Production Engineering and Test Manager

A leading Manufacturing business is seeking an experienced Production Engineering & Test Manager to lead its Production Engineering and Test function through an important period of manufacturing transformation.

The key focus of the role is Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement and structured problem solving. The business is looking to strengthen manufacturing capability, improve yield and transition from an NPI-focused environment towards a more repeatable, scalable and efficient production operation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Production Engineering and Test teams, driving measurable improvements in yield, quality, productivity, cost and delivery.

• Lead structured problem solving using tools such as Fishbone/Ishikawa, Pareto analysis, 5-Why, 8D, FMEA and action plans.

• Analyse production and test data to identify recurring defects, process variation and improvement opportunities.

• Drive Lean initiatives including 5S, Kaizen, Standard Work and Value Stream Mapping.

• Develop robust, repeatable manufacturing processes and clear work instructions.

• Support the transition of products from NPI into stable, repeatable volume production.

• Reduce waste, process variation, recurring failures and production disruption.

• Develop engineering KPIs and use data to drive continuous improvement.

• Lead and develop Production and Test Engineers.

• Work closely with Manufacturing, Quality, R&D, Supply Chain and Programme teams.

• Support automation, digitalisation and data-driven manufacturing improvements.

About the Candidate

The ideal candidate will have:

• Strong experience in Production/Manufacturing Engineering and Continuous Improvement.

• Demonstrable success improving manufacturing yield and process performance.

• Strong practical knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and structured root-cause analysis.

• Experience using production data, fault codes and Pareto analysis to identify and prioritise problems.

• Experience developing standardised processes, work instructions and repeatable manufacturing methods.

• Proven engineering team leadership experience.

• A hands-on, analytical and structured approach to problem solving.

• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills.

Experience within electronics, PCBA, aerospace or other high-reliability manufacturing environments would be advantageous, as would knowledge of AS9100.

RF expertise is not essential, and electronics knowledge is desirable rather than a requirement. The strongest candidates will be those with a proven track record in Lean, Continuous Improvement and manufacturing yield improvement.

The Opportunity

This is a key role for an engineering leader who can help transform manufacturing capability, establish robust production processes and embed a culture of data-driven problem solving and continuous improvement.🎯 Focus: Lean | Continuous Improvement | Yield | Manufacturing Excellence | Engineering Leadership