Managing Director

Goodfish Group; West Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing manufacturing group is seeking a commercially sharp Managing Director to lead operations and drive commercial performance across multiple sites in the UK. The successful candidate will ensure robust operations while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. The role requires experience in manufacturing, strong leadership abilities, and a track record of leading multifunctional teams. This is a hybrid role based in the Midlands & N Wales, aiming for significant growth by 2030.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of leading multifunctional teams in a manufacturing or engineering environment.
• Experience in a privately owned or family-influenced business.
• Strong coaching and mentoring skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Group’s operations and commercial performance across all sites.
• Refine and implement the Group strategy and business plans.
• Promote collaboration and cross-site teamwork.

Skills

Leadership

Continuous improvement

Financial literacy

Coaching and mentoring

Data analysis

Education

Degree-level education

Participation in business leadership program

Job description

Location: Multi-site role, currently covering Midlands & N Wales (Hybrid – not a WFH role)

Reports to: Majority Shareholder / Chairman & Chief Executive

Goodfish Group is a privately owned, growth‑oriented plastics manufacturing group with four UK sites and a strong reputation for quality, reliability and service. The business is entering its next phase of development, combining organic growth with further acquisitions and expansion into new markets as it seeks to increase sales from £28m in 2025 to £50m by 2030. This 12.7% CAGR target compares with an actual CAGR of 16% since 2020.

As part of a planned succession, Goodfish Group is seeking a commercially sharp, people‑focused Managing Director who understands how value is created in a manufacturing environment and can translate that into clear priorities, accountability and performance. The successful candidate will bring greater cohesion, focus and energy to an already capable management team, while respecting the dynamics and long‑term perspective of a family‑owned business.

Key Responsibilities

• Role purpose

  The Managing Director will be responsible for leading the Group’s operations, people and commercial performance across all sites, ensuring the business remains robust, cash‑generative and well controlled while supporting disciplined growth and innovation in customer satisfaction. The role is about leadership, alignment and execution rather than functional heroics: understanding operations deeply, asking the right questions and enabling others to deliver.

• Strategy and Growth
  • Work with the Board and senior management team to refine and implement the Group strategy, business plans and key priorities.
  • Develop a clear operating framework that delivers precision, robustness and integrity across manufacturing, operational and commercial activities.
  • Build a strong understanding of the company’s products, sectors and customers, and translate this into practical plans for further commercialisation, market penetration and product development.
  • Ensure the business retains excellent manufacturing capability, NPD and innovation, with sufficient capacity, skills and resources to support increasingly complex national and international projects.
• Operations and Performance
  • Lead the creation of a high‑performing, safe and process‑driven culture grounded in operational excellence and continuous improvement.
  • Implement and embed lean and continuous improvement methodologies in a pragmatic way that supports clarity, standardisation and accountability.
  • Oversee the Group’s digital transformation, leveraging data, automation and appropriate technologies to improve efficiency, decision‑making and resilience.
  • Strengthen supply chain robustness, production reliability and business continuity, ensuring the organisation can meet demanding customer requirements.
  • Continuously review and enhance customer service processes and touchpoints to support growth, retention and reputation.
• People and Culture
  • Define and maintain an organisational structure capable of delivering current and future objectives, including succession and talent planning.
  • Work with and through the existing management team to sharpen focus, strengthen execution disciplines and build a more unified, high‑performing leadership culture.
  • Attract, develop and retain high‑calibre talent, acting as an engaging leader who combines constructive challenge with genuine support and development.
  • Promote collaboration and cross‑site teamwork, reinforcing a strong, shared culture and sense of purpose across the Group.
  • Champion the effective use of digital tools and data to empower employees, enable progression and increase their contribution and value to the business.
• Financial Stewardship and Governance
  • Take overall responsibility for the P&L, cash flow and balance sheet, ensuring strong financial control and disciplined capital allocation.
  • Operate with a clear appreciation of the responsibilities of a privately owned, long‑term oriented business, balancing stability with selective, evidence‑based investment in capacity, technology and people.
  • Work closely with the majority shareholder and Board to set and deliver sustainable growth and profitability targets that support the owners’ long‑term objectives.
  • Ensure that risk is appropriately identified, assessed and managed across operations, finance, compliance and reputation.
• Reporting and Key Relationships
  • Report directly to the majority shareholder / Chair, providing clear, concise and insightful updates on performance, risks and opportunities.
  • Lead, coach and hold to account the senior management team, setting clear objectives, KPIs and review rhythms.
  • Represent the Group credibly with key customers, suppliers, partners and other external stakeholders.

Person Specification

• Qualifications
  • Degree‑level education preferred but not essential.
  • Participation in a recognised business leadership or executive development programme would be advantageous.
• Experience
  • Proven track record of leading multifunctional teams in a manufacturing or engineering environment, ideally in a time‑critical, volume‑driven context.
  • Demonstrable experience of driving continuous improvement, cultural change and performance uplift, without necessarily coming solely from an operations career path.
  • Experience in a privately owned or family‑influenced business, with an appreciation of careful capital deployment, long‑term stewardship and the need to maintain a steady ship while still progressing.
  • Background in plastics (e.g. injection moulding and/or extrusion) is helpful but not essential; adjacent sectors will be considered where operational and commercial complexity is comparable.
  • Experience of introducing automation and/or robotics into a manufacturing environment would be advantageous.
• Skills and Personality Traits
  • Inspirational, grounded leader with energy, presence and the confidence to reset expectations in a constructive, adult‑to‑adult way.
  • Strong coaching and mentoring skills, able to develop managers and future leaders while holding them to account.
  • Highly emotionally intelligent, with the judgement to calibrate pace of change to the culture and risk appetite of a family‑owned business.
  • Commercially astute, numerate and financially literate, able to connect operational decisions to commercial outcomes and long‑term value.
  • Very strong planning, organisational and project management skills; comfortable managing multiple priorities and leading others to deliver.
  • Comfortable with data and KPIs; analytical and inquisitive, using insight to challenge, support and improve performance.
  • Clear, confident and straightforward communicator, both written and verbal, able to engage effectively from shop floor to Boardroom and with external stakeholders.
  • Pragmatic, hands‑on when needed, but primarily focused on leading through others and building sustainable systems and capabilities.
  • Culturally aware, approachable and credible, acting as a visible culture carrier for Goodfish Group’s established values of quality, integrity and innovation.