Cluster Director, South

at  DS Smith

Reporting directly to the UK & Ireland MD this senior role is a key member of the Country Leadership team, and is responsible to deliver growth and performance for the South and the Country. The role will set the South Cluster’s direction, align resources and execute through the Cluster Management Team with full accountability for P&L delivery.
The Cluster Director has the overall responsibility for the leadership of safe and efficient operations within the Cluster.
The role will ensure the successful growth of the business through overseeing and facilitating efficiency through engagement with Site Managers and the Cluster team and ensuring that Cluster customer strategy and engagement plans are delivered.

The role will drive productivity through Site General Managers and growth and efficiency through the Cluster Team (Finance, HR, Sales and Supply Chain Business Partners) and is responsible for Cluster Performance, ensuring targets are met and performance plans are in place to support:

• Performance Delivery & Growth
• Commercial & Operational Efficiency
• People & Culture
• Supply Chain Optimisation
• Safe & Healthy Working Practices & Sustainability
• Continuous Improvement

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

Performance Delivery & Growth

• Develops and leads the South’s Sales & Operations Plan, works collaboratively with Country Leadership, other Directors and own management team in the development and delivery of performance targets, objectives and operational plans for the South Cluster.
• Cultivates a strong partnership with Functional Leaders, Cluster and the Country to set policies and work consistently to support the overall profitability of the Country / Region. This role acts as a change ambassador and acts to ensure the strongest performance through maximising the Cluster model and Country working.

Commercial & Operational Efficiency

• Optimises the commercial and operational footprint of the Cluster to create additional value. Removes the duplication of resource & effort. Presents a coherent and consistent face to the market.
• Works collaboratively with functions to ensure the growth and development of the Cluster, maximising the value from opportunities and responding to Country needs ensuring customer service levels are met.
• Ensure South Cluster site costs are fully optimised – maximising cluster P&L.
• The role will ensure the effective management of S&OP ensuring volume allocation is currently allocated across the Cluster supporting volume sharing and asset optimisation.

People & Team Leadership

• Leads DS Smith’s purpose message.
• Builds an environment where individuals can excel. Leads through engagement initiatives for the Cluster. Builds high calibre talent within teams to support Cluster strengths.
• Adopts and contributes to Regional developments and the execution of the corporate plan. Leads the Cluster through changes with continuous attention to adoption and alignment of Regional and Divisional standards and structure.
• Develops leadership talent for the wider DS Smith business.
• Drives and facilitates a culture of collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement across the Cluster. The Cluster MD will provide a mentoring and coaching role establishing development goals, building a talent pipeline.
• The role will ensure Cluster reporting and plans are delivered and will oversee Cluster risk management and will provide a strong day-to-day leadership presence.

Supply Chain Optimisation

• Oversee and implement S&OP Strategy to ensure effective operations at Cluster level.
• Responsible to lead Site General Managers instilling a culture of collaborative behaviours to ensure maximum machine utilisation & productivity across all Cluster Sites.

Safe & healthy working practices & sustainability

• Leads a safe & healthy working environment and culture, by personal example.
• Delivers DS Smith Health & Safety Policy of the Cluster, Country and overall DS Smith business.
• Generates strong leadership and commitment to the sustainability plan of the Country and overall DS Smith business.

Continuous Improvement

• Ensure the successful delivery of the Cluster CI programme.
• Establishes Culture and Work practices ensuring Site Managers are driving CI initiatives in the “DS Smith way”.

Key Experiences & Specification

• Significant experience as a General Manager in a multi-product line, multi-country, B2B manufacturing business. A proven track record of leading the strategic development of a large (€200m+) business unit with a high degree of operational and commercial complexity.
• Will ideally have been exposed to different cycles of business and therefore bring experience of contributing to, or leading, in turnaround, growth, and strategic development situations.
• Demonstrable strategic business planning skills. A track record of effective management and leadership of a multi-cultural leadership team.
• Strong commercial acumen and financially savvy. Proven influencing and stakeholder management skills with a demonstrable track record of leading and embedding culture led change.
• Strong general management skills and maturity to be the recognised leader of large workforce (>800 FTE) of both direct employees and co-located departments.
• A strong technical career background and experience managing shop floor manufacturing operations, quality standards and asset maintenance.
• External outlook -Ability to interpret and work with the wider strategic agenda, within the Country and Region.
• Maturity to recognise and operate comfortably within a matrix environment and sometimes competing priorities while remaining focused on core.
• Degree Qualified. A further business-related qualification such as an MBA would be an advantage.
• Fluency in English is a prerequisite.

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.
Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria

• Performance Delivery & Growth
• Commercial & Operational Efficiency
• People & Culture
• Supply Chain Optimisation
• Safe & Healthy Working Practices & Sustainability
• Continuous Improvemen