Head of Defence

**About the Role**:
**Head of Defence - Business Excellence**
**Inchinnan or Westhill**
**Permanent**

**Who we are**

JFD is the world leading underwater capability provider, serving the commercial and defence markets with innovative diving, submarine and hyperbaric rescue, technical solutions and services. Operating worldwide, the company is the world’s leading provider of submarine rescue capability and an established provider of submarine escape training. The company is at the forefront of Hyperbaric Rescue, along with being the leading supplier of commercial and defence diving equipment and saturation diving systems to the commercial industry.

**About the role**

JFD is looking to recruit a Head of Defence - Business Excellence to join our team at JFD Global. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Head of Defence Business Excellence is accountable for leading business excellence, programme management and key enabling functions across JFD, working with the Group Business Excellence function.

You will lead a direct team and work with colleagues across JFD and James Fisher to improve our performance today and drive business transformation to make us a stronger business in the future. The role will require significant domestic and international travel. The postholder will require security clearance from relevant Defence authorities. The role will require significant domestic and international travel. The postholder will require security clearance from relevant Defence authorities.

As Head of Defence - Business Excellence you will lead Business Excellence for JFD, working with colleagues across James Fisher to align to the group-wide Business Excellence strategy. This will include:

- Partnering with the Group Business Excellence function and acting as liaison to align Group and Division Business Excellence.
- Driving the development of the JFD operating model and implementation of business change, including the transition to a more effective international business model with globally deployed, scale product lines, sales & marketing, engineering and production, and enabling functions. This will align and integrate JFD’s core business processes across the full business lifecycle from strategy and sales through to operational delivery.
- Leading JFD’s Lean journey, personally championing and coaching JFD’s Lean practitioners and driving Lean deployment aligned to the James Fisher Lean journey.
- Leading the transformation and performance improvement of JFD’s portfolio, programme and project management (P3M) capabilities.
- Leading the transformation of JFD’s asset management capabilities.
- Leading the transformation of key business functions including supply chain, production & manufacturing, aligned to James Fisher transformation.

The postholder will have leadership accountability for key business functions for JFD, including:

- P3M including owning the JFD P3M model, governance and reporting. The role will lead on strategic portfolio and change management within the JFD SLT.
- JFD risk management, aligned to P3M governance to develop a comprehensive and consistent approach to risk management across JFD.
- Information management, including developing JFD’s KPI and management information suite to drive business performance.
- IT management including optimisation and development of our core business systems and tools. The postholder will work with our Head of Health, Safety, Security, Environment and Sustainability to ensure cyber security.
- Supply chain management including our strategy and implementation of offset / local content requirements.

**What do you need?**

We are looking for professionals with an international mindset and strong understanding of cultural dynamics. You must be a highly collaborative and effective communicator and strong leadership skills. You should also be delivery focused, have awareness of best practice and have the ability to coach and develop talent, allowing them to shine independently.

**Knowledge Skills and Experience**

**Training / Qualifications**
- Degree qualified in a relevant discipline.
- Post-graduate or professional qualification, e.g. chartered engineer status, desirable.
- Lean training highly desirable.

**Experience**
- Demonstrated experience in a senior leadership role for general management, engineering and / or production, or business change an international business
- Experience of the Defence and / or Maritime sector
- Business and commercial acumen
- Setting and delivering medium and long term strategy, budget and resource plans

**Working for us**

We offer a number of benefits including Group Personal Pension Scheme, Life Assurance and competitive salary and benefit packages.

JFD is proud to be part of James Fisher and Sons plc, who has partnered with the Career Transition Partnership, the official provider of Armed Forces resettlement for over 20 years.