Manufacturing Director

Global Manufacturing Environment
Ireland | International Travel (up to 50%)

Our client is a globally recognised engineering and manufacturing organisation delivering advanced technology solutions to international markets. As part of its continued growth and operational transformation, the business is seeking to appoint an experienced Manufacturing Director to provide strategic leadership across its international manufacturing operations.

This executive leadership role will be responsible for developing and executing the long-term manufacturing strategy, ensuring production capability supports business growth, operational excellence, innovation and the successful introduction of new products. Leading a global manufacturing network, the successful candidate will drive performance, standardisation and continuous improvement across multiple international locations.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the senior leadership team, you will lead the strategic direction of manufacturing operations, ensuring the organisation has the capability, capacity and operational excellence required to meet both current and future customer demands.

Working closely with engineering, supply chain, procurement and commercial leadership, you will play a key role in shaping manufacturing strategy, optimising investment decisions and delivering world-class operational performance across an international manufacturing footprint.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Manufacturing Leadership

• Develop and deliver a long-term manufacturing strategy aligned with the organisation's commercial and operational objectives.
• Review and optimise the global manufacturing network to support growth, operational efficiency and customer requirements.
• Evaluate manufacturing and outsourcing strategies to maximise flexibility, quality and cost competitiveness.
• Lead strategic capacity planning and ensure manufacturing capability supports future business demands.
• Determine the most effective deployment of production activities across international operations.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen operational resilience, scalability and overall manufacturing performance.

Operational Excellence

• Establish and embed consistent manufacturing standards, processes and best practices across all sites.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives to improve productivity, quality and operational efficiency.
• Champion manufacturing innovation through automation, digital technologies and smart manufacturing initiatives.
• Lead significant capital investment programmes, ensuring robust business cases and effective return on investment.
• Support the successful transition of products from development into full-scale manufacturing while ensuring operational readiness.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, operational discipline and manufacturing excellence throughout the organisation.

Performance & Business Leadership

• Drive improvements across key operational measures including productivity, quality, delivery, cost, inventory management and safety.
• Provide strategic oversight of manufacturing budgets, workforce planning and resource allocation across multiple sites.
• Monitor operational performance and implement improvement plans where required, to achieve business objectives.
• Ensure manufacturing operations maintain the highest standards of safety, quality and regulatory compliance.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide inspirational leadership across international manufacturing, industrial engineering and operational teams.
• Build strong partnerships with engineering, product development, procurement, supply chain and commercial functions.
• Develop high-performing leadership teams through coaching, succession planning and talent development.
• Lead organisational change initiatives that enhance operational capability and support long-term business growth.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable and performance-driven culture across the global manufacturing organisation.

About You

You are an experienced manufacturing executive with a proven track record of leading complex, multi-site manufacturing operations within an international engineering or advanced manufacturing environment.

You will bring:

• Extensive senior leadership experience within advanced manufacturing or industrial operations.
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing manufacturing strategies across multiple international sites.
• Strong experience leading operational transformation, Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement programmes.
• A proven ability to manage large-scale capital investment programmes and manufacturing expansion projects.
• Experience supporting new product introduction and scaling manufacturing operations within technically complex environments.
• Excellent commercial awareness with the ability to balance strategic decision-making and operational delivery.
• Exceptional leadership, influencing and stakeholder management skills across international organisations.
• The ability to build engaged, high-performing teams while driving accountability and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management or a related discipline.
• Minimum 15 years' experience within manufacturing leadership roles in a global organisation.
• Significant experience leading multi-site manufacturing operations.
• Proven responsibility for major capital investment programmes.
• Experience operating within highly regulated, engineering-led or technology-driven manufacturing environments would be advantageous.

This represents an outstanding opportunity to join a progressive global organisation where you will influence manufacturing strategy, lead operational transformation and play a significant role in shaping the future direction of an international manufacturing business.

For further information on this Manufacturing Director role 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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Data can only be transferred outside of the EEA based on standards contractual clauses, to a country for whom an adequacy decision has been given by the European Commission or where the express permission of the data subject has been given. You have supplied us with your personal data in the process of applying for a position. Our client company may have personnel outside of the EEA who will review your data. We will apply the appropriate criteria in respect of the data transfer depending on the location of those personnel.