Head of Manufacturing

About the role

The Head of Manufacturing will lead the strategic direction of a well‑established manufacturing business in Leeds. Reporting to the Operations Director, you will own the end‑to‑end manufacturing function, shaping its future rather than merely managing day‑to‑day activities.

Key responsibilities

• Define and execute the manufacturing strategy across production, upholstery and related operational teams.
• Lead, mentor and develop the senior management team, building a robust leadership pipeline.
• Drive Lean deployment, continuous improvement and embed a high‑performance culture.
• Own capacity and investment planning, including adoption of new technology and automation.
• Champion a zero‑harm safety culture with proactive risk management.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, HR and NPD to deliver the wider business plan.

Required profile

• Proven senior‑level experience leading large, multi‑disciplinary manufacturing operations.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience managing significant budgets and cost‑improvement programmes.
• Ability to engage credibly at board level and translate strategy into measurable operational plans.
• Track record of building succession plans and developing leadership talent.

Required skills

• Lean Six Sigma methodology (Green Belt or Black Belt preferred).