Chief Commercial Officer (Chicago)

Industry: Specialty Alloy Castings | Metals | Advanced Manufacturing | Aerospace & Defense

The Opportunity: Our client is an established specialty alloy casting business generating approximately $250M in annual revenue, with an ambitious objective to grow to $500M over the next 3–5 years. To support this next phase of growth, the business is seeking a commercially astute and strategically minded Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) to lead its commercial strategy, accelerate revenue growth and strengthen its market position across key end markets, particularly aerospace and defense. Reporting to the CEO, the CCO will lead the company's commercial growth strategy, drive new business acquisition, expand strategic customer relationships and optimize overall commercial performance. The successful candidate will combine senior commercial leadership experience with a strong understanding of metals and specialty alloys, including raw material sourcing, procurement, pricing dynamics and supply chain management. A key priority will be expanding the company's presence with major aerospace OEMs and defense primes, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, while maximizing profitability and supporting the company's wider growth ambitions.

Key Responsibilities: Commercial Strategy: Develop and execute a comprehensive commercial strategy to support growth from $250M to $500M over the next 3–5 years. Revenue Growth: Drive new customer acquisition, strategic account development, market expansion and profitable organic growth. Strategic Accounts: Strengthen relationships with major aerospace OEMs, defense primes and Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers. Sales Leadership: Lead and develop the commercial organization, establishing clear objectives, accountability and performance metrics. Metals & Specialty Alloys: Apply a strong understanding of specialty metals, alloy grades, material specifications, market dynamics and pricing structures relevant to the casting industry. Strategic Sourcing & Procurement: Oversee or influence raw material sourcing strategies, supplier relationships, purchasing decisions and supply agreements to ensure security of supply, competitive costs and reliable material availability. Pricing & Margin Management: Manage customer pricing, metal cost pass-through mechanisms, contract negotiations and margin improvement initiatives. Supply Chain Strategy: Understand metal market volatility, alloy surcharges, lead times and supply constraints, developing strategies to mitigate commercial and operational risks. Market Development: Identify new customers, applications and end markets offering attractive growth opportunities. Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with operations, engineering, procurement, quality and finance to align customer demand, material availability, manufacturing capacity and profitability. Executive Reporting: Provide the CEO and leadership team with clear visibility of sales performance, pipeline, margins, material cost exposure and progress against strategic objectives. Strategic Partnerships: Evaluate partnerships, supplier relationships and potential acquisitions that could accelerate growth.

Candidate Profile: The successful candidate will be an experienced commercial executive with a proven track record of driving revenue growth within metals, specialty alloys, castings, forgings or other technically complex manufacturing environments. You will bring: Experience at CCO, Chief Sales Officer, VP of Sales or equivalent senior commercial leadership level. A demonstrable track record of scaling revenue and delivering profitable growth. Strong knowledge of metals and specialty alloys, including purchasing, sourcing, pricing, supplier markets and raw material cost drivers. Experience managing or influencing strategic procurement and supplier negotiations for specialty metals or alloy-based materials. Knowledge of aerospace and defense markets, ideally with established relationships across major OEMs and their supply chains. Strong commercial and financial acumen, including pricing strategy, margin management, forecasting and contract negotiation. Experience leading sales, business development, strategic accounts and commercial teams. The ability to balance customer growth with material cost control, supply chain resilience and overall business profitability. Experience working with CEOs and executive leadership teams to deliver strategic growth objectives. Experience with aerospace qualification requirements, defense procurement processes and long-cycle program sales would be advantageous.

The Opportunity: This is a pivotal executive appointment within a business with significant growth ambitions and an established manufacturing platform. The successful candidate will shape the company's commercial direction, strengthen its position in high-value markets and bring together customer growth, metals market knowledge and commercial discipline to help double the size of the business over the next 3–5 years.