Commercial Lean Leader

Home based with 75% travel in the UK and Overseas

This is a fantastic opportunity for the right person to help create a commercial excellence community which fosters and incentivises an integrated approach across markets and functions, and encompasses all elements of the commercial lifecycle, establishing a network of appropriate feedback loops to drive a genuine learning culture.

Ideally you will have experience in a commercial environment e.g. Sales & Marketing for a business who are operating a Lean system or are currently implementing Lean systems, you will have experience utilising CRM systems including the deployment of standard processes e.g. Miller Heiman

We will look to you to operate the 5 core tools Strategy Deployment, Visual/Daily Management, Standard Work (e.g. Miller Heiman),Value Stream Mapping & Problem Solving.

As our Commercial Lean Leader, you will design, plan, and inspire continuous improvement in commercial performance by effectively leveraging the expertise and knowledge that exists across the whole James Fisher & Sons group, while at the same time building a framework of tools & systems, that ensure our commercial offering meets the needs of our customers both today and onto the future.

You will challenge the status quo as well as support, develop and deploy standard work, setting appropriate visual management systems in place to monitor performance consistently and transparently, enabling problem solving activities to correct the process when not meeting strategic objectives.

You will be responsible for the definition and delivery of company-wide commercial excellence priorities; leading, planning and orchestrating commercial improvement activities to assist James Fisher & Sons group of companies to build healthy client relationships, and ultimately deliver sustainable and profitable growth.

The successful candidate will also have the autonomy to develop and deploy the Commercial Excellence framework, to support design and implementation of group-wide objectives, specifically including:

  • Creation of Standard Work through the selling lifecycle from need identification to win/loss analysis and learning especially utilising CRM systems including the deployment of standard processes e.g. Miller Heiman
  • Common tool identification and deployment to assist in visually managing the sales funnel activities, storing, and sharing intelligence and supporting standard working practices.
  • Change management activities to ensure there are learning opportunities for and buy-in from our operating companies within the group.
  • Creation of a dashboard approach to ensure standard reporting of commercial activities within the group and ensuring abnormal results (outside of target) are immediately apparent.
  • Train and coach problem solving activities within the commercial teams to ensure lessons learned are converted into opportunities to improve and fed back through the kaizen funnel.

    • You will demonstrate a successful track-record and prior leadership experience across the end-to-end commercial lifecycle, including business development, bidding, transaction, mobilisation, and delivery, coupled with a good understanding of Lean tools and techniques and the benefits they can bring to commercial activities. This experience coupled with an understanding of CRM systems will be advantageous. 

    You must possess strong verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence others both one to one and in wider group settings, negotiating favourable outcomes to help our operating companies meet their strategic commercial objectives.

    Confident in your own ability to challenge traditional thinking and gain credibility with senior leaders across the business you will articulate a compelling vision of the potential future.

    You will be a natural problem solver, competent with data and can use it to understand problems and identify solutions with the ability to prioritise effectively as well as lead multiple workstreams concurrently. Previous experience with initiating and maintaining strategic relationships within a matrix-style organisation would be advantageous.

    James Fisher & Sons are committed to taking positive action on diversity and we strongly encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds and as a Disability Confident employer we are committed to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the role.