Manufacturing Leader

Morgan Ryder Associates; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 51,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan Ryder Associates seeks a Manufacturing Leader in Newcastle to drive day-to-day operations, translate strategic objectives into actionable plans, and secure delivery performance across the site.

You will master resource planning, labour deployment, and KPI-driven improvements while upholding health, safety and quality standards within a Lean manufacturing framework. Reporting to Manufacturing Manager, you will champion continuous improvement and collaboration with Engineering and SH teams.

Qualifications

• Degree, diploma or equivalent qualification in Engineering or Manufacturing preferred.
• Experience leading manufacturing teams in heavy industrial or metal manufacturing.
• Experience in a structured quality management system.
• Strong ability to manage priorities and resources.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience using KPIs and production data to drive improvements.
• Collaborative across Engineering, Quality, Planning and Stores.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operation of manufacturing activities with coordinated resources.
• Translate objectives into short-term plans and drive delivery through scheduling and labour deployment.
• Act as escalation point for operational issues and coordinate cross-functional support.
• Manage workforce performance, attendance, and employee relations per company processes.
• Monitor KPIs and drive data‑driven performance improvements.
• Lead Lean initiatives and standardisation across processes.
• Promote health, safety, quality and compliance; support audits and corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Supervisors and support functions to improve processes.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Lean Manufacturing

KPI Management

Health and Safety

Cross-functional Collaboration

Resource Planning

Education

Engineering or Manufacturing degree

Tools

MS Teams

SharePoint

Job description

Manufacturing Leader

Newcastle

To £60 000 + annual performance bonus.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Manufacturing Leader to play a critical role in the day-to-day operational management of our manufacturing function. Reporting to the Manufacturing Manager, this position sits between strategic direction and shop-floor execution. You will be responsible for translating manufacturing objectives into daily and short-term operational priorities, coordinating resources, resolving operational challenges and ensuring consistent delivery performance across the business.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operation of manufacturing activities, ensuring resources, priorities and production requirements are effectively coordinated.
• Translate manufacturing objectives into clear short-term plans and drive delivery performance through effective scheduling and labour deployment.
• Act as the primary escalation point for operational issues, resolving barriers and coordinating cross-functional support where required.
• Manage workforce performance, attendance, development and employee relations activities in line with company processes.
• Monitor and drive manufacturing KPIs, ensuring data is used to support performance improvements and decision-making.
• Lead continuous improvement and standardisation initiatives, embedding Lean principles and operational best practices.
• Promote a strong culture of health, safety, quality and compliance, supporting audits, corrective actions and process discipline.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Supervisors and support functions to improve manufacturing processes, maintain work instructions and elevate strategic issues appropriately.

Experience & Qualifications

• Degree, diploma or equivalent qualification in Engineering or Manufacturing preferred, or significant relevant manufacturing leadership experience.
• Proven experience leading, directing or coordinating manufacturing teams within a heavy industrial, engineering or metal manufacturing environment.
• Experience operating within a structured quality management system.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing planning, labour deployment and operational performance management.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities, resolve resource conflicts and make effective operational decisions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience using KPIs, labour data and production information to drive performance improvements.
• Ability to work collaboratively across Engineering, Quality, Purchasing, Planning, Stores and Manufacturing teams.
• Working knowledge of health and safety requirements within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience implementing standard work, Lean manufacturing or continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong digital skills, including Microsoft Teams and SharePoint.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to lead and influence daily manufacturing operations within a highly specialised engineering environment.
• A collaborative culture focused on operational excellence, continuous improvement and employee development.
• Exposure to advanced manufacturing technologies serving critical global industries.
• Career growth opportunities within an international engineering and manufacturing group.

Our commitment:

Equal opportunities are important to us. We believe that diversity and inclusion at Morgan Ryder Associates are critical to our success as DE&I positive company, so we want to recruit, develop, and keep the best talent. We encourage applications from everyone, regardless of background, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, ethnicity, belief, age, family or parental status, and any other characteristic.

Please note that calls to and from the offices of Morgan Ryder Associates Ltd. may be monitored or recorded. This is to ensure compliance with regulatory procedures, record business transactions and for training purposes