Business Unit Director, Aluminium (Ref#067)

Position Overview

Our client is looking for an accomplished business leader to take ownership of one of its global Aluminium Business Units. You'll carry full responsibility for how the business performs, covering strategy, commercial results, operational excellence, and financial performance. You report to the Executive Director, Aluminium, and the outcome of the business rests with you.

This isn't a hands-on technical role. You'll inherit an experienced leadership team of specialist Directors across Engineering, Project Management, Customer Support, and Operations. That means your focus is the business, not the bench: driving performance, developing your people, and building growth that lasts.

You're the right fit if you combine commercial acumen, operational leadership, and strategic thinking, and you know how to apply all three inside an international industrial business.

Key Responsibilities

Business Performance & P&L Ownership

●  Lead the overall performance of the Business Unit with full P&L accountability.

●  Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement across multiple regions.

Strategy & Growth

●  Develop and execute business strategies that drive sustainable growth and profitability.

●  Partner with senior leadership to shape the future direction of the Aluminium Division.

Executive Leadership Across Functions

●  Provide executive leadership across engineering, project delivery, customer support, and operational functions.

●  Lead and develop a high-performing international leadership team.

Customer & Stakeholder Relationships

●  Build and strengthen relationships with key customers across the global aluminium industry.

Qualifications

Experience

●  Engineering degree required.

●  MBA or other postgraduate business qualification preferred.

●  Proven experience leading a Business Unit, Division, or major operational function.

●  Strong P&L ownership, with a track record of delivering commercial and operational results.

●  Experience within the aluminium industry or a related heavy industrial sector is highly desirable.

Technical Knowledge

●  Excellent commercial, financial, and strategic leadership capabilities.

●  Experience leading senior management teams within a global industrial or engineering business.

●  Enough command of an engineering environment to lead technical Directors credibly, without needing to do the technical work yourself.

Leadership & Communication

●  A commercially minded business leader with strong operational discipline.

●  An effective leader of senior technical teams, able to lead through influence as much as authority.

●  Customer focused, with excellent stakeholder management skills.

●  Comfortable operating within a complex international business.

●  Driven by performance, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Work Environment

This role is based in Cologne, Germany, within an international business that operates across multiple regions. Expect regular travel to customer sites and business locations globally as part of managing key relationships and staying close to a leadership team spread across markets.