Role purpose Own and deliver the European Maintenance & Damage (M&D) agenda to maximise fleet availability, reduce repair cycle time, and control end-to-end M&D cost, while maintaining non-negotiable safety and quality standards across all European markets. Accountable for converting strategy into measurable in-year delivery through standardised processes, strong supplier governance, and disciplined execution, including EV repair capability and end-of-life decisioning. Location & travel Location: Europe Some travel across Europe required Reporting line Reports to: SVP Operations, Europe Key matrix partners: Fleet, Procurement, Finance, Legal, Risk/Compliance, In-Country General Managers & Ops Leaders Non-negotiables Full ownership of in-year M&D budget run-rate and variance recovery Safety and quality standards are non-negotiable Any trade-off between cost, safety, quality, or service must be explicitly documented and escalated to SVP Ops Europe (and relevant matrix owners) for approval Core accountabilities At a European level, accountable for: Improved fleet availability and reduced downtime Reduced mechanical and body repair cycle time with improved quality Delivery vs M&D budget and cost KPIs with no structural overruns Supplier performance against SLA, cost, quality, compliance, and capacity Consistent adoption of EU standards, tools, and governance Reduced fraud, waste, and leakage through controls and audits Material reduction in OEM turnback and reconditioning charges Key responsibilities 1) Strategy & execution Define and own the European M&D strategy and annual operating plan aligned to EMEA objectives. Translate strategy into clear initiatives with owners, milestones, and EBITDA impact. Standardise KPIs, tools, processes, and policies and ensure adoption across markets. 2) Budget ownership & controls Own European M&D budget performance, forecasting, variance explanation, and recovery plans. Implement robust controls including approvals, audit trails, and anomaly detection. Enforce escalation where cost targets conflict with safety or quality. 3) Supplier ecosystem Own the European supplier framework across all M&D categories, including EV repair. Lead supplier scorecards, governance, remediation, and exits where required. Partner with Procurement on tenders, with M&D setting technical and performance standards. 4) Network design & capacity Continuously optimise outsource vs insource decisions based on cost, quality, and flexibility. Ensure adequate supplier coverage by geography, job type, and peak demand. Define and deliver the target network architecture and service levels. 5) Parts & repair inputs Define parts strategy with Procurement, balancing cost, availability, and compliance. Drive repair vs replace principles and lead-time reduction initiatives. Own KPIs for parts lead time, fill rate, and repair delays. 6) Lifecycle & end-of-life decisioning Own governance for repair decisioning across the vehicle lifecycle. Lead initiatives to reduce OEM turnback and reconditioning charges through better estimates, documentation, and negotiation. Ensure early-life repair decisions reduce end-of-life penalties. 7) Performance cadence & reporting Run a disciplined performance cadence (weekly pulse, monthly reviews, quarterly deep dives). Ensure dashboards, savings, and performance metrics are Finance-validated. 8) People leadership Lead and develop a multi-country M&D team across Europe in partnership with Country GMs. Build capability in technical standards, estimating, commercial discipline, and execution. Drive succession planning and consistent performance management. Experience requirements 10 years senior leadership in automotive, fleet, aftersales, repair networks, or multi-site operations. Proven delivery of cost control and availability improvements across multiple countries. Experience transforming supplier networks at scale. Strong lifecycle, estimating, and OEM turnback experience. Skills & attributes Strong commercial and financial acumen with full budget ownership experience. Deep understanding of M&D ecosystems, including EV repair. Execution-focused, structured, and comfortable escalating trade-offs early. Influential leader with confidence in tough supplier and OEM discussions. Bracknell Bracknell Forest United Kingdom