Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Aerospace & Defence South Coast

From £140K, bonus, car allowance, share options & benefits. Relocation assistance available.

Our client is a market leader in designing, manufacturing, and innovating safety-critical products and solutions for global aerospace and defence markets. This is a critical appointment with responsibilities for overall business P & L, focusing on driving profitable new business, product development, and achieving demanding EBITDA growth targets.

Reporting to the President, you will be an influential member of the executive leadership team and play a key role in the overall running of the business and the decision-making process. You will provide leadership for a multi-functional Sales and Marketing team and take ownership of the development of business and strategic planning, customer and programme development, distribution management and agreements, customer pricing agreements, proposal development, profitability of orders, and backlog.

The Role:

• Establish, implement, and communicate the strategic direction of the organisation's sales & marketing division.
• Collaborate with other leaders to develop and meet company goals whilst supplying expertise, guidance, and support decision-making on sales/marketing projects and procedures.
• Lead by example in growing strong, long-term relationships with high-profile global aerospace and defence customers.
• Recruit, coach, plan succession, and develop high-potential talent within your team.
• Manage daily department workflow, conduct timely performance evaluations, identify training needs, and model and lead on a positive and respectful workplace environment.
• Actively promote a companywide culture of innovation, collaborating with other divisions and departments across international multi-site operations.
• Adopt a hands-on approach as required: support contract negotiations, bids and proposals, commercial management, pricing, value proposition & marketing strategy.
• Emphasise performance reporting and metrics, including attendance for corporate business & financials with the parent company.
• Determine, communicate, and implement sales and marketing-related policies, practices, standards, and security measures to ensure effective and consistent support and execution.
• Oversee the department's budget, initiate and coordinate major projects, review and approve cost-control reports, cost estimates, and staffing requirements for projects.
• Identify, recommend, and implement new processes and systems to improve and streamline organisational processes.
• Maintain knowledge of wider emerging technologies and trends.
• Ensure that departmental decisions and project plans meet annual budgetary plans and align with the organisation's business plan and vision.

The Person:

• Educated to a degree level or higher, desirable in business and/or technical discipline. An MBA would be advantageous.
• In-depth knowledge and experience of working at a senior level within sales, marketing, and business development in an Aerospace (Commercial / Military / MRO) and Defence operating environment.
• Proven leadership in both line and matrix management contexts; able to operate with a high degree of autonomy in an agile, responsive, decentralised management structure across differing time zones for international multi-site operations.
• Accountable for significant scale P&L and possess a good understanding of business accounting processes and procedures including budgetary control measures, bid generation, product costing, commercial management, IP issues, price point variations, and cost-benefit analysis.
• Highly experienced in negotiating and concluding long-term multi-faceted contracts with key customers in the Commercial Aerospace and Defence sectors.
• Able to become technically proficient, experienced in managing multiple customer product development programmes with varying life cycles and gestation periods.
• Proven management abilities in coaching, team performance, and development.
• Data-driven with strong finance and analytical skills for performance reporting, including corporate business & in-depth financial presentations.
• Able to perform within a highly responsive project-oriented manufacturing environment; respectful and sensitive to cultural differences & processes.
• Ambitious and results-oriented; a good team player who can develop strong working relationships with peers, across the business, as well as with key customers.
• An open communicator with a drive and determination to provide exceptional value to customers.
• IT literate in Microsoft Office Suite, MS Project (or equivalents), ERP systems, etc.
• A valid driving licence and a willingness/ability to travel extensively is a requirement of the role.
• Hold or be able to hold UK Security Clearance.