Director of Manufacturing

Director of Manufacturing

Role Purpose

Lead and evolve YASA’s manufacturing function to support continued growth, ensuring the business remains scalable, customer-ready, safe, and operationally excellent.

The role is accountable for delivering robust, consistent operational performance across Quality, Production, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain and Logistics, while building the capability, culture and leadership required to support future growth.

As part of the leadership team, the Director of Manufacturing will contribute to overall business direction and ensure alignment between strategy and execution, supporting sustainable growth, operational excellence, and customer success.

Key Responsibilities

1.    Manufacturing Delivery, Safety & Operational Performance

·       Lead Quality, Production, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain and Logistics to deliver consistent performance against safety, cost, quality, delivery and productivity objectives.

·       Create and maintain a culture where safety, wellbeing and environmental responsibility are fundamental to how work is performed.

·       Ensure production operations are robust, efficient and scalable, supporting both current demand and future growth.

·       Maintain strong operational discipline, with clear processes and standards that are understood, owned and consistently applied by teams.

·       Implement and sustain relevant industry standards and production systems, including IATF 16949 and recognised automotive manufacturing best practices, in a way that is practical, scalable and value-adding.

·       Drive operational performance improvements, including reductions in scrap, rework and waste, improving cost efficiency and sustainability.

·       Ensure quality is embedded within manufacturing processes and behaviours, with a focus on prevention, process capability, right-first-time delivery and customer satisfaction.

2.    Financial Stewardship & Resource Management

·       Own and manage the manufacturing budget, ensuring disciplined, transparent and value-focused financial management.

·       Balance investment in people, capability, equipment and infrastructure with cost control and efficiency expectations.

·       Lead expenditure and capital investment decisions aligned to strategic priorities, growth requirements and long-term sustainability.

·       Build financial awareness and accountability across the leadership team and wider function.

3.    Scaling Capability, Capacity & Customer Readiness

·       Ensure manufacturing operations are capable of supporting business growth, customer demand and new programme introductions.

·       Develop and maintain a manufacturing capability and capacity roadmap, identifying future constraints, risks and investment requirements.

·       Align operational capability, resources and infrastructure with commercial strategy and customer requirements.

4.    Supply Chain & Operational Infrastructure

·       Lead Supply Chain and Logistics strategies to ensure resilient, cost-effective and collaborative partnerships throughout the value stream.

·       Ensure effective inventory, materials management and logistics processes are established and consistently applied.

·       Support robust Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) processes that align customer demand, operational capacity, inventory and business priorities.

·       Develop and maintain appropriate business continuity, supply chain risk management and operational infrastructure to support current and future business requirements.

5.    Continuous Improvement

·       Embed a culture of continuous improvement, using data, structured problem solving and team insight to identify and eliminate inefficiencies.

·       Drive improvements in process capability, productivity, material usage, quality performance and operational consistency.

·       Ensure teams are equipped and empowered to solve problems at source and sustain improvements over time.

6.    Commercial Partnership

·       Support commercial activities by providing credible, realistic operational input into bids, planning, programme reviews and customer discussions.

·       Balance customer expectations, operational capability and long-term sustainability.

·       Build confidence with customers through transparent and solutions-focused engagement.

7.    Leadership, Culture & Ways of Working

·       Create a culture where people are trusted and empowered, within a clear and well-managed operating framework.

·       Maintain an appropriate balance between operational discipline and team autonomy.

·       Embed ownership, problem solving and accountability at all levels, reducing reliance on escalation.

·       Ensure individuals feel valued as people, with focus on engagement, wellbeing and development.

·       Develop a strong leadership team capable of delivering sustainable performance and organisational growth.

8.    Strategic Alignment & Goal Cascading

·       Work with the leadership team to develop and continuously refine YASA’s corporate goals and priorities.

·       Translate business objectives into clear, meaningful goals for the manufacturing function.

·       Ensure goals are effectively communicated, understood and consistently cascaded throughout the organisation.

·       Regularly review progress and adapt priorities in line with business and customer needs.

9.    Communication, Engagement & Leadership Rhythm

·       Establish a strong and consistent communication cadence, creating clarity and alignment at all levels.

·       Lead through regular, high-quality 1:1s focused on development, feedback and support.

·       Ensure communication is open, two-way and transparent, encouraging ideas and constructive challenge.

·       Maintain visibility and approachability, building trust and connection across the function.

10. Building Capability & Talent Pipeline

·       Ensure the function has the capability and leadership depth required to support ongoing growth.

·       Work with HR to build sustainable talent pipelines, including apprenticeships, graduate programmes, work experience and early careers initiatives.

·       Establish clear development pathways and succession plans aligned to future business needs.

11. Collaboration & Enterprise Leadership

·       Work collaboratively with leadership peers to deliver outcomes in the best interests of YASA as a whole.

·       Role model high-collaboration leadership, avoiding siloed thinking and supporting enterprise-wide decision making.

·       Contribute actively to the development of business strategy, organisational effectiveness and long-term competitiveness.

Such other duties of a similar nature, commensurate with the individual’s capability in the role.