Business Unit Director

Rochester Executive; Milano; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

An International Industrial Group in Italy is seeking a Business Unit Director to drive growth and strategic goals within the organization. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 15 years of experience in relevant industrial roles, demonstrate strong leadership skills, and possess a proven track record in managing P&L. Fluency in Italian and English is essential. The position offers an opportunity to influence all aspects of operations and ensure high-quality performance while maintaining client satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 15 years of experience in relevant roles within international manufacturing companies.
• Proven track record in managing a Business Unit or P&L.
• Solid finance knowledge related to budgeting and forecasting.

Responsibilities

• Establish trust with stakeholders to ensure domain knowledge over industrial topics.
• Provide managerial leadership across all areas of the Business Unit.
• Ensure customer satisfaction with on-time delivery and quality performance.
• Accountable for collections and timely customer invoicing.
• Maintain market presence and contribute to business development.

Skills

Result-oriented leadership

Commercial acumen

Customer-oriented approach

Engaging with people

Fluency in Italian

Fluency in English

Education

University degree in technical or engineering disciplines

MBA

Job description

Our client is an International Industrial Group operating in the Equipment Manufacturing sector, backed by leading Private Equity funds. Founded in the late 1900s, the Group is headquartered in Italy and operates several manufacturing sites in both Italy and North America.

The company has been on a strong double‑digit growth journey in recent years, driven by both organic and inorganic initiatives. In 2023, the Group recorded revenues exceeding €150M and is expected to close 2025 at €250M, with around 1,000 people across the organization, including contractors and temporary staff.

The role

As part of the Group ongoing growth and evolution, the new role of Business Unit Director is now required to unlock the organizational full potential. This is a key strategic role, reporting directly to the COO, with full P&L ownership of the BU.

The Group business is structured into several divisions which are well balanced, each contributing consistently to the Group’s total revenue (€250M). Each BU operates through several sites/legal entities across Italy and abroad, and includes dedicated areas of Program Management, Engineering, Operations, Procurement, Quality, Maintenance, Facility Management, and HSE.

Staff functions such as Finance, HR, Innovation, Industrial Controlling, IT and Procurement are in place, with Group-level oversight to define corporate standards, facilitate integration and efficiency and support the divisions.

Position – Specific responsibilities

• Establishing trust with both Stakeholders and Executives to ensure a sound domain of all industrial topics, full control of all KPIs, and to enable growth and the reach of strategic goals.
• Provide strong managerial leadership across all areas of the Business Unit, combining a hands‑on understanding of complex industrial operations – from product design to manufacturing and services – with a structured, performance‑driven approach. Act as a role model to build credibility, align teams, and strengthen the BU’s ability to commit and deliver on ambitious goals. Actively support stakeholders with sound, data‑based insights to enable effective, timely decision‑making.
• Ensuring customer satisfaction in terms of on‑time delivery and quality performance, while also guaranteeing the achievement of the industrial and financial targets he/she will have helped define.
• Being accountable for collections and ensuring that customer invoices are made payable within the agreed timeframes.
• Beyond overseeing delivery, the role also takes on a commercial dimension: maintaining a solid market presence, managing complex relationships with both institutional and private clients/stakeholders, and actively contributing to business development and post‑sales engagement.

Position – Requirements ("Must have")

• A university degree in technical or engineering disciplines is preferred; however, candidates with a different academic background will also be considered, provided they have developed a solid track record aligned with the role’s responsibilities. An MBA would be considered a plus.
• Round and senior experience of 15+ years in relevant roles within international and complex industrial/manufacturing companies. An experience with a PE Portfolio Co. would be definitely a strong plus.
• Proven track‑record in managing a Business Unit or P&L within strengthened by a solid background in operations, including production, supply chain, and quality control.
• Able to drive execution with a strategic mindset, i.e. to support growth in a fast‑changing and growing environment being capable of defining and executing medium to long‑term plans aligned with corporate goals, understanding market dynamics, assessing opportunities and risks for the business, and taking appropriate decisions, rooted on solid arguments.
• Solid finance knowledge, with direct experience in budgeting, forecasting, and performance monitoring.

Key skills will encompass

• Result‑oriented leadership: assertive and resilient, able to push for excellence in complex organizations, driving improvement with compelling rationale, removing obstacles and providing guidance, with clear focus on key priorities.
• Commercial acumen and good communicator, able to manage sophisticated stakeholders/clients’ relationships, drive growth and oversee complex negotiations.
• Customer‑oriented approach, ensuring high service levels in terms of delivery, quality, and responsiveness also in the post‑sales phase.
• Engaging with people, yet able to reassure and listen while managing the necessary upskill. Able to create a high performing team culture and convey engagement even when under pressure.
• Fluency in Italian and English is a must.
• Location Italy: the exact base for the position will be disclosed at the appropriate time (IT COULD BE EITHER THE NORTH OR CENTRE OF ITALY, BUT NOT MILAN).

Please note that only those profiles that meet all client’s requirements will be responded to and contacted. Thank you.