Senior Engineering Manager

Permanent | Leadership Opportunity with Director-Level Progression

Join a forward-thinking, high-performing organisation where innovation meets purpose. You’ll be part of a collaborative environment that values diverse perspectives, continuous improvement, and leadership at every level. This is a role designed not just for impact today, but for those with ambition to grow into senior leadership and Director-level positions.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Senior Engineering Manager to lead a critical manufacturing engineering function. This role offers significant scope to shape strategy, build high-performing teams, and influence site-wide operations, while developing the leadership capability required for progression to Director level.

You will play a key role in driving operational excellence, advancing manufacturing technologies, and delivering strategic business outcomes, all while mentoring and developing future leaders within your team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Manufacturing Engineering function across a defined area, ensuring alignment with site and global strategic objectives
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, and Value Stream leadership to deliver on key business metrics (e.g. lean performance, cycle time, cost, quality)
• Build and develop a world-class engineering team, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Drive structured problem-solving using Lean and Six Sigma methodologies
• Contribute to and influence Integrated Business Planning (IBP), including process technology selection and long-term capability planning
• Own departmental budgeting, capital investment strategy, and resource planning
• Lead and represent engineering in business reviews and strategic forums, with visibility at senior leadership level
• Champion and sponsor strategic improvement initiatives across operations
• Ensure full compliance with Quality, Regulatory, GMP, and EHS standards
• Oversee capital equipment strategy, including specification, procurement, validation, and lifecycle management
• Develop strong partnerships with global engineering, R&D, and sister sites
• Continuously assess emerging technologies and drive automation and innovation initiatives
• Strengthen team capability through coaching, mentoring, and succession planning

Leadership & Progression

This role is positioned as a key succession pipeline to Director level. You will gain exposure to strategic decision-making, site leadership, and global stakeholders, while being supported through:

• Leadership development programmes
• Executive-level mentoring
• Opportunities to lead site-wide and global initiatives
• Ownership of high-impact strategic projects Education & Experience

• Degree (Level 8 or equivalent) in Engineering or a related discipline
• 8+ years’ experience in a manufacturing leadership role
• Proven ability to lead, influence, and engage cross-functional teams
• Strong track record of delivering results in a high-performance environment
• Demonstrated experience in strategic thinking and execution
• Financial acumen with experience managing budgets and capital investments
• Passion for innovation, automation, and continuous improvement
• Experience building inclusive, diverse, and high-performing teams

Why Apply?

This is more than a leadership role, it’s a career-defining opportunity. You’ll have the autonomy to make meaningful impact, the support to grow, and a clear pathway to senior leadership.

For further information on this Senior Engineering Manager role in Cork please contact Caroline Kingston on +353 868395531 or email caroline@hero.ie Check out all our open jobs on our HERO Recruitment website – https://www.hero.ie/.

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