Strategy, Innovation & Enterprise

Location:  Other
Salary:   £33,314 to £40,931 Per annum
Full Time Fixed Term for 25 months
Closing Date:  Wednesday 22 March 2023
Interview Date:   To be confirmed
Reference:  2172423TR

Graduate Strategic Transformation Project Manager - Southampton

£30,000 - £35,000 p.a. + £4,000 personal development allowance

Griffon Hoverwork Limited (GHL) (https://www.griffonhoverwork.com/) and the Southampton Business School (SBS) are looking to appoint a high calibre Associate as a Strategic Transformation Project Manager to help GHL achieve culture change and business growth.

What we are offering you

• 25 months contract – we offer you a great management and leadership training program 
• Explore your passion for innovation and your desire to join a market leader 
• You’ll enjoy an open, high performance culture that encourages idea generation and thought exploration
• An opportunity to work for the global leader in the in maritime industry. 
• The Associate will have access to management and leadership training.

This is a great opportunity for a graduate who wishes to fast-track their career in change management and consultancy, and to lead a significant change and transformation project in a globally operating British manufacturing business.

About Griffon Hoverwork Limited

GHL is a world-leading manufacturer of hovercrafts. GHL deliver engineering design (including naval architecture, air cushion, aerodynamic, electrical/electronic, mechanical and flexible structure engineering), manufacture, sales, consultancy, delivery and commissioning of hovercraft, boats, marine, related engineered products and through life support services, including supply of spares and training. 90% of GHL’s main hovercraft products and support services are exported.

The post-holder will also have access to staff at SBS at the University of Southampton which is a Russel Group university with international excellence and reputation for business and marketing. This role presents a unique and exciting opportunity to collaborate with industry and leading academics, to apply knowledge and business innovation to GHL’s processes, and to identify new market opportunities and improve productivity.

The role

The vision for this project is to achieve strategic transformation at GHL into a market-leading marine technology consultancy, alongside its current manufacturing business, leveraging its specialised engineering and design skills and world-leading reputation.

This position is part of the Management Knowledge Transfer Partnership (mKTP) programme co-funding by a grant from Innovate UK. mKTP provides high calibre jobs working with business across the UK and offer a wide range of benefits including access to a £4,000 Personal Development budget to upskill during the project (for more information on mKTP, please see https://www.ktp-uk.org/).

The successful candidate will be employed by the University* and will be based at GHL in Southampton, where they will lead on the strategic change and transformation project with support from academics from SBS at the University of Southampton.

The position is for 25 months. The start date is as soon as possible.

Responsibilities will include:

• Undertaking project related research, collecting and analysing data.
• Engaging with and presenting to a wide a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Writing client and public-facing reports and documents.
• Preparation of content for marketing campaign.
• Building and managing relationships throughout the sales cycle to gain new customers.
• Develop and deliver technical sales presentations, proposals and advice, articulate complex concepts and business solutions clearly through presentations and proposals. Building sales messages and tailoring packages relevant to market segments.
• Presenting the project progress at Local Management Committee meetings.
• Maintaining and presentation of project related documents i.e., Benefits Log, Risk Register.
• It is GHLs ambition for this to become a permanent position at the end of the mKTP to help lead future marketing strategy and shape the consultancy business.

What we look for in the candidate

The Associate will have an excellent academic track record in a Business-Management or related discipline. Commercial, Student Placement or Student Project experience will be advantageous for this project.

Desirable skills and experience:

• A future business leader who will champion this business transformation project.
• Confident communication skills, as the role will require the Associate to work with colleagues across the organisation and customers based in a range of locations.
• A willingness to work in a rapidly changing business environment. Strong analytical ability and an aptitude for problem-solving.
• Excellent organisational skills with good attention to detail.
• A resilience to overcome barriers to information or culture change push back.
• The capacity to multi-task and prioritise time effectively.
• A determination to own the project work plan and to always have an awareness of the wider commercial and internal landscapes.
• Entrepreneurial mindset.
• An interest in engineering/manufacturing would be a benefit to help integration with the business.

*Title on appointment within University of Southampton would be KTP Associate with GHL

Working at the University of Southampton:

Check out the staff benefits and why you should join us at The University of Southampton!

Application Procedure 

The application deadline is midnight on the closing date stated above. If you need assistance, call Recruitment on +44 (0) 23 8059 2750, or email recruitment@soton.ac.uk. Quote the advert reference on all correspondence.