Global Head of Engineering

The Global Head of Engineering is a senior executive role responsible for defining and leading Brambles' global engineering strategy, enabling world-class pallet pooling and supply chain operations across more than 60 countries. As the most senior engineering leader globally, the role sets the strategic technical direction, drives innovation, and ensures engineering capabilities are aligned to business growth, operational efficiency, safety, and sustainability objectives.
Operating as a key partner to the Head of Global Supply Chain and regional supply chain leadership, the role leads the transition toward advanced automation and “Plant of the Future” capabilities, while ensuring consistent engineering standards, governance, and best practices are embedded across regions. The role balances global standardisation with regional flexibility to deliver scalable, cost-effective, and resilient engineering solutions.
With accountability for global engineering strategy, major capital programmes, and engineering capability development, the Global Head of Engineering delivers step-change improvements in asset reliability, operational uptime, safety performance, and cost-base disruption through innovation, automation, and disciplined investment governance.
Key Accountabilities   Provide global technical and engineering leadership across Brambles, ensuring engineering strategy, standards, and execution are aligned to supply chain objectives, safety requirements, and sustainability goals.
Develop and execute a global engineering strategy to support business growth, operational excellence, automation, and long-term cost base optimisation.
Lead and inspire a diverse, multinational engineering organisation, building strong succession pipelines, capability uplift programmes, and a high-performance culture.
Own and govern the global automation and “Plant of the Future” roadmap, overseeing major capital investments, technology deployments, and new facility builds.
Establish and enforce global engineering standards, safety protocols, and best practices, ensuring consistent application across all regions and sites.
Partner closely with Regional Supply Chain Leaders to tailor engineering solutions that meet local operational needs while maintaining global scalability and compliance.
Champion safety, risk management, and regulatory compliance across all engineering activities, with a clear focus on Zero Harm outcomes.
Drive sustainability outcomes through engineering innovation, including energy efficiency, emissions reduction, and environmentally responsible asset design.
Provide governance over the global engineering portfolio, ensuring robust demand intake, prioritisation, and ROI-focused decision making.
Act as a thought leader in digital engineering, automation, IoT, and asset management technologies to improve visibility, reliability, and performance of engineering assets.
Manage and allocate the global engineering budget, with authority over major capital investments and accountability for financial discipline.
Build and maintain strategic partnerships with OEMs, automation providers, and engineering service suppliers to drive innovation, performance, and value.
About the Person   Highly credible, senior engineering leader with the ability to influence and operate effectively at executive level within a complex, global matrix organisation.
Visionary and strategic thinker with a strong track record of driving automation, innovation, and large-scale transformation across supply chain or industrial environments.
Proven people leader capable of leading large, geographically dispersed engineering organisations while fostering collaboration, engagement, and accountability.
Comfortable managing a broad, high-impact portfolio of global initiatives, balancing strategic priorities with disciplined execution.
Excellent communicator, able to translate complex technical and engineering concepts into clear, compelling insights for senior commercial and operational stakeholders.
Action-oriented and resilient, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, challenge the status quo, and drive continuous improvement ancially astute, with experience…