Business Operations Manager at Oxford Instruments in Concord, MA

At Oxford Instruments, we enable the world’s leading industrial companies and scientific research communities to image, analyse and manipulate materials down to the atomic and molecular level. With a sixty-year history, and fourteen Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, our world-class products and technologies are helping our customers to address the greatest challenges of the 21st century.

Oxford Instruments plc is a leading provider of high technology products and services to the world's leading industrial companies and scientific research communities.

Our core purpose is to support our customers to address some of the world's most pressing challenges, enabling a greener economy, increased connectivity, improved health and leaps in scientific understanding.

We are proud to be recognised as the leaders in what we do and for the difference we make in the world.

Join our team!

Role Details

Business, Location:

Concord Regional, Concord, MA

Role:

Business Operations Manager, Americas

Reports to:

Group Finance Director

Direct Reports:

Materials Manager, IT Manager, Financial Controller, HR Director (matrix), Marketing Communications Manager, Head of Services (future)

Key Relationships:

Group and business unit management, Logistics; IT; Sales; Customer Success; Legal; Business unit finance; suppliers, government, and customers

Primary Purpose:

As we continue to grow our business, the role of Business Manager is critical to ensuring we provide clarity around what our customers expect and how we deliver this. The role holder will be in charge of providing leadership and driving business process improvement whilst managing day-to-day operations of a $115M turnover business across multiple business units.

The focus will be on the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of business support, financial management, contract management (customers, suppliers, partners), customer support, lead generation, customer success/order administration and logistics, balancing medium-term growth with short-term delivery and overhead control.

Key Responsibilities

LEADERSHIP

• Provide leadership for the OI Americas team employed out of the Concord office. Provide clear and regular communications on regional and Group performance and strategy. Take the lead on decision making and conflict resolution to ensure the regional office provides a best in class support service for the Business Units
• Work closely with the HR Director & Financial Controller to ensure Regional Concord HQ has sufficient resources (succession planning, people development plans, personnel, material, equipment) and capability to deliver the Business Unit and overall Company strategy in the Americas region.
• Accountability for delivering and improving providing the business processes, systems, and capability required for sustained revenue growth and margin improvement. Work closely with Business Unit leadership teams to build the capability we need now and for the future:
• Promote a company culture that encourages high performance and engagement
• Work with the HRD to establish and maintain Employer brand in region
• Continuously improve the quality, service, and efficiency of all Company operations in region
• Develop the annual budget for the Americas office and manage spend to budget throughout the year
• Work with the Financial Controller to provide in depth financial analysis of each aspect of business operations to support regional management decision making
• Provide appropriate challenge and insights to ensure the right targets and objectives are set for regional shared services and business units
• Provide regional leadership and develop regional capabilities in line with business needs for Canada and Latin America
• Lead the ERP implementation across all business units operating through the Concord office.
• Look at opportunities for centralising support services for all Americas businesses within Concord.
• Overall legal accountability for operations from the Concord office; Ensure the right processes and capabilities are in place and working effectively to adhere to relevant legal guidelines, reporting requirements, and policies
• Oversee the Logistics department including materials management, purchasing, and shipping & receiving. Drive continuous improvement activities to ensure we are benefiting from the Group procurement activities in region and we are providing busines units and customers with cost effective and high-quality logistics services
• Provide US supervision of IT department
• Maintain close relationship with global IT leadership
• As a senior manager in the region, build and maintain strategic alliances with key suppliers, vendors, advisors, partners, government, and community organisations

SALES AND MARKETING

• Facilitate close co-operation between the sales managers and directors across all business units operating in the region, ensuring the right mechanisms and incentives are in place for building regional customer intimacy, lead sharing, and cross selling
• Oversee the development and delivery of high-quality marketing communications events and activities across the region in conjunction with the business product management and marketing teams. Pay particular attention to where we can provide better solutions to our customers by working across business units
• Provide analysis and insights into where lead generation and marketing activities are adding value

CONTRACTS

This role is responsible for the management of contracts made with customers, suppliers, and partners; supporting the Sales team to negotiate the terms and conditions in contracts, ensuring compliance, documenting and agreeing on any changes or amendments that arise during their implementation or execution.

• Work closely with Group Legal and Business contract management to ensure compliance with all policies and procedures.
• Draft, evaluate, negotiate, and execute acceptable and appropriate agreements dealing directly with external parties and internal functions covering a range of transactions
• Ensure that standard templates and terms & conditions with key customers are created and maintained
• Lead the process for contract close out, renewals/extensions, amendments, and conflict checks
• Lead the review of intermediary applications; conduct the evaluation/due diligence of potential and existing intermediaries
• Coordinate all Bids, RFPS, and Vendor Registrations in region
• Create and maintain US Agents and Distributors Agreements
• Coordinate with the Sales, Service, Finance, and Legal functions across business units to ensure appropriate reviews are scheduled and conducted, and that all required approvals are obtained prior to submittal of proposals or execution of contractual documents
• Work with the Finance Team to ensure adherence with broader finance risks such as revenue recognition, pricing, discounting, and commission policies
• Develop and implement procedures for contract management and administration, in compliance with company policy
• Build team capability to maintain the Contracts shared systems and other databases to assist in data availability and collection for reporting and maintain all correspondence and documentation related to contracts

SERVICES (in next 12 months)

• Provide leadership to the new cross business unit Services Delivery team. Work closely with the new Head of Services, Americas to establish the capabilities, process, and infrastructure to maximise services revenue and margin in the region
• Establish e store capabilities for the region and drive uptake through targeted digital marketing campaigns
• Work closely with business unit Services Directors and Managing Directors to build the service delivery and sales “engine” for the Americas such that it meets the strategic goals of the business units

GENERAL

• Take personal responsibility for your health and safety and for that of others who may be affected by your actions and behaviour
• Comply with the Company’s arrangements for health, safety, and environmental protection
• Other duties as assigned

Indicative Performance Measures

• growth of orders and revenue
• Margin improvement
• Improved Employee Engagement
• Successful embedding of contractual/risk assessment procedures
• Efficiency improvements – procurement, value stream mapping
• Service revenue growth and margin improvement

Person Specification - essential requirements unless stated

Education / Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Operations Management,. (experience with US contracts a significant advantage)
• 3+ years’ experience in management, operations, and leadership
• Understanding of general finance and budgeting, including P&L, balance sheet, and cash-flow
• Experience of operating effectively in a complex, multinational, matrixed organisation
• Ability to build consensus and relationships among managers, partners, and employees
• Working knowledge of latest business policies and regulations
• Experience evaluating contractual documents

Professional Skills/ Abilities:

• MS Office experience and skill (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access)

Personal Qualities:

• Must be well-organised, precise, and possess excellent attention to detail
• Must have keen analytical mind and ability to combine with business insight
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Excellent negotiation and interpersonal skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Ability to work under limited supervision
• Proactive, with a ‘can-do’ attitude