Business Area Manager - Certification
Opportunity
Location: Kettering, Northamptonshire (NN16 8SD)
Salary: £40,000 - £50,000 DOE
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Closing Date: 13th November 2026
Interaction Recruitment are recruiting on behalf of a leading technical organisation for an experienced Business Area Manager - Certification to join their team based in Kettering.
This is an exciting opportunity for an established leader with a strong technical and commercial background to take responsibility for a specialist Certification business area, leading multiple teams and driving operational performance, business growth and customer satisfaction.
The successful candidate will lead and inspire the PRC and STE teams, ensuring the department delivers against its financial and operational objectives whilst maintaining the highest standards of quality, compliance and customer service.
The Certification department operates internationally, with teams across the UK, Ireland, Sri Lanka, Finland, Turkey and China, providing technical assessments of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) against UK and European regulations.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, motivate and develop the Certification teams, creating a high-performing and commercially focused working environment.
- Drive departmental performance against budgets, revenue targets, operational KPIs and strategic objectives.
- Take ownership of financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, cost control and month-end reporting.
- Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, profitability, service delivery and business growth.
- Develop team capability through coaching, performance management, training and succession planning.
- Ensure effective resource planning and workload management to meet customer requirements.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers, industry stakeholders, regulators and trade associations.
- Support business development activities, identifying new opportunities and strengthening the organisation's market position.
- Oversee quality management systems and ensure ongoing compliance with ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation requirements.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives, ensuring quality, health and safety and operational standards are maintained.
- Work collaboratively with Testing, Sales, China and other departments to deliver an excellent customer experience.
- Represent the organisation at industry events, exhibitions, presentations, webinars and customer meetings.
- Undertake regular UK and Ireland travel, alongside occasional international travel, including visits to China.
About You
The successful candidate will be an inspirational and commercially minded leader with proven experience managing teams and delivering business performance within a technical, certification, testing or regulated industry environment.
You will ideally demonstrate:
- Proven leadership and people management experience, with the ability to develop and motivate high-performing teams.
- Strong operational management skills, including responsibility for KPIs, budgets and business performance.
- A relevant technical background within certification, conformity assessment, testing or a regulated industry.
- The ability to understand and interpret technical standards and regulatory requirements.
- Strong commercial awareness,
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Business Area Manager - Certification in Kettering employer: Interaction Recruitment Group
Interaction Recruitment Group is an excellent employer, offering a supportive work culture that values reliability and a positive attitude. Located in Bridgwater, employees benefit from competitive pay, opportunities for career progression, and the potential for a temp-to-perm transition, making it a rewarding place to grow your skills in the warehouse sector.
Contact Details:
Interaction Recruitment Group Recruitment Team
