Manufacturing Director

Next Generation; Dublin; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus and benefits package

Job summary

Next Generation in Dublin is seeking a Manufacturing Director to take overall site leadership for production and engineering. You will oversee the Senior Production Manager and Site Reliability & Maintenance Manager, shaping strategy and driving continuous improvement across safety, quality, cost and uptime.

The role requires senior leadership across FMCG/regulatory environments, a track record of leading large multi-disciplinary teams, and experience implementing Lean, Six Sigma and TPM.

Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience spanning both manufacturing/production operations and engineering/maintenance.
• Proven track record leading large, multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong record of improving equipment reliability and production performance.
• Experience implementing Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, OEE or other Operational Excellence methodologies.
• Budget ownership and capital project delivery experience across engineering and production.
• 8-12+ years of relevant leadership experience.
• Engineering qualification or degree in a related discipline with extensive industry experience.
• Strong knowledge of maintenance and production systems (SAP PM, ERP/MES or equivalent).
• Solid understanding of GMP, HACCP, food safety, quality systems and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end manufacturing operations with focus on safety, quality, delivery, cost and people.
• Own production plans meeting customer demand and business objectives.
• Manage KPIs: productivity, yield, downtime, labour efficiency, waste, customer service.
• Drive Operational Excellence through Lean, Six Sigma and continuous improvement.
• Champion a world-class safety culture with GMP/HACCP/HSE compliance.
• Set maintenance and asset reliability strategy to maximise uptime.
• Oversee preventive, predictive and condition-based maintenance programmes.
• Own site engineering standards, maintenance systems and business continuity plans.
• Ensure engineering compliance across assets and manage contractors.

Skills

Senior leadership

People leadership

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Lean manufacturing

Six Sigma

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

SAP PM

ERP/MES

Job description

Dublin | Permanent | Market Related Salary

A leading manufacturing business is seeking an experienced Manufacturing Director to take overall site leadership responsibility for production and engineering performance. This role brings two critical functions — manufacturing operations and engineering reliability — under one accountable leader, with direct oversight of both a Senior Production Manager and a Site Reliability & Maintenance Manager.

You'll own the full manufacturing performance picture — output, quality, safety, cost, uptime and people — working as a key member of the site leadership team to shape strategy and drive continuous improvement across the operation.

If you're a senior manufacturing leader who can operate across both production and engineering disciplines, build high-performing teams, and influence performance at site level, this is a genuine director-level opportunity worth a conversation.

What you’ll be doing

Manufacturing & Production Leadership

• Lead end-to-end manufacturing operations, ensuring performance exceeds expectations across safety, quality, delivery, cost and people
• Deliver production plans that meet customer demand and business objectives
• Own key manufacturing KPIs: productivity, yield, downtime, labour efficiency, waste and customer service
• Drive Operational Excellence through Lean Manufacturing, OEE improvement, Six Sigma and continuous improvement initiatives
• Champion a world‑class safety culture, ensuring full compliance with GMP, HACCP, food safety and HSE standards

Engineering & Asset Reliability

• Set the site's maintenance and asset reliability strategy, driving equipment uptime and reducing manufacturing interruptions
• Oversee preventive, predictive and condition-based maintenance programmes and asset lifecycle management
• Own site engineering standards, maintenance systems and business continuity plans
• Ensure engineering compliance across manufacturing assets and automation systems, and manage contractors safely and effectively

Leadership & People

• Lead, coach and develop the Senior Production Manager, Site Reliability & Maintenance Manager, and their wider teams
• Build a culture of accountability, engagement and high performance across production and engineering
• Collaborate closely with Quality, Supply Chain, Planning and other site functions to optimise overall performance
• Support succession planning, talent development and capability building across both functions

Financial & Strategic Leadership

• Own combined engineering and production budgets, including capital expenditure projects
• Deliver site objectives across Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, Sustainability and People metrics
• Identify and drive opportunities for cost reduction, efficiency gains and operational improvement
• Sit as a core member of the site leadership team, contributing to site-wide strategy and governance

What you’ll bring

• Significant senior leadership experience spanning both manufacturing/production operations and engineering/maintenance, ideally within FMCG, food, beverage, pharmaceutical or another highly regulated production environment
• Proven track record leading large, multi‑disciplinary teams, including managers who themselves lead specialist teams
• Strong record of improving both equipment reliability and production performance simultaneously
• Experience implementing Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, OEE improvement, or other Operational Excellence and reliability methodologies
• Budget ownership and capital project delivery experience across engineering and production
• 8-12+ years of relevant leadership experience
• Engineering qualification, or a degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Food Science, Operations Management or a related discipline, backed by extensive industry experience
• Strong knowledge of maintenance and production systems (SAP PM, ERP/MES or equivalent)
• Solid understanding of GMP, HACCP, food safety, quality systems and regulatory compliance
• Good understanding of automation and modern manufacturing technologies
• Outstanding people leadership, coaching and stakeholder management skills across multi‑level teams
• A growth mindset, resilience and a relentless focus on safety, quality and performance

Why This Role

• A genuine director‑level opportunity to own both production and engineering performance for a major manufacturing site
• Direct leadership of both the Senior Production Manager and Site Reliability & Maintenance Manager functions, giving broader site‑wide influence than either role alone
• A key seat on the site leadership team, shaping strategy across safety, quality, cost, delivery, sustainability and people
• Exposure to advanced manufacturing technologies, automation and digital transformation initiatives
• Competitive senior leadership salary, bonus and benefits package, with strong career progression prospects