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About the Company
Our client is a large, multidisciplinary professional services firm that delivers a comprehensive range of technical and strategic services, including consulting, information technology, engineering, process development, as well as project and construction management to various heavy industrial sectors.
Major corporations around the world recognize our client for its ability to bridge the gaps between research and innovative technologies, and between engineering and reliable operations. The firm places strong emphasis on developing innovative approaches, technologies and solutions that add value to its customers businesses.
Our client delivers unprecedented business results through a commitment to quality, lower operating costs, more efficient utilization of capital assets, higher standards for safety and risk management, faster start-ups and continuous performance improvements in all projects and programs.
Scope of Position
As entire industries cope with tectonic market shifts, the appetite for disruptive thinking, technology and solutions to enhance their operations grows at an unprecedented pace. Our client’s Solutions and Systems Division specializes in addressing these needs.
Leveraging its vast experience with the technologies, processes, concepts and techniques used by its customers, as well as its longstanding investment in the R&D of new technologies and concepts, the Solutions and Systems Division provides innovative and commercially effective software and hardware solutions for specialized industrial markets.
Currently, our client is seeking a highly accomplished General Manager to provide global leadership to this division. The incumbent will work closely with the vertical market business units to identify opportunities for creative industry-wide customer solutions which reduce their costs, increase efficiencies and/or enhance performance. The General Manager will marshal a team of highly capable software and systems professionals to address these opportunities while leveraging the resulting IP to additional customers around the world.
The position will be based in Toronto.
Functional Tasks
- Work with the Senior VP and members of the senior management team to refine, develop and implement the strategic direction for the Solutions and Systems Division. This will include focusing the strategic road map and existing market plans, expanding and improving market penetration, and enhancing competitive positioning.
- Work closely with the vertical business teams and customers to identify and anticipate opportunities for the division
- Ensure that organizational capacity is in place by which to deliver on the group’s plans.
- Provide ongoing direction, performance management and developmental support to the team. Continue to build world-class capabilities. Focus the team to accelerate and drive the growth of the business, new market development, sector leadership and profitability.
- Ensure that the Solutions and Systems Division is fully aligned with the objectives and direction of the major vertical market business units.
- Aligning the culture, values, metrics and governance of the Solutions and Systems Division to those of the overall organization.
- Report regularly and proactively to the Senior VP on results and plans going forward.
- Champion the group’s interests to major customers and internal stakeholders.
- Lead the expansion of the division and brand into new customers. Engage with strategic stakeholders in those customers.
- Remaining abreast of the industry, competitors and trends with a view to ensuring that the firm’s services best align to market needs. Ensure that all alliance, acquisition and investment opportunities are considered and the most attractive pursued.
- Serve as an ambassador for the group representing it at conferences, speaking engagements, and other external industry related events.
- Where possible leverage relationships and projects to the benefit of other divisions and the organization as a whole.
- Drive growth
Key Performance Deliverables
- Specific measures of performance will be discussed with and agreed upon with the successful candidate
The following competencies listed below define the role of General Manager – Industrial Solutions and Systems
Strategic Approach
Develops a strategic plan to realize the vision. Revises strategy in light of changing circumstances. Takes a long-term view of organizational success. Works to clarify long term organizational goals. Able to stand back from immediate problems in order to focus on more far reaching ideas.
Visioning
Imagines future possibilities. Thinks broadly and investigates a wide-range of alternatives in developing a vision for the future. Selects the most promising vision from a range of alternatives and communicates this vision to others.
Influence
Articulates the key points of an argument persuasively. Negotiates skillfully and convinces others to own point of view. Directly and indirectly impacts the decisions/opinions of others. Mobilizes people into action.
Integrity & Sincerity
Inspires trust and supports others through own authenticity and following up on commitments. Maintains high ethical standards both personally and professionally. Shows consistency among principles.
People Management
Establishes and communicates clear priorities and sense of direction. Clarifies roles and responsibilities. Adapts management style to achieve optimum results.
Results Orientation
Focuses strongly on achieving agreed upon outcomes and ensures that key objectives are met. Conveys a sense of urgency and drives issues to closure. Aims to improve upon past performance. Establishes aggressive personal targets and strives to achieve them.
Initiative
Proactive. Seizes opportunities and acts upon them immediately. Takes responsibility for own actions and addresses problems before asked.
Customer/Client Orientation
Strives to provide customers/clients with personalized and efficient service. Anticipates customers’/clients’ needs. Quickly follows up on customer/client contacts and complaints. Monitors and acts on measures of customer/client satisfaction.
Industry & Market Awareness
Seeks to anticipate and respond to industry and market changes/challenges by understanding key characteristics, issues and the factors driving them. Aware of competitor’s products, services and position.
Boundary-Spanning
Incorporates information about the organization’s structure and protocol into decisions. Attentive to the internal politics and alert to shifting interpersonal dynamics. Establishes the necessary support networks and cross-functional relationships through rapport building. Recognizes, maintains and effectively balances the interests and needs of one’s own group with those of the broader organization.
Team Skills
Helps to create a sense of team spirit and harmonious relations through cooperation and support. Balances personal goals with those of the team. Fosters collaboration among team members.
Role Expertise
Demonstrates critical technical or professional knowledge/skills related to the role. Has thorough knowledge of relevant products, services and methods. Expands technical knowledge/skills and keeps up-to-date in own area of expertise.
Preferred Experience / Education
The following indicates specific industry, academic and functional experience/qualifications that are important to the successful achievement of the identified responsibilities and performance deliverables.
- Minimum of 15 years of experience in software, solutions and advanced technologies
- Proven experience in creatively applying technology to solving problems
- Heavy industrial market experience
- Experience in growing a P&L
- Strong business development orientation
- A highly intelligent, strategically minded executive with superb communication and interpersonal skills and a willingness to roll-up his/her sleeves.
- Strong team orientation well-suited to building consensus in a global concern.
- Toronto-based or willingness to relocate to Toronto
- Experience in building and managing distributed teams of professionals
Remuneration & Benefits
- Highly competitive, unique compensation package to the successful candidate