Industrial Engineer and Headcount Planning Lead

Job Title

Industrial Engineer and Headcount Planning Lead

 #

59584

Date posted

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Country

United Kingdom

Location

Woking

Business area

Manufacturing

Department

Manufacturing Engineering

Position level

5 - Supervisory / Professional​ - (L-16)

Working time

Full Time

Contract type

Permanent

Working pattern

7:30am - 4:30pm Monday to Friday

Salary

N/A

What to Expect
As part of the Manufacturing Engineering and Launch team reporting to the Production Steering Manager, we are seeking a dynamic and results-driven Industrial Engineer and Headcount Planning Lead to oversee the implementation of world-class operational strategies within our automotive manufacturing division. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and driving operational efficiency across a large-scale production environment.

As the Industrial Engineer and Headcount Planning Lead, you will play a critical role in shaping and executing strategies that optimize processes, enhance productivity, and improve quality, ensuring that our manufacturing operations with the McLaren Production Centre (MPC) remain at the forefront of the industry.

The Industrial Engineer and Headcount Planning Lead is responsible for the efficiency of the various production lines coordinating with production planning, manufacturing, manufacturing engineering, finance, and supply chain, analyzing capacity requirements, supporting the allocation of resources (materials, equipment, labour) to meet production targets and ensure a seamless transition from Product Definition to Series Production. This involves meticulous planning and problem-solving, to fully optimise the production process, implementing continuous improvement initiatives, and leveraging advanced manufacturing technologies.
What You'll Do
Monitoring hours per car across the manufacturing processes, creating insights and driving improvement initiatives

Reporting headcount allocation across all manufacturing lines, liaising with key stakeholders to identify efficiency opportunities

Investigate and Introduce technology to support production modelling and scenario planning.

Engage with key stakeholders across the business to identify and drive continuous improvement initiatives to achieve World Class manufacturing

Lead projects through effective planning, execution and delivery, managing budgets and stakeholders to ensure all milestones are met
What You'll Bring
Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality Management or suitable industry experience.

Minimum of 5yrs in manufacturing / production launch environment

Experienced with low volume high-cost product manufacturing.

Knowledge of SAP PP/ ME would be a distinct advantage

Leading and managing cross-functional team in manufacturing environment providing guidance and support for project execution.

Strong technical knowledge, to ensure correct decisions are made at the right time aligning with McLarens goals.

Collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive continuous improvement initiatives and resolve manufacturing & product issues.

Monitoring production data, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing corrective actions.

Experienced with programme / business governance and able to lead through them whilst developing others understand on what is required.

Experienced with challenging and high-pressure environments.

Personal attributes:

Highly motivated, resilient, assertive and process / data driven.

Dynamic, with the ability to respond to challenging situations in an innovative manner.

Clear Communication

Skills:

Effective communication is essential. As a Production Steering Manager, you’ll interact across the business at all levels. Clear…