Lead Business Manager

As a Lead Business Manager, you will play a pivotal role in leading and developing the Business Management team while ensuring financial performance across a portfolio of programmes. Acting as a key link between customers, Programme Development Teams, and internal stakeholders, you will take ownership of programme financials throughout the programme lifecycle, from new business acquisition through to launch and ongoing change management. This is a highly visible role that combines commercial leadership, customer engagement, and financial accountability, offering the opportunity to influence business performance, support strategic growth, and drive successful programme delivery across the organisation.

You will lead the financial management of customer programmes, ensuring budgets, forecasts, pricing, investment, engineering costs, and programme financial objectives are effectively developed, maintained, and reported. Working closely with cross-functional teams, you will support programme planning, manage financial changes through established QMS processes, and provide clear, accurate reporting to stakeholders and customers. You will coordinate pricing activities, support commercial negotiations, contribute to new business opportunities and RFQ responses, and ensure programme financial performance is monitored against agreed targets. In addition, you will provide leadership to the Business Management team, driving collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement while maintaining strong relationships with customers and internal partners.

You will be an experienced commercial or programme management professional with a strong understanding of programme financial management within a manufacturing or automotive environment. A confident leader and communicator, you will have the ability to motivate teams, influence stakeholders, and build trusted customer relationships. You will possess strong analytical skills, commercial awareness, and experience managing budgets, forecasts, pricing, and investment activities. A degree in Business, Engineering, Programme Management, or an equivalent qualification would be advantageous, alongside recognised Project or Programme Management accreditation. Knowledge of APQP, PPAP, IATF 16949, and experience within a global automotive organisation would be beneficial. Most importantly, you will be adaptable, proactive, and driven to deliver results in a fast-paced environment where priorities can evolve quickly.