# Managing Director

> Universal Business Team · Northampton, United Kingdom · Full-time · Posted 2026-01-06

**Salary:** GBP 100,000–120,000

**Workplace:** on_site

**Department:** HH

## Description

**Job Title:** Managing Director (Family-run SME)

S**alary/Package:** Overall package £150,000 (DOE) + LTIP - Basic salary upto £120,000  
**Location:** Northampton

  
We are working in partnership with a a growing, family-run business targeting **£7m → £12m turnover in 3 years and to take EBITDA from 7% to 10%**. They are looking to appoint an experienced **Managing Director** who inspires, sets high standards, and builds accountability so every department hits its numbers, every month.

**You’ll deliver:**

-   **Growth & Strategy:** Translate ambition into an actionable plan with targets, cadence, and ownership.
-   **Accountability:** Install performance management across Ops, Sales, Finance & Marketing.
-   **Operations:** Hit OTIF consistently; fix bottlenecks and improve lead times.
-   **Sales:** Overachieve new business and margin targets; improve forecast accuracy.
-   **Finance:** Reduce debtor days; strengthen cash conversion and working capital.
-   **Marketing:** Maximise ROI; align spend tightly to qualified pipeline and revenue.
-   **Culture:** Honesty, Adaptability, Trust, Positive Attitude, Desire to Excel.

## Requirements

-   **Track record of growth:** Taken an SME or business unit from £5–15m or higher to materially higher revenue with improved profitability.
-   **Accountability builder:** Has implemented **KPIs, dashboards, cadences** (daily huddles, weekly performance reviews, monthly board packs, quarterly OKRs).
-   **Cross-functional leadership:** Comfortable directing Ops, Sales, Finance, Marketing; financially literate and understands OTIF, pipeline quality, cash conversion, and marketing ROI.
-   **People leadership:** Direct, fair, and supportive; coaches hard, sets clear expectations, follows through on consequences.

**Background**

-   Roles: MD/GM/Commercial Director from a trading/buy/sell background.
-   Evidence of: OTIF improvement, margin discipline, DSO reduction, sales forecast accuracy uplift, marketing ROI gains.
-   Built or matured: RACI, S&OP, OKRs, Board packs, and sales/ops cadences.
-   Financial fluency: P&L ownership, working capital management, pricing & margin governance.

**Leadership style & behaviours**

-   **Clarity + Cadence:** Sets a small set of critical metrics; reviews them relentlessly.
-   **High standards + Empathy:** Holds people to account while developing capability.
-   **Data‑driven storytelling:** Turns numbers into decisions and action.
-   **Bias to action:** Resolves blockers quickly; removes complexity.
-   **Builder:** Upgrades people, processes, and systems in parallel.

## Benefits

**What’s in it for you:**

-   **Autonomy** to shape strategy, culture and the leadership team.
-   **Performance-led** package tied to growth, margin, OTIF, cash conversion & ROI.
-   **Proposed Salary** - Basic salary up to £120k with an overall package of £150k including Bonuses and Benefits. Plus an additional LTIP – (Long Term Incentive Plan)

## Apply

[Apply at Universal Business Team](https://apply.workable.com/ubteam/j/B8D67BE8C8/apply)

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