Job Description
Business Unit Director – Multi-Site Engineering Operations
Location: North of England, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, York, Hull
£120,000-£140,000 + Package
Are you a dynamic, hands-on leader with a passion for operational excellence? We are seeking an experienced Business Unit Director to drive service delivery across multiple engineering sites, ensuring high standards of planned and reactive maintenance for mechanical, electrical, and engineering assets.
About the Role
In this critical leadership position, you will oversee multi-site operations, ensuring assets are maintained to maximise reliability, availability, and performance. You will lead service delivery to meet internal customer demands, overseeing PPM and reactive maintenance across a complex engineering environment. This is a fast-paced, high-impact role requiring a proactive leader who thrives on delivering tangible results.
This is not just a strategic role – you will be on the ground, leading teams, implementing process improvements, and ensuring operational efficiency. Your leadership will be key to modernising processes, optimising asset management, and driving cultural change across the organisation.
Key Responsibilities
* Service Delivery & Asset Management: Ensure high-performance maintenance operations, delivering effective PPM and reactive maintenance for critical assets.
* Operational Leadership: Lead multi-site engineering teams, working closely with site managers to create a high-performance culture.
* Process Improvement: Drive efficiency and modernisation, ensuring best-in-class engineering practices and continuous improvement.
* Financial Oversight: Manage significant budgets with P&L accountability, ensuring cost-effective maintenance while delivering against key performance indicators.
* People & Culture: Develop and empower high-performing teams, ensuring robust training and development programs.
* Stakeholder Management: Work closely with senior leadership, aligning operations with broader business objectives.
* Safety & Compliance: Maintain the highest standards of safety, health, and environmental compliance, ensuring a culture of accountability and best practice.
What Success Looks Like
✔ Improved asset reliability and performance, reducing downtime and increasing availability.
✔ A high-performing, modernised engineering operation, aligned with business needs.
✔ Engaged, well-led teams, working with clear direction and purpose.
✔ Efficient, cost-effective operations, with strong budgetary and P&L control.
✔ A leader who drives change and continuous improvement, making a tangible impact.
The Ideal Candidate
We are looking for a pragmatic, operationally focused leader with experience in heavy engineering, manufacturing, or large-scale production environments. While rail experience is beneficial, we welcome candidates from aftermarket aerospace, automotive, defence, or industrial engineering sectors.
Key Requirements
✅ Proven experience leading multi-site engineering or production operations, ideally across a broad geographical region.
✅ P&L accountability and experience managing significant operational budgets.
✅ Engineering background (degree or equivalent experience) – chartership is not essential.
✅ Hands-on leadership style – must be visible, decisive, and proactive in driving operational improvements.
✅ Experience implementing process and cultural change, modernising operations, and improving efficiency.
✅ Strong people leader, able to engage and develop teams in a fast-moving, operational setting.
✅ Resilient, commercially minded, and able to articulate a vision for modernising engineering operations.
What's on Offer
£120,000 - £140,000 + Package
If you are a results-driven leader with a passion for driving operational excellence, we want to hear from you. Apply with ParkinsonLee Executive Search now to be part of a forward-thinking organisation committed to delivering high-performance engineering solutions.
Carl Walker is available for a confidential conversation at ParkinsonLee Executive Search.