Head of Assembly; Production Manager​/Operations Manager

Head of Assembly (Production Manager / Operations Manager) Exclusive to Vickerstock - Executive level role

Location:

Mid Tyrone area Job Type: Full-time, Permanent Industry: Heavy metal machinery manufacturing What's On Offer? Alongside the opportunity to take responsibility for a significant manufacturing operation and lead its continued transformation and growth, the benefits package includes:
An executive level senior management basic salary 20% discretionary annual bonus Additional discretionary 2% year-end payment 7% employer pension contribution Private BUPA medical cover Life Assurance at 6x salary Group Income Protection 33 days annual leave Enhanced company sick pay Enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity pay Westfield cashback scheme Employee Assistance Programme Learning and development opportunities On-site parking and canteen Working hours of 8am - 5pm Monday to Thursday and 8am - 2pm Friday HN12662 Company Vickerstock are working exclusively with a leading engineering and manufacturing business in the recruitment of a Head of Assembly for their Mid Tyrone operation.

This is a senior leadership position with responsibility for production assembly operations within a complex heavy machinery manufacturing environment. Reporting directly to the Operations Director, the successful candidate will lead a small team of Production Managers and take ownership of developing the people, processes and manufacturing systems required to support the continued growth of the operation. Of particular interest will be Senior Manufacturing professionals, Senior Production Managers and Operations Managers who have led significant production or assembly operations and can demonstrate experience of improving manufacturing flow, productivity and operational performance through Lean Manufacturing principles.

The Role of Head of Assembly As Head of Assembly, you will have end-to-end accountability for production assembly, fabrication stores, coatings operations and production flow management, ensuring the safe, efficient and cost-effective delivery of product in line with customer and business requirements. A major focus of the position will be working alongside Manufacturing Engineering to continue the transformation of production towards a world-class takt-based assembly model, using Lean Manufacturing, Standard Work, Daily Management, Visual Management and Kaizen methodologies.

You will be responsible for creating a scalable and agile manufacturing operation capable of supporting future growth while improving safety, quality, delivery, cost and overall operational performance.

Key Responsibilities for this Head of Assembly position Lead assembly operations across multiple production areas, ensuring production output is aligned with customer demand and business requirements. Lead and develop Production Managers and their wider teams, creating a culture centred around safety, quality, accountability and continuous improvement. Drive the development and implementation of takt-based and flow manufacturing across the assembly operation. Work closely with Manufacturing Engineering to improve production flow, Standard Work and overall manufacturing efficiency.

Lead daily production execution, ensuring schedule attainment and on-time delivery. Improve labour utilisation, productivity and production capacity in line with business demand. Develop structured daily management processes, including tier meetings, visual management and performance reviews. Champion Lean Manufacturing and drive waste elimination through Kaizen, Standardised Work and Value Stream Mapping. Work collaboratively with Stores, Logistics, Procurement, Manufacturing Engineering, Finance, HR and EHS to improve overall operational performance.

Ensure production output is effectively aligned with stakeholders across other global manufacturing operations. Lead Health, Safety and Environmental performance across assembly and coatings operations, promoting a zero-harm culture. Manage departmental budgets while driving improvements in labour productivity, efficiency and Cost of Poor Quality. Develop scalable production systems and leadership capability to support the future growth of the business.

Essential Criteria for this Head of Assembly position Significant leadership experience within a complex manufacturing or engineering environment. A proven track record of leading substantial production and/or assembly operations through other managers and production leaders. Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and demonstrable experience using Lean principles to improve operational performance. Experience implementing or developing flow-based manufacturing systems. Strong understanding of production planning, labour utilisation, capacity, productivity and schedule attainment.

Experience managing multiple production functions and developing high-performing manufacturing leadership teams. Strong understanding of Health & Safety within a manufacturing environment.…