Business Office Lead

What to Expect Purpose of the role

The Manufacturing Business Office exists to drive delivery of the Chief Manufacturing Officer's priorities, translating manufacturing strategy into executed outcomes across transformation, governance, performance, communications and cross-functional alignment. The Business Office Lead is the senior individual contributor at the heart of this office, responsible for providing the rhythm, rigour and momentum that keep the manufacturing leadership team aligned, informed and decisive.

Reporting to the Head of Manufacturing Strategy & Business Office, the Business Office Lead owns the core pillars of governance, reporting, strategy execution, planning and organisational alignment. The role leads the Manufacturing rhythm of business, performance reporting and OKRs, strategic planning activities, transformation delivery and change adoption, ensuring priorities progress from concept through to measurable business outcomes. Success is achieved through influence, credibility and trusted relationships across functions rather than direct authority.

The role also helps shape future manufacturing capability by supporting financial realisation, digital transformation, Industry 4.0 and AI-enabled improvement initiatives, while maintaining strong alignment across operational and functional teams. Working closely with Finance, IT, Operational Technology, Procurement, plant leadership and the PMO, the Business Office Lead provides day-to-day leadership, coaching and development for the Strategy Graduate.

• Governance, Reporting & Performance | Own the Manufacturing governance architecture and rhythm of business, ensuring governance forums, reporting routines and decision‑making processes remain effective and aligned to business priorities. Lead performance reporting and OKRs, maintain robust action and decision tracking, and provide data‑driven insight that supports effective leadership decision‑making.
• Strategy Execution & Transformation | Lead delivery of the Manufacturing Business Office agenda, coordinating the Manufacturing Transformation programme and ensuring strategic priorities progress from definition through to executed outcome. Drive cross‑functional alignment, remove organisational bottlenecks and lead discrete strategic initiatives as business priorities evolve.
• Strategic Planning, Financial Realisation & Risk | Own the strategic planning calendar, aligning manufacturing priorities with enterprise planning cycles, including long‑range planning, annual operating planning and quarterly forecasting. Partner with Finance and operational leads to develop business cases, prioritise investment and establish benefits realisation frameworks, while supporting strategic risk assessment, scenario planning and long‑term value creation.
• Change, Communications & Engagement | Lead manufacturing communications and change adoption activities, including Town Halls, leadership messaging and stakeholder engagement, ensuring strategic priorities are translated into clear narratives that build understanding, alignment and organisational commitment.
• Future Capability, Digital & AI | Shape future manufacturing capability by contributing to digital, Industry 4.0 and AI roadmaps. Identify, prioritise and support the adoption of technologies and ways of working that improve productivity, quality, decision‑making and employee experience, informed by external benchmarking and emerging industry best practice.
• People Leadership | Provide day‑to‑day leadership, coaching and development for the Strategy Graduate, supporting capability growth and creating meaningful development opportunities across the Business Office remit.

• Directly – Strategy Graduate (Business Office): day‑to‑day direction, coaching and development.
• Indirectly – cross‑functional stakeholders across Manufacturing and partner functions, engaged and aligned through influence rather than line authority.

• No direct budget accountability; partners with operational leads plus Finance and FP&A to shape business cases, Cap Ex justification…