Managing Director - Senior Bird Bellows

Senior Bird Bellows is part of Senior plc’s global group of engineering companies, contributing specialist engineered products and systems to complex and highly regulated markets. Its growth reflects both organic engineering innovation and the strategic support of Senior plc’s international platform.

Senior Bird Bellows traces its origins back to 1975, when it was founded by Philip Bird as a small family-run engineering operation in Congleton, England. The original business focused on supplying bespoke engineered solutions to the petrochemical and gas industries, rapidly developing expertise in high-integrity flexible joints and pressure duct systems designed for demanding environments.

From these beginnings, the company expanded its product offering and reputation for technical excellence, becoming a recognised supplier of flexible bellows, gimbal joints, pressure balanced units, and other engineered metallic components. In the 1980s and 1990s, Bird Bellows secured significant aerospace contracts, including with Airbus in Germany and France, which helped establish the company as a trusted partner in aerospace ducting solutions.

A key milestone in the business’s history occurred in 1999, when Bird Bellows was acquired by Senior plc, a UK-headquartered global engineering group that designs and manufactures high-technology components and systems for aerospace, automotive, defence, land vehicle and energy markets. At the time of acquisition, Bird Bellows had annual sales of approximately £5.8 million.

Under the Senior plc umbrella, Bird Bellows continued to grow both its product range and market reach. The business developed solutions tailored to major aircraft platforms including bespoke flexible joint technology for large aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and expanded its presence within global supply chains. It also secured long-term supply contracts with major OEMs such as GE/Dresser and Pentair/Tyco.

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Senior Bird Bellows embraced continuous improvement and quality standards, achieving ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications and implementing advanced production practices such as vendor managed inventory with key aerospace customers. Sales growth was substantial, with annual revenues rising to over £34 million by 2019. While the business has historically been strongest in aerospace ducting and flexible joint systems, its long-term strategy under Senior plc has emphasised diversification into adjacent regulated sectors such as defence, energy, pharmaceutical and medical markets. The company leverages its deep engineering capability in high-temperature, high-pressure applications to provide bespoke solutions across these industries.

The Managing Director opportunity at Senior Bird Bellows is a rare chance to lead a profitable, well-established aerospace manufacturing business near Manchester, employing approximately 250–300 people and forming part of the FTSE-listed Senior plc group. With a strong order book, recent capital investment and solid operational foundations, the business is positioned for its next phase of growth.

The role has arisen due to the planned retirement of a long-serving incumbent and represents a time-critical external succession focused on continuity, governance and strategic acceleration.

Reporting to the President of the Senior Aerospace Division, the MD will hold full P&L accountability and lead an experienced senior leadership team across manufacturing, engineering, commercial, supply chain, quality and finance.

The mandate is to deliver the 2026–2030 growth plan (scaling from £40m to £60m), enhance commercial effectiveness, optimise plant and capital deployment, and drive margin and cash improvement through disciplined operational execution.

A key strategic priority is diversifying beyond commercial aerospace by building a stronger defence footprint with primes such as BAE Systems and European OEMs, reducing customer concentration risk while leveraging the company’s high-integrity engineering capabilities.

The successful candidate will combine strong commercial acumen with manufacturing credibility, lead through visible, values-driven leadership, and accelerate performance while preserving the site’s inclusive culture and technical excellence.

The Managing Director of Senior Bird Bellows will lead a profitable, technically respected aerospace manufacturing business into its next phase of accelerated growth and strategic evolution. With full P&L accountability and reporting to the Chief Executive of the Senior Aerospace Division, this is a high-impact leadership role within a FTSE-listed engineering group operating under a decentralised model.

This is not a turnaround; it is a strategic inflection point. The business benefits from a strong order book, recent capital investment, an experienced leadership team and a clear ambition to scale from £40m to £60m. The incoming MD will not simply execute the plan but refine, challenge and enhance it, shaping the next phase of growth through sharper commercial focus, disciplined capital deployment and strategic portfolio development.

The mandate includes:

• Driving profitable growth by strengthening pricing strategy, margin discipline and long-term agreement structuring with OEM and Tier 1 customers, while personally leading strategic customer relationships at senior level.
• Elevating operational performance through rigorous management-by-metrics, structured operating cadence and continuous improvement, improving productivity, delivery reliability, gross margin and cash generation.
• Optimising industrial capability and capital strategy, including automation, make-versus-buy decisions, footprint planning and full return on recent and future investment.
• Leading strategic diversification, reducing reliance on commercial aerospace cycles by expanding into defence and other regulated markets, building deeper relationships with primes such as BAE Systems and European OEMs.
• Shaping the long-term technology roadmap, aligning site capabilities with divisional strategy while enhancing technical differentiation and customer value proposition.
• Building and inspiring a high-performance culture, developing leadership bench strength, strengthening succession and maintaining the inclusive, values-led culture that underpins the site’s success.

This role requires a leader who combines commercial instinct with manufacturing credibility, someone equally comfortable negotiating at board level with global OEMs and walking the shop floor to drive operational discipline.

The successful candidate will bring strategic clarity, financial acumen and the ability to deliver results through people, while operating with autonomy within a FTSE governance environment.

For the right individual, this is a rare opportunity to lead a respected aerospace business with real growth headroom, influence its strategic direction, and leave a lasting imprint on its performance, portfolio and culture.

Ideal Candidate Snapshot

• Proven P&L leader from a precision engineering or complex manufacturing environment, ideally supplying aerospace and/or defence OEMs and Tier 1 customers.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience in pricing strategy, margin management and executive-level customer negotiations.
• Operationally credible, with a track record of driving performance through management-by-metrics, industrial optimisation and disciplined capital deployment.
• Experienced in highly regulated environments (e.g. AS9100 / aerospace / defence compliance).
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing leadership teams, embedding accountability, succession depth and continuous improvement culture.
• Strategic thinker capable of supporting portfolio diversification and market expansion, particularly into defence or adjacent regulated sectors.

The Environment & Opportunity

• A profitable, stable and well-invested aerospace manufacturing business with strong industrialisation capability and recent capital investment.
• Established operational and supply chain succession strength, providing a capable bench and platform for acceleration rather than rebuild.
• Inclusive, values-led culture with high engagement and strong technical pride.
• Significant autonomy within Senior’s decentralised FTSE structure — real freedom to shape strategy, influence investment decisions and drive performance within a robust governance framework.
• A platform primed for growth, where the incoming MD can build on solid foundations and leave a meaningful strategic imprint.

The search for this role is being led by the consulting firm, Korn Ferry.

All applications will be screened by Grant King, Managing Consultant – Defence & Mobility at Korn Ferry.