Manufacturing Director

A global US-owned engineering group has secured a major project to develop the next generation of battery packs for the automotive, marine and advanced technology sectors. As part of this significant investment, the company has appointed Vectis Recruitment to lead the appointment for a Manufacturing Director for its new production facility. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in establishing and leading the manufacturing operation, with responsibility for building the manufacturing team and overseeing the setup, commissioning, and ramp-up of the new battery manufacturing plant.

The Role

Lead the setup, commissioning and development of the new state of the art manufacturing plant.

Create manufacturing standards, procedures, KPIs and operational documentation.

Build the manufacturing team including manufacturing engineers, technicians and assembly operators.

Ensure delivery targets, quality standards and safety requirements are achieved.

Support New Product Introduction (NPI) activities.

Establish quality management systems and manufacturing controls.

Lead Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) activities.

Act as manufacturing lead working closely with engineering, procurement suppliers and customers.

Drive operational efficiency through Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement

methodologies.

Build manufacturing controls and inspection processes to ensure reliability and

compliance.

Develop manufacturing processes for high-voltage battery packs.

Establish and develop the quality management system ensuring alignment with

industrial industry standards.

The Person

Previous experience setting up a new manufacturing line or scaling.  

Expertise in production process design, manufacturing engineering and industrialisation.

Strong knowledge of high-voltage battery pack assembly and safety.

Strong knowledge of automated and semi-automated assembly processes.

Experience leading New Product Introduction (NPI) and APQP processes from concept through production.

Strong leadership presence with a proven track record to build and develop high-performing teams.

Excellent communicator with strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills.