• Job Description

  Req#: 3388

  Overview

  Morgan Advanced Materials plc is a global materials science and application engineering company headquartered in Windsor, UK. A world-leader in advanced materials science and engineering of ceramics and carbon. The company operates in a series of well-defined markets where its applications expertise offers its customers a valuable differentiator, engineering high-specification materials, components and sub-assembly parts that solve their challenging technical problems. The company operates in the following markets: industrial, transportation, petrochemical and chemical, energy, semiconductor and electronics, healthcare and security, and defense. Many of their products are required to perform critical duties in harsh or demanding environments.

  Morgen Advanced Materials is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index. Morgan Advanced Materials has some 70 manufacturing sites across 30 countries, supported by a network of sales offices, and employs approximately 7,500 people. The company has a significant operational presence in all the world’s major regions, serving customers in over 100 countries.

  Morgan Advanced Materials is organized in five global business units led by divisional presidents.

  The Thermal Products Division of Morgan Advanced Materials makes advanced ceramic products and systems for thermal insulation in high temperature environments. The business is known for its customer centricity and provides a fully integrated approach that offers cutting-edge market solutions based on world-class engineering expertise. It maintains strong industrial partnerships, runs state-of-the-art R&D, and embraces sustainability thinking.

  Thermal Products engineer products and systems for equipment in demanding applications and for the safety of people. TPs solutions help customers, especially those operating energy intensive processes, to reduce energy consumption, emissions, and operating costs.

  These products and systems are used in high temperature industrial processing of metals, petrochemicals, cement, ceramics, and glass, and by manufacturers of equipment for aerospace, automotive, marine, and domestic appliances. A core strength of TP division is the ability to address individual customer challenges, using our materials and our applications expertise to design, manufacture and install optimum thermal solutions.

  Globally, industrial customers represent the majority of generated revenue, followed by Petrochemical and Chemical, Transportation, and Energy customers, respectively. Other industries served include ultra-low temperature packaging, fire protection and critical infrastructure. Thermal Products is a ~€500M business consisting of 32 sites employing over 2,100 people with manufacturing sites globally, an expansive network of sales offices, and a well-established distributor network serving specific product lines like insulating fiber and crucibles. The business is resilient and profitable (double digit EBITA margins) but recently revenue and profit margins have been flat.

  The business is currently organised by geography into 3 Regions – Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), the Americas and Asia. Each Region has full P&L accountability (production, sales, marketing and technical support). TP is complex for its size and is global with sites in UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, India, Middle East, USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, China, S. Korea, Japan, Singapore, Australia. Some markets operate globally, others are regional and global and others are local. Competition is a mix of global and regional and manufacturing strategy is a mix of global and regional. There are multiple JVs across India, China, Japan, and S. Korea.

  Through strategic industry partnerships, state-of-the-art R&D facilities, and the global Insulating Fiber Center of Excellence, Thermal Ceramics is able to deliver market-leading innovations like Superwool XTRA, a novel biopersistence fiber material that is disrupting the oil and gas industry, and other patented Superwool technologies that provide superior insulation performance, improved fire protection and weight-saving opportunities in more market applications. Thermal Products is also a leader within the business on the sustainability front, partnering with petrochemical customers on the material selection and insulation system design to reduce process emissions.

  Responsibilities

  The Director of Business Development and Strategy role reports into the President of the Thermal Ceramics Division and is a member of the division’s executive team. This new role is a key contributor to the execution of our new business strategy which, through the focus of our commercial and technical development efforts on selected high growth / high margin markets, the optimization of our portfolio of products and assets and the improvement industrial performance in certain sites will deliver on our ambition to grow revenue YoY through cycle and increase our margins.

  It is responsible to the lead the existing team of global product and market managers who will have strongly increased empowerment to make commercial and supply chain decisions of strategic or global relevance, coordinate and prioritize commercial activities between the business units and provide commercial directions to global technology development. The team also includes market and business analysts and provides modelling and decision support for strategic projects, initiatives and portfolio moves.

  The Thermal Ceramics Division operates under the principle of subsidiarity whereby performing only those tasks which cannot be performed in the regional business units. Duties and responsibilities include:

  • Define the value proposition, playing field and right to win in each target market and product line especially in new products and services and steer them globally (resource allocation, skills enhancement, prioritization, adjustments)
  • Provide commercial leadership and market intelligence for global technology developments and, together with Technology director, steer innovation pipeline and IP portfolio
  • Project manage the execution of new product launches across the regional BUs
  • Establish the business models, processes and systems to maximise the value derived from each product line
  • Make global sourcing decisions (internal + make or buy)
  • Lead the continuous optimization of the manufacturing footprint and, as needed, coordinate the corresponding implementation projects
  • Lead strategic planning for the division and carry out specific strategic assessments as needed, provide methodological support for regional strategic projects and country strategies
  • Lead assessment of M&A opportunities, support M&A transactions from the business perspective, project manage integration planning
  • Consolidate and interpret competitive intelligence, identify and assess risks and opportunities resulting from new market trends and disruptions, identify new market opportunities within key markets for Morgan’s existing product portfolio

  Qualifications

  • Experience in leading global business development or commercial teams, preferably in multiple specialty markets; commercial and customer facing experience
  • Understanding and experience of both direct and indirect sales channels
  • Experience of new market / new product development and commercialization
  • Independent strategic thinking and strong strategic modelling skills
  • Experience in developing and implementing transformational strategies for specialty chemicals, materials, additives or components
  • Strong coaching and people development skills
  • Experience leading and managing remote teams, both directly and indirectly
  • Can demonstrate a strong team-based approach to leadership, having recruited and developed high-performing individuals and teams
  • Graduate, preferably with business, engineering or technical degree; MBA preferred
  • Preferably experience at leading consulting firm or consulting firm with strong experience in specialty industrials
  • Problem analysis: quickly discerns key facts, and differentiates between relevant and irrelevant information.
  • Judgement: demonstrates a sound process for weighing options and making decisions; Prepared to challenge the status quo and take calculated risks
  • Creative thinking: generates unique and appropriate solutions, when required
  • Drive and resilience: demonstrates motivation; is flexible and able to adapt styles to deliver results. Is comfortable with ambiguity
  • Execution: can demonstrate a proven ability to deliver on programs and projects; is a self-starter with a can-do attitude
  • Empathy: is personable, authentic and emotionally aware
  • Influencing: is an excellent communicator; has strong interpersonal skills and builds lasting relationships; can influence and persuade others through a range of techniques
  • Cultural fit: is ambitious, innovative, collaborative and demonstrates integrity

  Morgan Advanced Materials is an EEO/AA/M/W/D/V Employer Ind-1

• About the company

  Morgan Advanced Materials is a company which manufactures specialist products, using carbon, advanced ceramics and composites.

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