Director of Manufacturing

Role overview

An established engineering and manufacturing group with a strong international presence is looking for a senior leader to take charge of its global manufacturing operations. This position is focused on setting the long-term direction for manufacturing, strengthening production capability, and supporting growth through operational excellence, innovation, and new product introduction.

The role is based in County Galway, Ireland, and involves international travel of up to 50%.

What you will do

• Create and implement a multi-year manufacturing plan that supports the company’s commercial goals and operational priorities.
• Review the global manufacturing footprint and refine the network so it better serves growth, efficiency, and customer demand.
• Assess make-or-buy and outsourcing options to improve flexibility, quality, and cost competitiveness.
• Lead long-range capacity planning so manufacturing resources can meet future business needs.
• Decide how production work should be allocated across international sites for best operational impact.
• Spot opportunities to improve resilience, scalability, and overall performance across the manufacturing network.
• Set common standards, processes, and best practices across all manufacturing locations.
• Drive Lean and continuous improvement programmes to raise productivity, quality, and efficiency.
• Encourage the use of automation, digital tools, and smart manufacturing approaches.
• Oversee major capital investment initiatives, including business case development and return-on-investment analysis.
• Support the move from product development into full-scale manufacturing while ensuring readiness for launch.
• Build a culture of discipline, improvement, and manufacturing excellence across the organisation.
• Improve key metrics such as productivity, quality, delivery, cost, inventory, and safety.
• Manage budgets, workforce planning, and resource allocation across multiple sites.
• Track operational performance and introduce corrective action plans where needed.
• Ensure operations meet high standards for safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.
• Provide leadership to manufacturing, industrial engineering, and wider operations teams across international locations.
• Work closely with engineering, product development, procurement, supply chain, and commercial teams.
• Develop strong leadership pipelines through coaching, succession planning, and talent development.
• Lead organisational change that improves capability and supports long-term growth.
• Promote a collaborative, accountable, and results-focused culture across the global manufacturing function.

What we are looking for

• A seasoned manufacturing executive with experience leading complex, multi-site operations in an international engineering or advanced manufacturing setting.
• Proven ability to design and deliver manufacturing strategies across multiple countries or sites.
• Hands-on experience with operational transformation, Lean Manufacturing, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrated success managing large capital projects and manufacturing expansion efforts.
• Experience taking new products into manufacturing and scaling operations in technically demanding environments.
• Strong commercial judgement with the ability to balance strategy and day-to-day delivery.
• Excellent leadership, influencing, and stakeholder management skills in global organisations.
• Capability to build engaged teams and maintain accountability for results.

Qualifications

• A degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or a closely related field.
• At least 15 years of experience in manufacturing leadership positions within a global organisation.
• Substantial experience managing multi-site manufacturing operations.
• Direct involvement in major capital investment programmes.
• Experience in highly regulated, engineering-led, or technology-focused manufacturing environments is beneficial.

Additional information

This is a senior executive opportunity within a progressive global business. The successful candidate will influence manufacturing strategy, lead operational transformation, and help shape the future of an international manufacturing operation.