Director of Manufacturing Industrialisation - MAN012

The Director of Manufacturing Industrialisation will be responsible for leading the transition of new products and processes from concept development to full-scale volume production environment internally and with key suppliers. This role will ensure seamless industrialisation of our products by collaborating closely with R&D, engineering, supply chain, and production teams, rapidly transitioning away from engineering lead processes to integrated production environment with ownership for MRL level maturity.

The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in manufacturing processes, automation, supply chain management, and continuous improvement methodologies.

• Industrialisation Strategy & Leadership
  • Work with the Leadership Team to define the industrial strategy for the organisation across UK and US going forward.
  • Define and execute the Industrialisation strategies to scale new products and processes from concept to mass production.
  • Develop a robust framework for design for manufacturability (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA).
  • Drive the adoption of lean manufacturing, automation, and Industry 4.0 technologies to enhance efficiency.
  • Establish KPIs to measure industrialisation success (cost, yield, quality, time-to-market).
• New Product Introduction (NPI) & Process Development
  • Work closely with R&D, product design, and engineering teams to ensure manufacturing feasibility at early design stages.
  • Identify target yields at each stage of the manufacturing process, mitigating yield and capacity risks.
  • Ownership of all manufacturing processes and equipment across prototype, pilot, and pre-production runs, ensuring smooth scale up to initial rate manufacturing.
  • Rapid transfer of test process, acceptance criteria and equipment from engineering and or 3rd parties into production lead and owned environment.
  • Develop scalable manufacturing processes, optimising for cost, quality, and lead time.
  • Define and validate manufacturing equipment, tooling, and automation requirements internally and with Partners.
  • Manage contract manufacturers (CMs) and suppliers for industrialisation.
  • Identify and mitigate risk and performance, process or design related issues internally or at CMs.
  • Develop strategic partnerships with equipment vendors to ensure access to cutting-edge manufacturing technology.
  • Oversee supplier audits, technical capability assessments, and ramp-up plans.
• Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
  • Drive Six Sigma, Lean, and Kaizen initiatives to enhance manufacturing efficiency.
  • Identify and mitigate risks related to scalability, quality, and process stability.
  • Oversee appropriate digital manufacturing tools for real-time production monitoring and optimisation internally and at CMs.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Leadership
  • Lead a cross-functional industrialisation team, including process engineers, automation specialists, and manufacturing engineers.
  • Partner with finance and supply chain teams to optimise cost models and CapEx investments.
  • Communicate industrialisation progress and challenges to executive leadership.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in manufacturing, industrialisation, or operations leadership roles.
• Proven track record in scaling products from R&D to mass production in high-volume manufacturing environments.
• Expertise in DFM/DFA, automation, robotics, and Industry 4.0.
• Strong knowledge of materials, tooling, and manufacturing technologies (e.g., injection molding, machining, assembly, electronics).
• Experience working with global suppliers, CMs, and contract manufacturing strategies.
• Preferred Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong problem-solving skills using Six Sigma, Lean, and root cause analysis methodologies.
• Ability to manage multi-million-dollar capital investment projects.
• Excellent leadership and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in automotive, aerospace, space, satellite, electronics, medical devices, or consumer products manufacturing.
• Exposure to ISO, FDA, and other regulatory standards.
• Experience with PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) and MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems).