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.
 

TECHNICAL MANAGER – PROCESS & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & TESTING

“Transformational change and leadership role for graduate calibre Engineering professional, with lean, CI & Six Sigma experience required to manage specification sales led technical operation.  Experience of sheet metal CNC forming, pressing and welding processes, innovation, product development and testing advantageous” 

c£55-60000 + Benefits

East/West Midlands border

Commutable from Nuneaton, Tamworth, Atherstone, Dordon, Bedworth, Hinckley, Lichfield, Ashby de la Zouche, Leicester, Coventry, Rugby, Lutterworth, Sutton Coldfield, Coleshill, Cannock, Rugeley, Burton upon Trent, Birmingham, Solihull, Warwick, Leamington Spa

Our client, a division of a large UK group, is a market leader in the specification sales led manufacture and supply of mechanical security and service access solutions to the industrial and commercial sector including hotels, airports, shopping centres, high rise buildings, supermarkets, distribution centres, hotels, rail/underground, hospitals/care homes, student accommodation, commercial and residential developments, interior design and fit out sector. The technical and sales team work closely with architects, engineers, main contractors and other specifiers.  The products are both standard and bespoke.

With a broad remit and working with a small team you will lead the Technical function across one major site on the East/West Midlands border and oversight of another in Hertfordshire. You will work with design, product development, sales, CNC technical engineers/programmers, IT and production personnel. Using best practice, you will identify opportunities for increased efficiency, productivity & innovation. Your ultimate responsibility is to take the division, technically, from its current state to a higher level within a few years that will drive business growth with differentiated products. 

Key to success in the role is oversight of testing, fire certification and compliance both routine and developmental in the light of building regulations and recent events in high rise buildings.  

 
The Role

• Develop and evolve appropriate processes to efficiently drive new and existing product portfolio development, creating an environment to promote innovation, engineering integrity, reliability and best value.
• Develop and evolve effective processes to manage the compliance and timely delivery of customised manufacturing design data in line with agreed service levels.
• Effectively maintain the organisation’s product certification and regulatory compliance programme, ensuring appropriate systems and controls are in place to identify changes in regulatory and certification requirements and maintaining compliance throughout the specification of standard and customised products.
• Provide a source of technical leadership and expertise to the Division focussing on the development of engineering techniques.
• Lead initiatives to support the business’s waste reduction strategy through value engineering and design for manufacture. 
• Develop appropriate KPIs that drive and measure continuous improvement. 
• Lead the personal development and capability of the design and manufacturing support team members.
• Set and then work within established budgets, managing full costs associated with development of existing products and new product development.
• Maintain high standards around the company’s established operating principles of Lean Operational Excellence, Data Driven Decision Making, Profitable Growth, and Employee Engagement.
• Maintain and develop robust business systems including overseeing migration and implementation of new ERP system.  
• Drive safety excellence within all technical operations and contribute to daily maintenance management.

 Your Background

• You will be an engineering graduate or time-served probably with HND or HNC and with c7/8 years proven experience in managing a technical, mechanical design or manufacturing environment ideally working with sheet metal or similar materials.
• Previous specific responsibilities may have been for mechanical design, production or/and engineering functions. Enjoys supporting manufacturing.
• Experience in managing and maintaining fire certifications and testing for passive fire protection products is desirable.
• Commercial understanding and used to serving customers daily.
• Strong focus on innovation and driving processes
• Exceptional communication and relationship management/building skills across all functions.
• A proven motivator, mentor and highly visible leader who has successfully worked and engaged with cross-functional teams.
• Assertive and effective decision making demonstrating a senior presence whilst also a team player.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to contribute to the strategic agenda.
• Expertise in lean/continuous improvement.
• Takes personal ownership and able to manage the journey.
• Strategically minded but tactically adept. Total business understanding and focus on key priorities.
• Future potential to progress further within the organisation. Able to take the business to new levels.
   

RECRUITMENT CO ORDINATOR/PA to DIRECTORS

Location: Pershore, Worcestershire

C£ Negotiable Dependent on Experience

We are a well-established and rapidly expanding UK & International Search & Selection Consultancy and have a rapidly expanding blue chip client base in the UK, Europe, Middle East and further afield. We supply graduate calibre managers, executives and directors. Our strong reputation has been built around their exceptional levels of professionalism and proven track record with some very prestigious clients across retail, manufacturing and B2B service provision. Our consultants are CIPD qualified HR professionals and we utilise leading edge recruitment technology and communication systems. We work with a large blue chip multinational client base and also offer a full range of talent, recruitment and assessment services.

The Role:

• Working alongside a Senior PA and Recruitment Support team you will provide full support to the Recruitment Consultancy team covering all recruitment, marketing and administrative functions
• Answering incoming calls, accurate message taking and processing as required
• There will be extensive contact with clients, candidates and service providers such as media and internet advertising providers as well as other members of the Recruitment Consultancy, Client Relationship Management, Research and Database Administration team
• All aspects of applicant response & experience management and administration
• Emails/correspondence - read, prioritise, respond all incoming correspondence and respond as appropriate using our ATS and CRM software in line with data protection regulations
• Formatting of CV’s and other documentation for submission to Clients
• All aspects of diary management including arranging interviews and meetings both internally and externally for UK and international clients
• Send out business development correspondence and marketing collateral as required
• Marketing and website related administration
• Preparation of reports including client and candidate briefing documents, job descriptions, interview notes and advertising copy
• Ensure that all work undertaken including letters and all communications regarding clients is correctly documented and time recorded
• Arrange travel and accommodation where applicable

The job requires a good deal of common sense, flexibility and thinking on your feet and the ability to find solutions to problems. You need to be able to work on own initiative, be assertive and persuasive but not aggressive, able to encourage others to meet deadlines.  A strong team player.

The Person:

• Well educated ideally to University Degree level
• Experienced as an Administrator ideally within recruitment or similar fast paced but customer focused environment
• Confident and highly professional telephone manner used to liaising with Senior Executives from the UK and overseas
• A proactive and mature approach
• Able to utilise your own initiative and resolve problems.  Self motivated.
• Excellent attention to detail
• An ability to produce work of good quality with minimal supervision
• An appreciation of issues around confidentiality and data protection
• Minimum 45 wpm typing speed
• Intermediate to Advanced Word, Excel & Powerpoint
• Familiarity with spreadsheets and databases
• A resilient and professional approach
• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
• Strong telephone client liaison skills with the willingness to represent and promote the organisation
• Exceptional time management and organisational capabilities including some previous experience of co-ordinating projects
• Ability to work to strict deadlines and keep abreast of workflow and developments
• Methodical approach to work with good eye for detail
• Experience gained within a professional client focused environment
• You must have previous PA, secretarial, administration and office experience, ideally gained within a HR or recruitment environment, providing proactive support to management including development of office procedures and meeting deadlines in a complex and pressurised environment
• Willingness to undertake routine tasks such as data input into a state of art recruitment system, updating website, filing and photocopying as required

Although we have a large blue chip client base, we are a small, friendly and approachable team and we pride ourselves on our open, responsive and helpful personalities.   We strong team players.  A "hands on" approach and the ability to remain calm under pressure will be critical as we operate in a time sensitive, high customer service level and competitive market place.

Please note that we operate within a no smoking environment. A clean driving licence and your own car is essential. We require an individual who is able to work full time 5 days per week or part time at least 2-3 days per week consistently on a job share with an experienced senior PA. There is the possibility to work remotely on occasion as well through a dial up network, although good internet connection will be essential, however we do require someone who can work from the office regularly every week as well.

RECRUITMENT CONSULTANTS

£Competitive base salary + excellent bonus/commission scheme

Location:  near Pershore, Worcestershire

THE COMPANY

Martin Veasey Talent Solutions is a leading independent executive search consultancy with experience recruiting across a diverse range of industries and service sectors. The client portfolio spans both the UK and international market places. Specialising in middle and senior management appointments we are able to source high quality candidates from the UK as well as all over the world, in a variety of disciplines, from key management roles to board level directors.

Martin Veasey Talent Solutions operates in the following sectors, supply chain and logistics, manufacturing and engineering, purchasing, sales and marketing, HR and in over thirty-five years we have built up considerable experience and knowledge in these areas.  Our consultants are CIPD qualified and we utilise the latest leading-edge recruitment technology and communication systems and work with a large blue-chip multinational client base. We also offer a full range of talent, recruitment and assessment services to our clients.

THE ROLE

The role of Recruitment Consultant will be a good combination of new business development, consultative recruitment solutions design, account management and solid transactional recruitment delivery. You will be working as part of a very successful and established team that enjoys a strong reputation in the marketplace. You will be involved in the whole recruitment lifecycle from developing client relationships, attending client visits, new business development, advertising, interviewing and managing your candidates through our client’s selection process to the point where you place the candidate in a suitable role. You will have access to a state of the art ATS and CRM, which is proactively and regularly updated by our recruitment support team.  We also have excellent research and resourcing capabilities to support you in your quest for the perfect candidates for your assignments.

You will be responsible for sourcing, screening, interviewing and consulting with candidates on their career aspirations as well as forging strong relationships with clients and companies. You will develop and expand your market sector and identify new business opportunities. You will also be expected to work as part of a team and develop excellent working relationships both internally and externally.

THE PERSON

• A graduate with lots of drive, ambition and commitment
• Articulate with the ability to build rapport and relationships with senior employees within the corporate market place.
• A hardworking and committed individual who is looking to contribute and progress within a growing company whilst maintaining their work, family life balance.

Ideally you will have previous recruitment experience gained either as an in-house recruiter or with a recruitment/executive search and selection consultancy.  A minimum of 6 months current or recent recruitment experience will be a prerequisite.  This must include experience of conducting technical and competency based interviews.

You will be a high achieving and articulate candidate who is able to present to the highest levels within business. Having excellent organisational skills, you will be able to work on multiple projects at any one time, ensuring that all are delivered on time and to a successful conclusion.

In return we offer a relaxed but challenging, team orientated, highly focused environment within a growing business.

These roles are offered on a full or part time or job share basis with some opportunity to occasionally work from home using a dial in facility.  Due to the location of our offices and the nature of these roles, you must have a clean driving licence and your own car.

SENIOR OPERATIONS DIRECTOR – RETAIL LOGISTICS OPERATIONS

“3PL Grocery Retail Logistics operations.  A fantastic opportunity for experienced grocery logistics professional with excellent multi-site, grocery retail DC operations management expertise to take the lead on high profile retail account”

£Competitive + Car Allowance + Bonus + Benefits

Actual Job Location: Thailand    

Our client is one of the world’s most successful third party logistics service providers with an impressive portfolio of blue chip multinational accounts across a range of industry sectors. 

This role is a high profile one, taking the lead in the further development and optimisation of multi –site logistics operations for one of Thailand’s largest grocery retailers.

As an experienced Grocery Logistics Distribution Centre Operations/General Manager, ideally with both 3PL and in-house experience, you will work closely with the client and will take the strategic and operational lead for multiple, automated and semi-automated DC’s in the Bangkok area. You will be responsible for strategic growth, operational development and performance covering both warehousing and transport logistics operations.   You will also to continue to engage and develop an excellent key account focused, client relationship at VP level.  The focus will be on the further development and growth of the business, against a stringent SLA and challenging KPI’s.  You will lead, coach and develop your team of DC General Managers to create a best in class and high performing country operation.

To succeed in this role, you will be university degree educated, and will perhaps have benefitted from an in-depth management development programme either with a large 3PL or a food/grocery retailer.  This will have encompassed a series of operational leadership roles covering both warehousing and transport (including acquisition of a CPC) interspersed with project work culminating in your current or most recent senior operational role, running either one or several large scale multi temperature FMCG retail NDCs or RDCs employing at least 900-1000 + staff, as a DC GM/Regional Manager or Director.  

Your 3PL experience will have included extensive contract account management and client stakeholder engagement.  Either in house or within a 3PL you will have built upon your project management and continuous improvement skills to reduce costs and increase efficiencies. You may already have been involved in new site openings, through to large scale physical and systems redesigns.  This will all have been achieved whilst ensuring that operations remain fully functional delivering high levels of accuracy and on time delivery within a retail DC.

You will be strategic and commercially minded, with experience of shaping strategic plans and implementing cost saving initiatives in complex, large retail FMCG operations. You will be experienced in coaching and leading teams through numerous periods of change and growth, producing high performing teams. You will be ambitious, with a track record of successful performance improvement and results delivery, as you build your expertise in this exciting role, to eventually take on a senior executive leadership role at VP level in a developing international market. 

The ideal applicant will be university degree educated perhaps in logistics or business or engineering. You will be a high energy, resilient person, with a warm personality and a real passion for developing people and driving a logistics business to succeed.  Your talent and development reviews to date will already have earmarked you as a high potential talent.   

From an operational perspective you must be adept at running a retail warehousing pick pack and despatch operation as well as a multi drop primary and secondary transport function.  In terms of budgetary responsibility my client’s business is big - in the range of £60 million plus revenue so your financial management and planning skills will be excellent. Your attention to detail, self-control and drive will be of the highest levels.  You will be comfortable persuading, influencing and presenting at both shop floor and director level internally and externally to the client.  

Previous experience of working abroad or extended periods of travel to the Far East or other developing markets will be highly advantageous, but not a prerequisite, however you will need to be able to quickly adapt to a different cultural style and your personal people management and leadership approach will be one that respects loyalty and engenders trust whilst remaining highly results driven and focused on success.  In return our client offers a competitive salary (low tax) and benefits such as car, bonus, pension, healthcare and fantastic career development.   Relocation assistance will be provided including short term rental support and school fees.

PRODUCT MANAGER - Mechanical Hardware into the OEM & Distribution Sector

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 mechanical hardware. You will focus on developing 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. You will take full ownership and responsibility for your designated product portfolio and 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

• Co-ordinate market and customer research into new product and new product category ideas working with the sales, marketing, design and technical teams 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 the OEM & Distribution sector and 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
• Work closely with Design & Technical 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 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 
• 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 
• 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 

Your Background

• Educated to degree level with a background in product management gained within the mechanical hardware/components sector focussing on OEM housebuilding, construction, building trade, DIY/hardware sectors or similar, for example automotive
• Must have experience of NPD from concept to launch as well as product portfolio management and product lifecycle management through to termination
• Prince 2 Practitioner preferred or similar methodology
• Strong strategic analysis skills 
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills
• Comfortable working in a matrix management environment
• Highly flexible