Head Of Production Steering and Manufacturing Innovation

Job Title

Head Of Production Steering and Manufacturing Innovation

 #

59502

Date posted

Monday, September 21, 2026

Country

United Kingdom

Location

Woking

Business area

Manufacturing

Department

Manufacturing Engineering

Position level

3 - Head of (L
-20)

Working time

Full Time

Contract type

Permanent

Working pattern

9am - 6pm Monday to Friday

Salary

N/A

What to Expect
This is an exciting opportunity to join the senior leadership team, reporting to the Director of Manufacturing Engineering, providing series manufacturing support and shaping the future of Manufacturing tools and process. You’ll translate functional strategy into clear, executable plans and hold end-to-end accountability for defined business outcomes within delegated authority, including responsibility for people, budgets and technical delivery across this critical area.

You’ll provide functional leadership across McLaren’s manufacturing operation for the production areas within scope, covering all manufacturing innovation teams supporting assigned current and future vehicle programmes from concept and process development through industrialisation, launch, vehicle validation and customer-ready buy-off.
What You'll Do
Health & Safety:
Champion a safe working environment and ensure manufacturing engineering decisions, processes, equipment and facilities meet applicable safety and regulatory requirements. Embed safety-by-design and hold the team accountable for identifying, escalating and resolving risk.

Functional and Technical Leadership:
Lead series manufacturing and manufacturing innovation. Own strategy deployment, technical governance, engineering standards, methods and assurance for all tools, processes and transformation work streams. Partnering closely with Operations, Quality, Product Development and relevant external partners to deliver aligned outcomes.

Programme Delivery and Quality:
Hold direct accountability for manufacturing engineering readiness. Ensure processes, equipment and facilities deliver agreed programme gateways, start-of-production timing, first-time quality, throughput, safety, efficiency and customer-ready release targets, working with Operations and Quality within their respective accountabilities.

People and Capability Leadership:
Lead a multidisciplinary Manufacturing Engineering team, creating an inclusive, high-performing and collaborative environment. Shape the organisation design, capability plan, succession pipeline and technical development priorities needed to deliver the functional roadmap and build sustainable capability across the assigned scope.

Complex Problem Solving:
Lead the resolution of complex and frequently non-routine manufacturing challenges involving new technologies, concurrent vehicle programmes, capacity constraints and evolving information. Integrate technical, commercial and operational evidence, use recognised problem-solving methods and balance cost, quality, safety and delivery trade-offs to achieve sustainable outcomes.

Operational Excellence and Transformation:
Drive improvements in launch performance, production efficiency, resource utilisation and vehicle validation without compromising safety or quality. Champion appropriate technologies, robust engineering methods and a continuous-improvement culture, with measurable outcomes across the assigned scope.

Strategy and Functional

Roadmap:

Develop and deliver the Manufacturing innovation roadmap aligned with the company’s manufacturing strategy and approved business plan. Shape future capacity, technology, facility and capability requirements, recommend portfolio priorities and lead measurable transformation across the assigned scope.

Technical Authority:
Set technical standards and priorities,…