Head of Production - Rail

Head of Production

Location:

Cardiff

Contract:

Permanent
Salary: £77,000 per annum

An exceptional opportunity has arisen for an experienced operational leader to join a well-established engineering organisation operating within the UK rail sector.

The business specialises in the maintenance, overhaul, refurbishment and modification of rail vehicles and components, supporting train operators and fleet owners across the UK. Operating from a modern engineering facility in South Wales, the organisation delivers complex heavy maintenance programmes, fleet enhancement projects and component refurbishment services to some of the industry's leading customers.

As Head of Production, you will play a pivotal role within the senior leadership team, taking responsibility for all production and operational activities across the site. This is a high-profile position with significant influence over operational performance, business growth and customer satisfaction.

Reporting directly to the Managing Director, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across all production functions, ensuring the safe, efficient and profitable delivery of maintenance, overhaul and refurbishment programmes.

You will lead a multi-disciplinary team, drive operational excellence and continuous improvement initiatives, and ensure resources, processes and people are aligned to meet customer requirements and business objectives.

This role requires a commercially focused leader with a proven track record of managing large-scale engineering operations within rail, manufacturing or another safety‑critical environment.

• Lead and manage all production and operational activities across the facility.
• Develop and implement operational strategies aligned to business objectives.
• Ensure the safe, efficient and compliant delivery of all maintenance, overhaul and refurbishment programmes.
• Drive operational performance, productivity and profitability across the business.

• Oversee production planning and resource allocation to meet customer commitments.
• Ensure operational activities are delivered to agreed quality, cost and schedule targets.
• Monitor production performance and implement improvements where required.
• Manage operational risks and ensure business continuity planning is embedded across the site.

• Lead, mentor and develop operational management and production teams.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Support succession planning, capability development and workforce engagement initiatives.
• Develop technical and non‑technical training plans to strengthen organisational capability.

• Champion Lean methodologies and operational excellence initiatives.
• Identify and implement improvements that enhance safety, quality, efficiency and customer value.
• Lead change management programmes and support organisational transformation activities.

• Act as the senior operational contact for customers and key stakeholders.
• Build strong relationships with clients, suppliers and industry partners.
• Support business development activities through operational input into tenders, bids and proposals.
• Represent the organisation during audits, customer reviews and industry engagements.

• Manage operational budgets and resource utilisation.
• Ensure effective cost control and value‑for‑money delivery.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators and operational metrics.
• Balance operational performance with commercial objectives and profitability.

• Promote and maintain a strong safety‑first culture across all operations.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards, regulatory requirements and quality management systems.
• Lead investigations into incidents, non‑conformances and operational issues, ensuring lessons learned are embedded.

To be successful in this role, you will possess:

• Significant senior operational leadership experience within rail, engineering,…