Job Description

Opportunity Brief:  Head of Rail & Maintenance Services

Ford & Stanley Executive Search (Part of the Ford & Stanley Group) are a leading Executive search firm to the UK, North American and European Engineering, Technology, Sustainability & Heavy Manufacturing industries.

Our search directors, search consultants and research teams specialise in all horizontal functions of our clients' organisations with expertise spanning engineering, commercial, procurement, HR, IT, finance, HSQE, sales, projects, operations and c-suite.

We are trusted by over 100 leading organisations when they seek to make a leadership appointment, be that a permanent appointment or an interim solution.

We have been retained and appointed by our client on a retained search for a Head of Rail & Maintenance Services, a hands-on Commercial professional who can create and implement a sales strategy for developing the rail services business and unlocking opportunities.

Below you will find an ‘opportunity brief’ developed from notes taken during the scoping meeting (Situational Discovery) held between the Head of Executive Search and Research Manager of Ford & Stanley Executive Search and the Commercial Director of the client company. This brief is designed to give candidates a deeper insight into the opportunity inherent within the role, the challenges the role presents, and provide access to the detail that sits behind the job specification.

Client Opportunity Statements:

“As a business, we are market leaders in rail haulage and the largest railfreight company in the UK. With our expertise and experience, we are now looking to grow our rail services and maintenance and offering, supporting our clients across ROSCO’s, TOC’s, FOC’s and the wider industry. This will involve a mentality shift from the business as we are market challenger in this market, competing against established brands”

“We need an experienced commercial sales professional who not only has strong relationships across the Rail industry but is able to build internal relationships as the business goes on this journey”

“The right candidate will be the start of this new venture by working closely with the Commercial Director and Engineering Director to grow this business, map the industry and start putting us on the radar with customers, showcasing what problems our fully inhouse maintenance team can solve for them today and what solutions we can offer to solve for the future.”

Challenges expected within the first 12 months include:

• The business mindset will need to change from being a market leader in rail haulage to a market challenger in this specific market. This will involve taking more calculated risks and being more agile.
• Working with the Directors to gear up the business to deliver the pipeline of opportunity, which sometimes has a short lead time. This will require strong internal relationships with those that are used to longer lead times and less customer pressure.
• Managing the changing dynamic from customer-supplier with the ROSCOs and lessors to working in greater partnership.

Key deliverables within the first 12 months include:

• Working with the Commercial Director and Engineering Director to build a commercial picture of the size of the market, key target and key contacts. Start to put RMS on the radar with customers.
• Working with key stakeholders throughout the business to minimise current ‘leakage’ within existing contracts.
• Has worked with the Engineering Director to understand onsite depot capacity for projects and expanding offering into customer facilities and 3^rd party sites.

Essential Hard Skills (Skills & Experience)

Essential Soft Skills (Attributes & Behaviours)

Working Arrangements & Location:

Home-based with travel to company and customer sites across the UK.

Client Company Interview Process:

• 1^st Stage interview: Face-to-face interview with the Commercial Director and Engineering Director.
• 2^nd Final Stage interview: Face-to-face interview with the MD.

Ford & Stanley Interview Process:

• 1^st Stage: Candidate Discovery: An open, conversational and consultative discussion where interested candidates are assessed on their suitability for the role in the context of the above and challenged on how the opportunity lines up with their career aspirations, motivations, financial expectations and personal circumstances.
• 2^nd Stage: The ‘shortlist’: Candidates are asked to reflect on the candidate discovery discussion, take time to reflect on the opportunity and undertake subsequent research on the client business, reporting back on their thoughts, questions and providing additional specific information on their suitability (if applicable). Final checks of role, package and logistical alignments made.

Good to know:

• Service offerings include Bulk Haulage, Locomotive maintenance, track maintenance and Rail services. These include supporting ROSCO’s, TOC’s and FOC’s in the moving of units and rolling stock maintenance service, which is where the business sees growth opportunities
• The role is to drive market and product development for the business in the Rail Services and Rolling Stock maintenance and holds responsibility over identifying and delivering new business wins with new customers, including leading responses to tenders as well as leading account management within the relevant sector.
• Ultimately, the business are looking to drive diversity in their portfolio to derisk the business.
• Will be involved in the further development of the strategic growth of the business, identifying new markets and developing new products & services. 
• The Head of Rail & Maintenance Services will support the Commercial Director’s efforts in: Market Research and Analysis, Market Strategy, Opportunity Identification, Capture Management & Implementation, Pricing strategy and Account Management
• Critical to the role will be the ability to work with colleagues from Finance, Operations & Engineering to analyse costs in a transparent manner such that commercial proposals can be both competitive and deliverable.
• As RMS grows, there will be opportunities to be involved in M&A opportunities to support continued growth opportunities.
• Currently, there is revenue leakage with existing contracts as the commercial process is sat within the engineering Teams and will be moving back within the commercial team with this appointment.
• The Head of RMS within Heavy Haul will report directly to the Commercial Director.
• There are also opportunities within Track maintenance within the private siding owners.
• This role is a newly created position within the structure aimed at supporting the business with its future growth ambitions.
• We are expecting the incoming Head of RMS to build relationships with the engineering teams.
• Emotional intelligence will be key to the success of this role, with the incumbent being required to build strong relationships and understand when to negotiate, compromise and stand their ground.
• It’s worth noting that there may well be an M&A angle to this role in conjunction with the Commercial Director.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• To develop market strategy with Commercial Management team including sectors and customers to target and related pricing and margin assumptions.
• To input into pipeline and qualification of new business opportunities throughout the process.
• To manage the production of customer proposals and responses to tender exercises.
• To develop and manage pricing models for new business acting as a liaison to FDs and Operations.
• To assist the Commercial Director in managing the commercial sign-off process with Operations & Finance colleagues in order that P&L expectations for new business are understood.
• To lead and assist in contract negotiation and completion for new business wins in conjunction with the Development Director and other senior commercial management team.
• To work with Rail and Finance colleagues to establish customer and route profitability of sold work and agree on action plans to address any shortfall in commercial performance.
• Lead a team of Account Managers for the relevant sector.
• Challenge existing business protocols with your own initiatives, proactively adding value to the business;
• Actively promote engagement, communication and dialogue within the team for the benefit of information flow, to embed best practice and to solidify management control and commercial and operational direction of the business.
• Ensure appropriate Designated Financial Authorities (‘DFAs’) are in place within remit, and adhered to;
• Promote a mindset of “Safety First” and instil an ethos of continual safety improvement within your area of responsibility;
• Support and drive good governance and control (including Sarbanes Oxley (‘SOx’)) principles within your remit, identifying any potential deficiencies in controls and immediately remediate;
• Nurture and develop talent within the team, promote apprenticeships and development of junior talent, ensure capable management succession and ensure the team is appropriately motivated and developed so that they carry out their responsibilities to the required standard;
• In conjunction with your local Head of HR, ensure a robust recruitment, induction and ongoing development programme is in place for the team;
• Get involved in any ad hoc projects, including M&A activity, as may be required, from time to time

Budget:

Low: £75,000 / Mid: £80,000 / High: £90,000

Supporting benefits

• Competitive salary (reviewed annually)
• Performance-based bonus scheme (role dependent)
• Pension 0-3 years of service – IWDC. IWDC scheme is a percentage-based scheme, minimum 3.6% employee contribution and minimum 5.4% employer contribution. There is no maximum you can contribute as long as you stay compliant with National Minimum Wage. 
  EE contribution 5% or more - ER matching 7.5% (0-14 years of service)
  EE contribution 5% or more - ER matching 9% (15+ years of service)
• Pension after 3-year service. You can join a defined benefit (DB) scheme which pays you a regular income based on your salary and how long you’ve been a member of the scheme, rather than the amount of money you’ve contributed to the pension. The RPS defined benefit Sections are mostly ‘final salary’ schemes and give you a guaranteed annual income for life, based on your final or final average salary.
• 25 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time)
• Enhanced family leave (maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental)
• Life assurance
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Discounts via employee benefits platform (retail, gym, insurance, etc.)

Executive Search Delivery Team:

• Tom Norton – Head of Executive Search (Client Recommendations/Advisory, Offer Negotiations, Headhunting, Networking)
• Oliver Nunn – Research Manager (Shortlisting, Offer Negotiations, Headhunting, Networking, Research, Search, Longlisting, Interviews, Data & Market Intel)
• Ralitsa Kuzeva – Executive Assistant (Diary Management, Coordination, Candidate Experience)

About Ford & Stanley Executive Search:

Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group are in the business of people and performance. Our mission is to create one million better workdays through facilitating great recruitment, leadership and occupational mental fitness. We support our clients in their most challenging business areas - recruiting, developing and retaining the best talent from shop floor to boardroom.

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3. Ford & Stanley Executive Search – Business specialising in Executive Search & Executive Interim Solutions in the UK, North America, Middle East and Europe.
4. Ford & Stanley Genius Performance - Performance is always accelerated when good people are coached, inspired, trained and focused in the right way.

Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group Ltd is a Disability Confident employer that is committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all opportunity seekers. We shall adhere to such a policy at all times and will review on an on-going basis all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination. We will treat everyone equally irrespective sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief or political beliefs and we place an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with the policy.

Services advertised by Ford & Stanley are that of an employment consultancy business.