Head of Business – Prestige Automotive

Head of Business – Prestige Automotive

Portsmouth | £90,000 – £95,000 Basic + £150,000 OTE | Permanent

A rare opportunity to lead, transform and build something exceptional.

ACS Automotive is working on a confidential senior appointment for a highly respected prestige automotive business in Portsmouth, seeking an experienced Head of Business to take overall responsibility for a major operation.

This is not a step-up opportunity.

We are looking for an established automotive leader who has already operated at a senior level and is ready to take on a genuine challenge — improving performance, developing people and making a lasting impact on the business.

There is significant investment behind the operation, with a £6.5 million redevelopment underway and a state-of-the-art new facility due for completion in early 2027.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to take the business forward at a particularly important stage in its development.

The Opportunity:

The business has a well-established management structure and a team of approximately 66 employees.

Aftersales, Service and Parts are performing well, but there is clear opportunity to improve overall commercial performance, particularly within Sales.

As Head of Business, you will take ownership of the operation and be responsible for creating the environment, standards and accountability required to deliver sustainable improvement.

You will be expected to:

• Take overall responsibility for the Centre's commercial and operational performance.
• Develop and deliver a clear strategy for business growth and improved profitability.
• Drive Sales performance and ensure objectives are consistently achieved.
• Lead, motivate and develop the existing management team.
• Review current processes, standards and ways of working and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Build a high-performance culture across the business.
• Introduce and manage meaningful change effectively.
• Challenge underperformance and make difficult decisions where necessary.
• Work closely with senior group and manufacturer stakeholders.
• Ensure the highest standards of customer experience and operational performance.
• Maintain a culture built around professionalism, accountability and integrity.

The Person:

This role requires a proven senior automotive leader.

We would expect you to have experience as a Head of Business, General Manager, Dealer Principal, Centre Principal or equivalent, ideally within a premium or prestige automotive environment.

Experience with brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Jaguar Land Rover or similar would be highly relevant.

Most importantly, you will need to be someone who can demonstrate:

• A strong track record of commercial and operational performance.
• Significant experience leading sizeable automotive teams.
• The confidence to influence experienced managers and senior stakeholders.
• A proven ability to implement and manage change.
• Strong commercial awareness across Sales, Aftersales, Service and Parts.
• The ability to identify problems, challenge existing practices and deliver solutions.
• Strong leadership and communication skills.
• The resilience and confidence to make difficult decisions.
• High personal standards and a strong moral compass.
• The ability to operate with complete professionalism and integrity at all times.

This is about more than maintaining performance.

The business has a significant opportunity ahead of it.

With substantial investment being made in the operation and a major new facility on the way, the successful Head of Business will have the platform to make genuine improvements and create a high-performing environment.

We are looking for someone who wants the challenge.

Someone experienced enough to know what good looks like.

Someone strong enough to challenge what isn't working.

And someone with the leadership capability to bring people with them through change.

Why consider the opportunity?

Senior prestige automotive leadership opportunities of this scale are relatively rare.

This is an opportunity to take responsibility for a substantial operation, with significant investment already committed and a new state-of-the-art facility coming online.

The foundations are there.

The opportunity now is to take the business to the next level.

This is an ideal move for an experienced automotive leader who is ambitious, commercially driven and wants to make a real difference rather than simply move sideways.

Package:

£90,000 – £95,000 Basic Salary

£150,000 OTE

Plus a comprehensive benefits package.

This is a confidential appointment and further details regarding the business will be discussed with suitable candidates during the recruitment process.

If you are an experienced senior automotive professional with the leadership capability and prestige-sector experience required for this opportunity, we would like to hear from you.

Apply today for a confidential conversation with ACS Automotive.