The UK’s drive to establish homegrown battery manufacturing is gathering pace, with gigafactories emerging to power the automotive sector’s transition to electric vehicles. Yet, despite significant investment and political support, one challenge looms large: a shortage of senior executives with the right combination of battery manufacturing and automotive expertise.

Why Is Executive Recruitment So Challenging? 🤔

Unlike Germany or Asia – where battery and automotive industries have evolved hand in hand for decades – the UK is starting almost from scratch. This means there is a critical shortfall of executives who truly understand both the technical and operational complexities of running a gigafactory.

Roles Under the Greatest Pressure 🚨

Our latest market intelligence highlights five executive positions that are proving especially difficult to fill:

• Manufacturing Directors with battery expertise
  Few leaders combine automotive production know-how with direct battery manufacturing experience. Most candidates have one or the other – rarely both.
• Engineering Directors in battery technology
  These roles demand deep technical knowledge, from electrochemistry to safety standards. The strongest talent pool is currently tied up at global leaders such as Tesla and Panasonic.
• Quality Directors with dual-sector expertise
  Gigafactories must meet both automotive and energy storage benchmarks, making executives with experience across both industries extremely scarce.
• Supply Chain Directors for battery materials
  Unlike traditional automotive supply chains, batteries require expertise in sourcing lithium, cobalt, and other critical minerals on a global scale.
• Plant General Managers with gigafactory scale experience
  Running a 20–40 GWh facility is unlike anything the UK has managed before – and local expertise is thin on the ground.

Market Dynamics: A Fierce Battle for Talent ⚔️

Competition is intense. Established players are locking in their best people with golden handcuffs and non-compete clauses. Meanwhile, salaries are climbing fast – with some senior battery-related roles commanding 25–40% more than their traditional automotive equivalents.

Forward-thinking companies are widening their search to adjacent sectors such as chemicals, renewable energy, and high-volume electronics. By investing in upskilling and training, they are achieving better retention and cultural fit than those attempting to simply poach from competitors.

What Should Automotive Leaders Do? 🚀

A reactive hiring strategy won’t suffice in this market. Instead, organisations should adopt a three-pronged approach:

1. Proactive Market Mapping
   Begin building relationships with potential candidates 12–18 months before you actually need them. Waiting until a vacancy arises puts you at a clear disadvantage.
2. Target Adjacent Industries
   Don’t limit your search to automotive. Executives from chemicals, renewables, or electronics bring transferable skills that can be adapted for gigafactories.
3. Partner for Knowledge Transfer
   Consider joint ventures or partnerships with established battery manufacturers to bring executive expertise into your organisation while accelerating in-house capability.

Our Approach at Wyman Bain 🧭

To support immediate client requirements, we have:

• Extended our research phase to 10–12 weeks, casting the net wider across Europe and Asia.
• Introduced technical assessments during interviews to ensure candidates have genuine battery expertise.
• Adopted creative compensation packages – including equity and retention bonuses – to reflect current market conditions.

The Bottom Line ✅

The UK’s gigafactory revolution represents a huge opportunity, but the executive talent shortage is real. Those who invest early in market mapping and relationship building will be best placed to secure the leaders needed to deliver success.

At Wyman Bain, our research-led approach and sector expertise position us strongly to help clients navigate this fast-evolving landscape.

📩 If you’d like a detailed market intelligence report – or wish to discuss a particular executive requirement – please get in touch. We’re here to help you stay ahead in the race for battery manufacturing leadership.