Job Description
Role overview:
J P Hildreth Ltd is an award-winning engineering consultancy dedicated to delivering manufacturing excellence. We partner with global leaders in the food and pharmaceutical sectors to transform production processes through targeted investments, simulation modelling and intelligent design.
This is a rare opportunity for an outstanding professional with proven commercial expertise and hands-on technical leadership capabilities.
Joining at a pivotal time in JPH’s journey, this Director role will form part of the senior leadership team guiding the business through to independence day – the point at which deferred consideration is fully repaid and all profits are retained within the business – and beyond. You will help shape our transition into a larger, more complex and more profitable organisation, with the opportunity to directly influence strategy, growth and culture.
This is not just a leadership role - it is a chance to leave a lasting mark on an employee-owned business at a defining stage, where professional success is matched by meaningful financial reward.
Location: Hybrid working – minimum 3 days per week in our office in Chesham or at a client site – we prioritise collaboration.
Key responsibilities:
Strategic leadership
* Define and execute JPH’s commercial strategy in alignment with growth objectives.
* Identify new market opportunities in pharma, food, and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Client engagement and business development
* Build and maintain strong relationships with existing and prospective clients.
* Lead negotiations, proposals, and contracts to secure high-value projects.
* Represent JPH at client meetings and events.
Commercial operations
* Oversee pricing, profitability, and risk management across projects.
* Monitor market trends and competitor activity to inform decision-making.
People leadership
* Collaborate with engineering and project management teams to ensure delivery meets client expectations and commercial targets.
* Create a culture of safety, quality, and efficiency through leadership, coaching, and team development.
* Foster collaboration and personal growth.
JPH culture
* Champion our values of integrity, simplicity, and clarity in all commercial activities.
* Ensure that employee ownership principles are embedded in decision making, profit-sharing, and stakeholder engagement.
* Contribute to Director-level discussions and governance as part of the employee-owned trust structure.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* A degree in a relevant engineering discipline is essential.
* MBA or relevant business qualification is desirable.
Experience (essential)
* 8+ years in engineering leadership.
* Experienced in financial reporting and commercial management in engineering projects.
* Experienced in managing engineering projects with a focus on solving complex engineering problems.
* Demonstrable expertise in project governance within manufacturing and engineering environments.
* Comprehensive knowledge of GMP and Health & Safety standards in the pharma and food manufacturing sectors.
Skills and knowledge (essential)
* Strategic planning.
* New business development.
* Strong communication and presentation skills.
* Strong leadership and people management skills, with experience in growing high-performance teams.
* Organisational development and driving organisational change.
* Financial reporting.
* Continuous improvement.
* Risk management.
* Stakeholder management.
About J P Hildreth Ltd
An inclusive environment:
At J P Hildreth we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We believe that a diverse team brings a wealth of perspectives and ideas, driving innovation and success. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences and identities. Our hiring practices ensure fairness and equality, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can thrive and contribute to our mission of delivering manufacturing excellence.
Company values:
Our company is built on the principles of integrity, simplicity, and clarity. These core values shape our decisions, actions, and interactions with both our clients and each other.
* Integrity: We honour our commitments to ourselves and our clients whilst being ethical, transparent and trustworthy.
* Simplicity: We deliver simple, effective solutions that prioritise efficiency and accessibility for ourselves and our clients.
* Clarity: We use clear communication and actions which lead ourselves and our clients to visible success.
Employee owned business:
J P Hildreth is an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) which means that the business
is owned by an independent trust tasked to act in the best interest of the employees. https://employeeownership.co.uk provides further information about the EOT philosophy and its practical impacts.
Exceptional benefits of this type of structure for both our employees and our clients include (subject to contract conditions):
* The long-term future and independence of JPH is secure.
* The structure demands an active employee representation and involvement through to the operating board.
* All employees are beneficiaries of the trust and business profits are re-invested and/or shared equitably among the employees (part of profit share payments are made free from income tax).
Company benefits summary:
Financial
* Profit share: whilst not guaranteed, under our EOT structure you are eligible for profit share after 9 months with JPH, and the first £3,600 is income tax free.
* 5% employer pension contribution after 3 months; and an additional 1% contribution from JPH after 2 years service, and the same again at 4 years service.
* 25 days holiday per year plus Bank Holidays.
* 2 days additional leave granted after 3 years service, and an additional 1 days leave given after 7 years and 8 years service.
* To celebrate 10 years with JPH, as a one-off you will be given an additional 5 days annual leave to be taken during that year.
* £500 refer-a-colleague scheme.
Training & Development
* Annual training budget and continuous professional development.
* Company volunteering day and teambuilding events.
* Access to a variety of projects in different industries.
* Subscription reimbursement for the most relevant professional institution for your role.
Health & well-being
* Dinner out to the value of £250 to celebrate your first year with JPH.
* Private medical insurance after 3 months with JPH.
* YuLife account - which includes Group Life Insurance and free access to 24/7 virtual GPs.