Head of Engineering

Morgan McKinley; Shannon; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan McKinley is seeking an experienced Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead a key engineering function responsible for NPI, automation, facilities engineering and production support in a high-volume, highly automated environment.

You will develop and lead a high-performing team, drive manufacturing excellence, ensure successful industrialisation of new products, deliver automation projects, and collaborate with R&D, quality, supply chain and maintenance across the organisation.

Qualifications

• Degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Electronic, Industrial Engineering or related discipline.
• 7–10+ years' experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Previous engineering leadership or management experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead New Product Introduction (NPI) from early design through pilot builds and ramp-up.
• Drive Design for Manufacture (DFM) and Design for Test (DFT) with R&D teams.
• Develop robust, scalable manufacturing processes for new products.
• Lead PFMEA activities, process validation, control plans, and production readiness reviews.
• Ensure successful transfer of new products into full-scale production.
• Support automation strategy development and execution.
• Identify opportunities for manufacturing, test, and material handling automation.
• Deliver automation projects to improve productivity, quality and efficiency.
• Provide engineering leadership for facilities and infrastructure projects.
• Support capacity expansion and layout optimisation.
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary engineering team.

Skills

NPI

DFM/DFT

Automation

Lean manufacturing

Validation & problem solving

CapEx management

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's in Manufacturing/Mechanical/Electrical/Industrial Eng

Tools

PFMEA

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking an experienced Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead a key engineering function responsible for New Product Introduction (NPI), Automation, Facilities Engineering, and Production Support.

This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for developing and leading a high-performing engineering team while driving manufacturing excellence across a high-volume, highly automated production environment. The successful candidate will play a critical role in ensuring new products are successfully industrialised, automation opportunities are realised, and manufacturing operations continue to support the company's growth strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• New Product Introduction (NPI)
• Lead manufacturing engineering involvement from early design through pilot builds and production ramp-up.
• Drive Design for Manufacture (DFM) and Design for Test (DFT) activities with R&D teams.
• Develop robust, scalable manufacturing processes for new products.
• Lead PFMEA activities, process validation, control plans, and production readiness reviews.
• Ensure successful transfer of new products into full-scale production.

Automation & Manufacturing Technology

• Support the development and execution of the site's automation strategy.
• Identify opportunities for manufacturing, test, and material handling automation.
• Deliver automation projects that improve productivity, quality, and operational efficiency.
• Drive continuous improvement through the introduction of new technologies and manufacturing methods.

Facilities & Infrastructure

• Provide engineering leadership for manufacturing facilities and infrastructure projects.
• Support capacity expansion, layout optimisation, and future growth initiatives.
• Work closely with Maintenance and EHS teams to ensure compliance and operational reliability.

Production Engineering Support

• Provide senior technical leadership for complex manufacturing and process issues.
• Support production teams in improving quality, yield, OEE, and operational performance.
• Develop engineering capability and technical expertise across the organisation.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary engineering team.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Build strong relationships across R&D, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Maintenance functions.

Qualifications

• Degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Electronic, Industrial Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 7–10+ years' experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Previous engineering leadership or management experience.

Required Skills

• Strong experience in:
• New Product Introduction (NPI)
• Manufacturing process development and industrialisation
• Automation project delivery
• Continuous improvement and lean manufacturing
• Validation and structured problem solving
• Experience managing engineering projects, CapEx investments, and equipment implementation.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.

Preferred Skills

• Electronics, medical device, automotive, or other high-volume manufacturing sectors.
• Experience leading automation, manufacturing engineering, or process engineering teams.
• Knowledge of OEE improvement, PFMEA, validation methodologies, and lean manufacturing principles.