Senior Vice President of the Nordics

Wood is looking for a forward thinking & engaging business leader to become the SVP of the Nordics, leading a sizeable team across all sectors Wood operates in. The role reports to the Regional President of UK & Europe and a key member of the UK & Europe Leadership team, playing an active role in delivering the wider UK & Europe leadership agenda whilst having full responsibility for operational delivery and P&L accountability in the Nordics.  The individual is expected to provide direction and leadership for the achievement of the strategic goals, vision, and core values through finance, risk management, change leadership, people and culture, stakeholder management, governance, assurance, compliance, and reputation. Concurrently the positions key focus areas include: 

• Ensuring that the business is effectively developing strong relationships and executing work with existing and new clients


• Strengthening collaboration across service lines, business units and the UK & Europe region, whilst increasing the visibility, engagement and collaboration across the wider organisation


• Working closely with the sales & growth development team to support the development of compelling and commercial competitive proposals for future opportunities, and working closely with business leaders across Wood to identify and secure opportunities both within Norway and across the wider Scandinavian region. 


• Leading and empowering the team in the coordination with the Technical & Assurance function to ensure the proactive management of the resource pool whilst balancing the need for profitability & growth


• Build the organisational capability and transparency while assessing the most effective future operating model whilst ensuring Wood is positioned for future growth and scalability


• Where applicable, the role is responsible for the relationship management of joint venture(s) and the alignment through the JV for operational delivery therein


• Drives and owns employee communication and engagement locally, ensuring this is aligned with overall Operations business unit communication and engagement plans, and delivered in a culturally appropriate manner


• Creates an organisational culture which fosters innovation and collaboration, continuous improvement and change


• Leading and empowering the team in the coordination of delivery resources, including the proactive management of the resource pool whilst balancing the need for profitability with the need to support growth  


• Build a robust capability and appropriate succession and development of their team

To be successful in this position Wood are looking for an individual with extensive experience in leading a multiservice organisation, with strong P&L experience and knowledge of the Nordics energy market.

• Define, shape, drive and execute the Nordics strategy to support short- and long-term strategy including future growth aspirations  
• Delivers operational leadership and has full P&L responsibility for the Nordics business 
• Responsible for shaping and delivering strategy, programs, priorities, and policies that will enhance business performance and results
• Implements the Group’s long- and short-term plans in accordance with strategy 
• Responsible for all day-to-day management and operations decisions, ensuring solutions are fit for purpose and maintain service excellence;
• Manages the Nordics team (HSSEQ, finance, technical directorate, & HR) building robust capability and appropriate succession and development of the team
• Facilitates open and effective communication to optimise delivery of objectives and maximise team performance;
• Defines and implements operational priorities, aligned with the needs of the business, focussing on efficient and cost-effective practices, programs, and services, adding value to clients 
• Leads the Group’s safety vision, objectives, and associated initiatives in Nordics, ensuring the HSSEQ culture is promoted and visible, with a focus on continuous improvement
• Drives and owns employee communication and engagement locally, ensuring this is aligned with overall Group communication and engagement plans, and delivered in a culturally appropriate manner
• Creates an organisational culture which fosters innovation and collaboration, continuous improvement and change
• Ensures integrity and compliance of all management and fiscal reporting, working closely with Finance function to ensure appropriate financial controls are in place and adhered to
• Supports the Group as the spokesperson for the Nordics business
• Responsible for protecting Group interests in joint ventures;  
• Represents the Group on applicable government and trade bodies  
• Responsible for overseeing and monitoring the financial expenditures of the business within the authorised business budget
• Identifies and assesses principal risks for the business and ensures that these are being monitored and managed
• Ensures that the Group maintains high ethical standards and social responsibility wherever it does business;
• Communicates effectively with clients, employees, government authorities, other stakeholders, employees and the public
• Leads by personal example and encourage all employees to conduct their activities in accordance with all applicable laws and the Group’s standards and policies
• Ensures that the Regional President of UK & Europe is properly informed, and that sufficient information is provided to enable appropriate judgments to be formed
• Ensures specific internally established control systems and authorities are in place and adhered to 
• Fosters an environment which encourages employees to develop and maximise potential and improve skills

• Degree qualified or equivalent in technical or business subject

Experience:

• Extensive experience in energy & materials projects   
• Extensive experience in overseeing multiple concurrent countries P&Ls through teams of country/operations managers/directors, whilst ensuring consistent execution, reporting, and client delivery
• Demonstrable track record in P&L management in a customer focused role
• Proven track record of having led multiple tender pursuits across EPC/EPCm/FEED and maintenance contracts, including rate build‑up, bid strategy, and client negotiations
• Has established and achieved challenging performance targets, annual and long-term budgets, setting and delivering short and long-term objectives for the business area and self 
• Experienced in working closely with Wood’s key clients in the region

Knowledge and Skills: 

• Excellent leadership capability with passion and ambition to drive business growth and significant experience in managing a profit and loss business 
• Fluent in both English & Norwegian 
• Proven ability to establish strong and appropriate relationships with senior clients, employees, and relevant authorities 
• The position requires demonstrated experience in integrating and coordinating diverse areas of management 
• Ability to influence and enable, and drive company performance and culture through excellent communication 
• The ability to influence and challenge others to behave in ways consistent with the interest of the organisation  
• Demonstrable commercial acumen and credibility 
• A thorough understanding of strategic and change management with the ability to translate this into appropriate goals, methodologies, and strategies for implementation 
• A strong track record in change management, putting high emphasis on co-operation and business partnership across the company and our clients 
• Demonstrated commitment and experience as a leader in the health, safety, and environmental arena, as well as a good understanding of industrial relations regulations 

Personal attributes: 

• Strong and inspiring leader who leads by example  
• Strong influencer, negotiator, and mediator  
• Flexible to respond and adapt to changing internal and external context  
• Decisive, with ability to make decisions and follow through, ensuring learnings are captured  
• Exceptional communicator both verbally and written  
• Strong team builder, listens to needs of team, and capable of identifying and adopting best practices to engender a spirit of cooperation and energise people towards optimum performance  
• Effectively connect and establish effective, cross-cultural working relationships with all levels of the organisation and externally 
• Pragmatic in approach with a strong commercial bias and ability to balance commerciality with operational excellence   
• Ability to work independently and be results oriented, takes ownership, responsibility, and full accountability for the group  
• Create an environment that encourages open discussion and feedback 
• Safety focused with an uncompromising approach to risk management. Places the welfare of both internal and customer employees at the top of the agenda.  
• Customer focused – develops sincere and open relationships with customers, current and potential; listens to client needs and constantly striving to exceed expectations and add value  
• Entrepreneurial approach - ability to identify opportunities  
• Flexible to respond in agile ways to changing client needs  
• Ability to make decisions and follow through, ensuring learnings are captured  
• A motivated self-starter, who can self-direct when required, able to use own initiative and have autonomy to make appropriate decisions but also know when escalation is required 
• Critical thinker with problem solving abilities