Manufacturing Engineering Manager

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

Job summary

McLaren Automotive is seeking a senior manufacturing structure planner to develop and maintain long-term factory structures, layouts, and capacity models. You will lead cross-functional teams to translate engineering needs and forecasts into robust facility plans, while guiding capital investments and governance.

The role requires strategic thinking, strong analytics, and leadership to drive continuous improvement in production flow, safety, and quality.

Qualifications

• Strong strategic thinking and long-term planning.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Proven leadership and team-development experience.
• Effective cross-functional collaboration across multiple partners.
• Clear communication and presentation skills.
• Data-driven decision making and performance analysis.
• Adaptability to dynamic environments and challenging scenarios.
• Commitment to McLaren values and inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Develop long-term structure plans aligned with product roadmaps, engineering changes, and forecasts.
• Design and optimise factory layouts, production lines, and material flow; support NPI readiness.
• Act as central interface between Manufacturing Engineering and process partners; translate changes into structural impacts.
• Lead structure-related elements of major programmes (line installations, layout changes, upgrades).
• Identify opportunities to improve production flow, takt time, and efficiency; analyse capacity and bottlenecks.
• Develop CAPEX roadmap for layout, tooling, and structural improvements; prepare ROI analyses.
• Line-manage structure planning specialists and layout engineers; foster innovation and capability development.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Data-driven

Problem solving

Adaptability

Job description

Reporting to the Head of Manufacturing Engineering, you will be responsible for developing and maintaining the long‑term manufacturing structure plan, ensuring that facility layouts, production flows, and capacity strategies support business growth, product development, and operational excellence. This role provides leadership in translating engineering requirements and business forecasts into robust factory structures, layouts, and capacity models. Additionally, this team will own tooling design and realisation. Key responsibilities will include: HS&E, legal and regulatory requirements (including fixed equipment and machinery) Strategy & Capacity Planning Manufacturing Footprint & Industrialisation Programme & Project DeliveryEquipment Handover protocol Investment Planning Cross-Functional Leadership Interface Resource managementCost ManagementQuality assurance ISO-9001 / IATF 16949.

What You'll Do

• Strategic Structure & Capacity Planning Develop long-term structure plans aligned with product roadmaps, engineering changes, and business forecasts. Assess future production capacity requirements and define equipment, layout, and collaborate on headcount requirements. Lead scenario planning to identify structural bottlenecks and investment priorities.
• Factory Layout & Industrialisation Design and optimise factory layouts, production lines, workstations, and material flow. Support new product introductions (NPI) by ensuring structural readiness for new processes and equipment. Plan and manage facility expansions, relocations, and major line reconfigurations. Maintain approved layout drawings, structure plans, and capacity models within formal governance processes. Ensure compliance with safety, quality, and regulatory standards.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration Act as the central interface between Manufacturing Engineering and all process partners, including senior management. Translate engineering changes into structural impacts and communicate required actions into relevant launch team. Facilitate cross‑functional structure planning reviews and ensure aligned decision‑making.
• Project & Programme Delivery Lead structure‑related elements of major programmes, including line installations, layout changes, and facility upgrades. Manage project plans, risks, deliverables, and capital requirements. Provide regular status reporting to stakeholders, including senior leadership.
• Continuous Improvement & Performance Analysis Identify opportunities to improve production flow, ergonomics, takt time adherence, and overall factory efficiency. Analyse capacity utilisation, OEE, and bottleneck data to inform structural changes. Support continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, and Kaizen.
• Financial & Investment Planning Develop and maintain the capital expenditure (CAPEX) roadmap relating to layout, tooling, and structural improvements. Produce cost‑benefit analyses and ROI assessments for structural projects. Partner with Finance to ensure full alignment with budget cycles and strategic plans.
• Leadership & Team Development Line‑manage structure planning specialists, layout engineers, and project staff (as applicable). Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. Support succession planning and capability development within the Manufacturing Engineering function.

What You'll Bring

• Live the McLaren values.
• Strategic thinking and long‑term planning.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving ability.
• Leadership and team development.
• Cross‑functional collaboration.
• Technical expertise in manufacturing processes.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Highly motivated, resilient, and agile.
• Data driven and process focused.
• Dynamic, with the ability to respond to challenging situations in an innovative manner.

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.