Head of Manufacturing Launch

McLaren Racing; Old Woking; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development

25 days' holiday

Pension scheme

Discretionary bonus

Private medical insurance

Life assurance

Sabbatical after 2 years

Job summary

McLaren Automotive is seeking an senior operations leader to own end-to-end Manufacturing Operations launches across vehicle programmes, from virtual gateways to SOP, ramp-up and stabilisation into series production. You will lead a matrixed organisation and drive readiness, quality and cost outcomes with a focus on safety and regulatory compliance.

The role requires extensive automotive manufacturing and launch delivery experience, strong stakeholder influence, and budget ownership.

Qualifications

• Proven success leading complex automotive launches with cross-functional teams.
• Experience delivering programs from gateway to SOP and ramp-up.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management.
• Degree in Engineering or related field; senior Band 3 level experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead integrated manufacturing launch strategy and governance.
• Ensure deliverables defined, tracked and delivered to plan across virtual series through SOP.
• Partner with senior leaders to ensure programme robustness and risk visibility.
• Drive capacity planning and ramp-up to target production rates.
• Lead risk management and problem-solving using structured methodologies.

Skills

Senior leadership

Automotive manufacturing

Launch delivery

APQP/PPAP

Stakeholder management

Budget ownership

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem-solving

Quality systems

Education

Degree in Engineering/Manufacturing

Tools

APQP

PPAP

PFMEA

Control Plans

Quality Systems

Job description

What You’ll Do

Senior operational leader within Manufacturing Operations accountable for end-to-end Manufacturing Operations launch delivery across assigned vehicle programmes from virtual series gateways through pre‑series build phases, Start of Production (SOP), ramp‑up and stabilisation into series production, ensuring safe, controlled, cost‑effective and capable delivery of required quality, timing, volume, financial and customer outcomes. Works in close partnership with the Vehicle Line Director and leads a highly matrixed organisation around a single integrated launch plan. cope includes multiple concurrent programmes and model year activity, with circa seven direct reports.

Lead the integrated manufacturing launch strategy, plan and governance framework for the assigned vehicle line(s), ensuring all functions are aligned to outcomes, milestones, gateway decisions and readiness criteria.

• Ensure Manufacturing Operations deliverables are defined, owned, tracked and delivered to plan from virtual series gateways through pre‑series launch, SOP, ramp‑up and stabilisation into series production.
• Partner with the Vehicle Line Director, Launch Director, PMO and programme peers to ensure programme robustness, with clear visibility of Manufacturing Ops risks, dependencies, constraints and recovery actions.
• Establish clear plans, owners, milestones and recovery actions across virtual series, build‑phase and readiness activities; chair/lead launch forums as required.
• Deliver manufacturing readiness across facilities, equipment, tooling, process maturity, parts, people capability and workforce preparation.
• Lead readiness and execution through virtual series, trial builds, pilot builds, pre‑production and production validation to confirm capability for SOP.
• Drive capacity, constraints and resource planning to achieve stable ramp‑up to rate and output targets.
• Establish proactive risk and issue management; lead structured problem‑solving for launch?critical issues (root cause, corrective action, verification) and embed lessons learned.
• Ensure compliance with UK Health & Safety legislation, environmental regulations, company policies and relevant automotive standards; champion a strong safety culture.
• Lead launch quality and supplier readiness in partnership with Quality/Supply Chain/Purchasing (e.g., APQP completion, PPAP approval, Run@Rate, containment and recovery actions) to protect build events and SOP timing.

What You’ll Bring Essential

• Significant senior leadership experience in automotive manufacturing, industrialisation and production launch environments with accountability for cross‑functional delivery, operational performance and launch outcomes.
• Demonstrated success leading complex manufacturing launches through build phases, gateway governance, SOP and production ramp‑up within demanding quality, timing and cost constraints.
• Strong understanding of automotive programme governance, launch readiness methodologies and delivery through highly matrixed organisations.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders, align competing priorities and drive delivery through both direct teams and wider indirect organisations without direct line authority.
• Working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans and automotive quality systems; able to drive completion to plan.
• Strong structured problem‑solving capability (root cause, corrective action and verification) using recognised methodologies.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including budget ownership, forecasting, investment justification and cost control.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across all organisational levels.
• Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management or Quality Management (or equivalent relevant experience), plus extensive automotive manufacturing and manufacturing launch delivery experience.
• Senior leadership experience appropriate to a Band 3 level.

No restraints. No limitations. We don't simply push boundaries. We completely rethink them. McLaren Automotive exists to create breath‑taking performance road cars.

It takes a community to do what we do. A diverse group of people with many areas of expertise, united by their passion to deliver visionary products and set new benchmarks. McLaren Automotive commits to equal opportunity for all. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion is at the heart of our impact, it drives our innovation and enables us to truly create something special. Join us on our journey.

What We’ll Do for You

We offer a wide - ranging benefits package, which includes:

• Structured career development framework
• 25 days' holiday, plus bank holiday. Annual buy & sell up to five days
• Enhanced company pension scheme
• Discretionary annual bonus award
• Private medical insurance and health cash plan
• Life assurance benefit
• Ability to apply for a sabbatical of up to one year after only two years' service
• Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping
• Generous parental leave policies
• A range of wellbeing initiatives, such as employee assistance programme and free financial & mortgage advice