Business Unit Director jobs
As logistics operations grow larger or diversify into other sectors, the normal management tree can start to show signs of strain as the need for excessive micromanagement leads to inefficiencies. It’s sometimes best to ring-fence a particular aspect of the business, which can either be geographical, sector-based or hierarchical, and treat is as a self-contained business with its own internal hierarchy and chain of command. The business unit will, of course, still be a part of the main company, but it will be granted a high degree of autonomy as long as it meets the board’s mission statement and income requirements.
The business unit director in logistics might have a busy depot or warehouse under his or her control, and to all intents and purposes it will be a company in its own right, with budgets, staffing and operations management to deal with. If the business unit is brand new, the director will need to fill it with a new structure of managers and staff. If it is a partitioned section of the existing business, much of the staffing will already be present, but the director will need to adjust the structure to take account of the new mode of operation.
On an ongoing basis, the role will involve setting strategic targets for operations and running the business from day to day, with the assistance of management layer. It will also involve recruitment, training, health and safety, personnel and dealing with grievances. While the unit will have contact with the rest of the business, it could be minimal, especially if everything is going as planned and targets are being met or exceeded.
The skills required
The job of business unit director would suit a self-starter who relishes the chance to run a de facto business with little interference from above. Although the amount of management from head office will vary from company to company, in some cases this could be minimal, and the business unit director will need to be able to cope with that responsibility. The role is often awarded to people who have already run the unit in all but name before its creation, but anyone with management experience, particularly in the sector in question, will be at an advantage.
Excellent people management and communication skills are a given, as without these the unit will not succeed. Directorships do not always involve day to day contact with management and staff, but under the unique conditions of the business unit, the director will have more in common with a general manager and must pitch his or her leadership in that context.
Business Unit Director Jobs in Newcastle-under-Lyme
The Staffordshire town of Newcastle-under-Lyme (not to be confused with Newcastle-upon-Tyne) adjoins the city of Stoke-on-Trent along all of its eastern edge; without looking at a boundary map it would be difficult to discern where one ends and the other begins. The town did have a similar industrial history to Stoke, namely pottery and porcelain manufacture, until the mid-1700s when it all but stopped, giving way to brick making, clothing, cotton milling, coal mining and engineering. Engineering and clothing manufacturing still dominate the town’s industries; many military and police uniforms are made here.
In the early 1900s, the Stoke area was an amalgamation of a number of moderately sized towns, chief among them Stoke, Hanley, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Burslem, Fenton, Tunstall, Longton, Smallthorne, Kidsgrove, and Audley. A motion was put to parliament to amalgamate them all into one city in what was known as the Federation of Stoke-on-Trent. Newcastle-under-Lyme was the only one to reject the plan, partly because the others were heavily involved in the pottery industry and Newcastle no longer was. Newcastle’s opposition was recognised and so it came to be that the town now exists almost engulfed by Stoke-on-Trent.
With a population of about 75,000 and a huge regeneration effort recently being completed, Newcastle-under-Lyme has undergone something of a rebirth of late, after a few decades of gradual decline. We do see more Business Unit Director jobs appearing in the town, which is often indicative of renewed economic activity.
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Cast UK’s logistics opportunities
Our founder members and consultants all have backgrounds in logistics, procurement and supply chain, so we know what employers and candidates are looking for in their staff and careers respectively. Thanks to this focus, many employers come to us first to create a candidate shortlist because they know we’ll deliver the best people to them. Please see what’s available in your region and if you’ve seen something you’re interested in, do get in touch – whether it’s today or tomorrow, we might have the best position for you.
People approach Cast UK for a number of reasons, whether seeking more job fulfilment or simply relocating with the family, so it’s good to know that we always have the complete range of positions available nationwide. We are a growing force in logistics, procurement and supply chain recruitment, partly because these are the only sectors we deal with.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Business Unit Director for your business or find you a job as a Business Unit Director then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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