West Midlands Manufacturing

Overview of Need

A Midlands-based mid-cap manufacturing business is seeking a Non-Executive Director to strengthen board capability at a pivotal stage of growth. The company is preparing for an external investment raise to support planned European expansion, and requires independent challenge, strategic rigour, and operational insight. The successful candidate will provide perspective on strategy, investment readiness, and operational delivery, helping the board and executive team navigate growth while mitigating risks and ensuring alignment with investor expectations. This is a non-executive role with no day-to-day operational responsibility, but active engagement at key strategic and capital decision points so the business can continue to advance and push into the next level.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic challenge and scrutiny of European expansion plans, ensuring priorities are clear, evidence-based, and realistically resourced.
• Support investment readiness and the capital raise process, enhancing the strategic and operational equity story for investors.
• Bring senior operational insight to assess manufacturing capacity, systems, leadership, and supply chain resilience in support of expansion.
• Strengthen board-level governance, oversight, and risk management appropriate to a growing mid-cap manufacturing business.
• Offer independent perspective, identifying blind spots, operational risks, and unintended consequences to support high-quality decision-making.

Candidate Profile – Essential Experience

• Senior leadership or board experience in mid-cap manufacturing or industrial businesses with strong UK operations, or entrepreneurial experience with growth and self-investment.
• Exposure to external investment raises is highly desirable; European manufacturing or supply chain experience is a plus.
• Ability to resonate with the board, provide constructive challenge, and support sustainable, profitable growth.

Personal Attributes

• Credible, independent, and values-driven.
• Collaborative yet robust in challenge, motivated by scaling manufacturing businesses successfully.
• Pragmatic, commercially astute, and strategic thinker.

Remuneration & Appointment

• Competitive, commensurate with experience; structure and any equity participation discussed as part of appointment.
• Initial term: 2–3 years, aligned with investment and European expansion milestones.
• Time commitment: ~2 days per month, including board meetings, executive engagement, and input on major strategic or operational decisions.