Marketing to deliver fully featured product launch.

Undertake all training of sales/commercial colleagues so that they are fully au fait with product specifications, features and benefits.

Your Background

• Educated to degree level with a strong track record in product management, ideally but not exclusively, gained within the mechanical hardware/components sector focussing on OEM housebuilding, construction, building trade, DIY/hardware sectors or similarly aligned sectors such as larger home furnishings, double glazing, windows, doors, security systems, kitchens, bathrooms, tiling flooring, garden furniture, architectural or other metal products.
• Aesthetically strong, style conscious and very experienced in analysing and evaluating consumer and market trends in home décor, furnishings and fittings, translating them into fantastic new products.
• Must have experience of NPD from concept to launch as well as product portfolio
• management and product lifecycle management through to termination. This is not a pure marketing or design role however you will be working closely with colleagues in Marketing and Design.
• Must include experience of undertaking VAVE/Value Analysis and Value Engineering to ensure that products can realistically be designed and developed and launched into the market at price points which meet market requirements and profit margin targets.
• May have experience of new packaging design and categorisation of products into compelling product bundles for customers.
• Prince 2 Practitioner preferred or experienced in similar project stage gate management methodology.
• Strong strategic analysis and planning skills and an impressive portfolio of new product development from concept to launch.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills
• Comfortable working in a matrix management environment.  Experienced in presenting value propositions to senior executive level both internally and externally with key account clients.
• Experience of working with design and manufacturing colleagues in both the UK and potentially the Far East/Internationally.

To apply without delay, please email your CV to applications@martinveasey.com quoting reference LX 459220 Telephone 01905 381 320 www.martinveasey.com 

TEST LABORATORY MANAGER - TESTING & CERTIFICATION

 “Career development and leadership opportunity for commercially focused Test & Certification specialist with best in class experience in mechanical and electrical test engineering or other disciplines, including chemical, metallurgical, forensics etc to UK and International Standards”

Salary:  c£40,000 + Excellent Large Company Benefits

Location:  Wolverhampton

Commutable from Birmingham, Kidderminster, Stafford, Stone, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Wednesbury, Stourbridge, Halesowen, Bromsgrove, Lichfield, Tamworth, Stoke on Trent, Telford, Shrewsbury, Droitwich, Redditch, Worcester, Coventry, Warwick, Sutton Coldfield, Coleshill, Crewe

Our client is a well-established and respected manufacturer of fixtures, fittings and components both mechanical and electronic in the home and building infrastructure products sector. Highly acquisitive and experiencing excellent growth, the company is based in a brand-new office, distribution centre and test centre complex in the West Midlands close to the M6/M54 but has operational facilities and subsidiaries nationally and globally.  

They are now seeking to strengthen their Test Centre team with the appointment of a Manager to head up their brand-new Test & Certification facility.  Our client offers testing and certification services both on an in-house basis to internal group companies and also to external customers including other manufacturers of mechanical, electrical and electronic components and products, in line with industry and national and international standards and certifications.  The role also encompasses management of product certification schemes to ensure continuity of compliance and maximise value from product certifications

Testing equipment is predominantly pneumatic, hydraulic plus electrical/electronic includes tensile and other strength tests. 

The Role:

You will manage our client’s brand-new Test Engineering Centre, ensuring that internal and external customer needs are met, providing an exemplary service, managing product certification scheme to ensure continuity of compliance and maximum value from product certifications. The role is as much about team management as technical competence.

• Promote and maintain compliance with procedural requirements and best practice for safety, health and environmental factors associated with testing operations, ensuring suitable provision is made for the identification of hazards and management of risks
• Develop & maintain the necessary systems and competencies within the testing team to manage daily operations, testing scheduling, and quote and report generation
• Promote and maintain professional standards of service.
• Manage the testing capacity to suitably cater for customer indicative, UKAS accredited, competitor analysis, development and audit test requirements.
• Develop & maintain the necessary systems and competencies within the testing team to manage daily operations, testing scheduling, and quote and report generation
• Preparation of audit test samples for our client’s certified product testing.
• Maintain a test quotation and booking service with transparent lead times and manage the provision of testing to agreed service levels.
• Maintenance and development of UKAS accredited ISO 17025 Laboratory management system, manuals, procedures and accreditation requirements.
• Identification and implementation of testing service improvements including scope of service and efficiency
• Promotion of our client’s testing services within the industry to maximise value.
• Development and maintenance of our client’s product certifications including CE marking, Kitemark and Certify product schemes, and product specific testing evidence.
• Monitor and evaluate developments within industry testing and product standards, identifying threats and opportunities and liaising with key stakeholders.
• Represent our client’s testing services at the Test House Studies Group.
• A key area is the day to day management and development of the Test Engineers and Team Leader to ensure flexibility and a high quality of service.
• Maintain good relationships internally with key members of executive team as well as customers and external bodies.

The Background:

• Degree/HNC/HND educated in Mechanical or Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Metallurgy, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Forensics or similar.
• Experience of Electrical/Electronic Engineering advantageous. Experience could be gained in mechanical, electronic, chemicals, biological, metals sectors or forensics.
• Currently working within a similar specialist testing team or alternatively as part of a quality or product development function within a manufacturing environment but keen to develop career further into testing and certification.
• Experienced leading and motivating engineers including apprentices is essential.
• Experience of BSI standards essential.
• Customer facing experience essential – this could be external customers or internal customers within different product or manufacturing divisions of the same organisation.
• Experience of planning resource allocation and creating and presenting reports.
• Structured problem-solving techniques, including analysis and corrective and preventative action identification
• Ability to technically appraise company and competitor products.

In return our client offers a competitive salary plus pension, 25 days holiday and the option to choose from a wide variety of other benefits offered by our client.

PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS TEAM LEADER SAP P2P
“Excellent opportunity for high potential graduate calibre, strategic SAP eProcurement specialist to develop a high performing team to drive P2P process improvement and best practice across Europe.”

£Executive Salary + Excellent blue-chip benefits package including defined contribution pension & enhanced holiday entitlement
Location: North West (with UK and Mainland European travel)

Commutable from Ellesmere Port, Mold, Wrexham, Birkenhead, Wallasey, Chester, Warrington, Runcorn, Widnes, Liverpool, Crewe, Knutsford, Macclesfield, Greater Manchester, Wigan, Newton le Willows, Leigh, Heywood, Skelmersdale.

Our client is a major global player in the nuclear industry. Operating on a UK nuclear licensed site specialising in safe, cost effective and reliable uranium enrichment services. 

If you are looking to build your career in a developing and ambitious company, we would love to hear from you. 

Our client is seeking a high potential and experienced strategic procurement professional, with P2P experience gained within a SAP environment, experience of managing teams remotely and willing to be hands on operationally. 

The Role & Responsibilities:
Functional expertise in SAP and P2P processes, manages a team that utilise SAP Procurement modules. Leads the delivery of transactional procurement activities to a high-performance standard with an international remit. Is expected to understand and work within international constraints and will continuously improve operations with a view to harmonise globally setting best practice minimum standards, whilst managing delivery to a range of stakeholders and suppliers.
•    Management of resource to ensure timely delivery of P2P activity in line with business requirements and ensuring compliance to group policies. 
•    Provide coaching and advice to requisitioners on the P2P process. Develop and deliver training and/or training materials to support global process improvement. 
•    Leading the team to provide first line support to operations on supplier performance management, working on conjunction with senior buyers and category managers to drive improvements
•    Create and maintain P2P procedures, work instructions with supporting process flow maps to ensure process excellence and standardization including replenishment stock
•    Cleansing of quality data in the SAP production system
•    Assist with the roll-out and ongoing management of Card Payments
•    Lead Automation projects to reduce the number of P2P transactions required and improve approval flows for P2P
•    Active contribution to the ongoing development of functional capabilities to ensure value delivery is sustainable in the long term and functional effectiveness and efficiencies is improved on a continual basis.

The Ideal Candidate:
The successful candidate will be educated to Degree (or equivalent) level and demonstrate experience and a demonstrable track record in: 

•    Experienced strategic procurement professional with SAP/SAP Ariba P2P Procurement leadership expertise
•    Comfortable operating at both a strategic and hands on operational and day to day transactional level, getting involved in the detail, directing and coaching the team whilst also being able to step up and strategically review, plan and enhance the P2P procurement function in line with corporate goals across the UK and mainland Europe. 
•    Experience of working with senior stakeholders and operating in different cultures, ideally across geographies 
•    Able to work in a cross functional team and work autonomously
•    Highly motivated and accountable to drive continuous P2P performance in efficiency and effectiveness
•    Experience of leading a team to provide first line support to operations on supplier performance management solid knowledge of leading project management techniques and skilled in leading project teams on implementing the P2P procurement strategy and delivering against appropriate objectives with minimal supervision.
•    Setting standards for documentation management, knowledge management and administration which ensures adherence to regulatory obligations, to ensure our client’s interests are fully protected throughout P2P lifecycle.
•    Managing ambiguity and being confident to take accountability for creating a governance model, resource plan and deliver plan to meet the business requirements efficiently
•    Degree educated with CIPS qualification.
•    Fluent business English plus a second language such as German or Dutch would be highly advantageous.
•    Flexible in order to undertake occasional national and pan European travel in order to collaborate and deliver key projects with P2P and wider procurement colleagues.