Cluster Managing Director (UK) in Southampton

Location: United Kingdom (can be based at one of the following locations: Southampton, Gravesend, Bristol, Liverpool, Felixstowe, Middlesbrough, Immingham)

For nearly two centuries, Svitzer has provided critical marine services to customers around the world. Operating a modern fleet and employing highly skilled maritime professionals, Svitzer supports the safe and efficient movement of vessels through some of the world’s busiest ports and waterways. As part of a global organisation serving international customers across the maritime industry, the UK business plays an important role in delivering regional and global strategic objectives.

This is a role for a leader who can successfully balance operational excellence, commercial growth, customer relationships, workforce engagement, and regulatory compliance within a complex, safety‑critical environment. The successful candidate will join a globally recognised organisation with a long‑standing reputation for delivering essential maritime services and will have the opportunity to shape the future performance and growth trajectory of the UK business.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Managing Director – Europe, you will lead a highly skilled management team across a complex, safety‑critical operation. You will be responsible for shaping and delivering the UK business strategy, driving sustainable growth, maintaining operational excellence, and ensuring the highest standards of safety, compliance, and customer service. Equally important, you will be a visible and authentic leader who builds trust throughout the organisation, develops strong relationships with employees and union representatives, and creates an environment where people can perform at their best. Success in the role will require the ability to operate effectively at both strategic and operational levels, maintaining visibility across the business while driving long‑term value creation.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership
  • Develop and execute the UK business strategy aligned with regional and global objectives.
  • Identify opportunities for growth, innovation, operational improvement, and market expansion.
  • Provide clear direction and leadership across all areas of the business.
  • Lead organisational change and transformation initiatives where required.
• People Leadership
  • Lead, motivate, and develop a high‑performing leadership team.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, inclusion, and trust.
  • Build strong relationships with employees, employee representatives, customers, and stakeholders.
  • Act as a visible role model for Svitzer’s values and leadership expectations.
• Operational Excellence
  • Maintain oversight of operational performance across the UK business.
  • Ensure safe, compliant, and efficient service delivery.
  • Drive continuous improvement through effective performance management and operational discipline.
  • Lead crisis management and business continuity activities when required.
• Commercial & Financial Leadership
  • Deliver sustainable revenue growth and profitability.
  • Maintain full accountability for P&L performance, forecasting, budgeting, and cost management.
  • Strengthen customer relationships and support key commercial opportunities.
  • Identify and develop new revenue streams and growth opportunities.
  • Monitor market trends, competitive activity, and emerging risks.
• Governance & Compliance
  • Ensure full compliance with all legal, regulatory, health and safety, and corporate governance requirements.
  • Provide clear reporting and insight to regional leadership and the Board.
  • Promote ethical decision‑making and responsible business practices throughout the organisation.

About You

You are a commercially astute senior executive with a proven track record of leading complex operational businesses. You combine strategic vision with practical execution and are equally comfortable discussing long‑term growth plans with shareholders as you are engaging directly with frontline teams. You will bring:

• Significant executive leadership experience with full business accountability.
• Strong commercial and financial expertise, including P&L ownership.
• Experience leading large, multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed teams.
• A track record of delivering business growth, operational improvement, and organisational transformation.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Strong governance, compliance, and risk management experience.
• Experience operating within complex matrix organisations.

Desirable Experience

• Maritime, logistics, transport, engineering, infrastructure, or industrial sector experience.
• Experience in operating in unionised and/or safety‑critical environments.
• Board‑level reporting and executive stakeholder management experience.

We are seeking a leader who is:

• Strategic but operationally credible.
• Commercially focused while remaining people oriented.
• Visible, authentic, and approachable.
• Decisive yet balanced by strong emotional intelligence.
• Resilient and comfortable leading through complexity and change.
• Able to build trust through consistency, transparency, and action.

Package on offer

• Salary: commensurate with seniority
• Pension (up to 10% contributory)
• Private health & dental plan
• Bonus
• Car/Car Allowance
• Life Insurance

Why Join Svitzer?

This is an opportunity to lead one of the UK’s most respected maritime operations businesses at a pivotal point in its development. You will join a global organisation with a proud heritage, strong values, and ambitious plans for the future, while having the autonomy and influence to shape the direction and success of the UK business. If you are an experienced executive leader who thrives on accountability, enjoys building high‑performing teams, and can balance commercial performance with people leadership, we would like to hear from you.

Building a Diverse Workplace

In Svitzer we value the diversity of our talent and will always strive to recruit the best person for the job – we value diversity in all its forms, including but not limited to gender, age, nationality, race, sexual orientation, disability, or religious beliefs. We are proud of our diversity and see it as a genuine source of strength for building high performing teams. Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that members from some under‑represented groups are less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t meet every single qualification. At Svitzer we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles, and we are excited about hearing from you!