Business Systems Manager

The Opportunity

We're looking for a Business Systems Manager who can help us strengthen how we use systems, data and AI across the business - working across departments to identify opportunities, improve how we work and deliver technology-enabled solutions that make a genuine difference.

This is a great opportunity for an experienced business systems professional who enjoys variety, working with a wide range of departments, understanding how technology can solve business challenges and turning ideas into practical improvements. You'll have the opportunity to shape how our systems develop as OpenWorks grows, working closely with departmental leaders and our IT team to improve efficiency, quality, data and organisational effectiveness.

Who We Are

OpenWorks is a rapidly growing business operating globally with a passion for exceptional engineering and building on a legacy of defence innovation in the North East of England.

Our products provide ultra-high performance, real-time detection, tracking, identification and targeting of dynamic aerial threats. They have been deployed internationally to protect high profile military and civilian assets, and contribute towards the defeat of nuisance, misguided and maliciously deployed drones during operations.

We are very proud to have supported a wide range of law enforcement and military operators, protecting many of the most high profile sites and individuals around the world.

The amazing things we do are only possible because of a dedicated and passionate team.

Security Vetting Information

OpenWorks Engineering operates within the defence sector. As part of our recruitment and onboarding processes, we collect information that may be required to support future security vetting and clearance requirements, should these become necessary during employment.

Why You’ll Love Working With Us

Join a high-energy, collaborative team where great ideas thrive, challenges are embraced, and people genuinely love what they do.

Here’s what our benefits have to offer:

Rewarding Success - Competitive salary, starting from £50,000, plus a discretionary annual bonus of up to 25% of salary alongside a structured pay progression framework.

Enhanced Pension – Up to 8% employer-matched contributions to help you plan for the future.

More Time to Recharge – 25 days’ holiday plus public holidays, long-service rewards, and the option to buy up to 5 extra days.

Breakfast & Lunch on Us – Enjoy team breakfasts and freshly prepared lunch every day courtesy of Chef Mark and his team.

Health & Wellbeing – Private healthcare and life assurance for added peace of mind.

Sustainable Travel – Salary sacrifice schemes, including EV car and Cycle to Work options.

Team Socials – Regular events, from quiz nights and football to board games and more.

Learning & Growth – A culture that empowers you to challenge, grow and make an impact, plus a £250 annual learning budget to invest in the development that matters most to you.

What you’ll be doing:

• Map and optimise our systems: Build an understanding of our business systems, data ownership and workflows, identifying opportunities to improve how technology supports the organisation.
• Identify business improvement opportunities: Work with departments to identify practical ways technology can improve efficiency, quality, compliance, data accuracy and reporting.
• Coordinate system requirements: Bring together requirements across departments to ensure solutions are aligned, prioritised and avoid unnecessary duplication.
• Manage system development: Monitor system performance, suitability and lifecycle, identifying constraints and opportunities as the business grows.
• Deliver new systems: Facilitate requirements, stakeholder engagement and formal system reviews to ensure new technology meets genuine business needs and delivers the required functionality.
• Support successful adoption: Help departments get the most from new and improved systems through effective communication, guidance and user support.
• Develop business intelligence: Use information from operational systems to generate insight and support better business decision-making.
• Explore AI opportunities: Evaluate emerging AI technologies and work with departments to identify practical opportunities that deliver tangible business improvements.

What we’re looking for:

• Business systems experience: Experience evaluating, selecting and implementing business systems across an organisation.
• Requirements & solutions: Strong experience gathering business requirements and translating them into practical technology solutions.
• Broad systems knowledge: Experience working across business systems supporting different departmental functions, with an understanding of how systems interact and integrate.
• Technical understanding: Knowledge of cloud platforms, technical requirements and supplier management, with an understanding of how technology can support business needs.
• AI awareness: An understanding of AI integration technologies and techniques, with experience implementing AI-driven workflows desirable.
• Business-focused approach: Pragmatic, solutions-focused and able to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, quality, data and business performance.
• Communication skills: Able to work confidently with non-technical users, guide stakeholders through system decisions and communicate technical considerations in terms of business impact.
• Relevant environment: Experience within engineering, manufacturing, defence or aerospace would be beneficial, as would knowledge of engineering and manufacturing systems.

More about us:

Vision

Help protect the territory and airspace of NATO countries and their allies.

Mission

Be a world-leading provider of autonomous technology for Surveillance applications and Defence

Values

Be a Good Egg: Earn respect, have mutual trust and be honest

Do cool stuff: We develop cool tech with an awesome team, and we get stuff done

Be empowered: We are autonomous, reliable and take personal responsibility

We are one team: Look out for each other and the team

Things go wrong: Fail fast, learn and move on

Have fun: We’re doing amazing things with passionate people

We Get It Done: Focus on what matters and work with energy to bring ideas to life