Director of Engineering

Location Cork

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and strategic engineering leader to support the continued growth and expansion of our advanced manuf acturing operations. The Director / Head of Engineering will lead a multidisciplinary engineering organisation across Facilities, NPI, Automation, Maintenance, Test, MES, and Product Engineering.

As a key member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), this role will help shape site strategy, drive operational excellence, and lead engineering initiatives that support both current production and f uture expansion plans.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership

• Lead and develop a high-perf orming engineering organisation supporting manuf acturing and site expansion.
• Contribute to overall business strategy as part of the Senior Leadership Team.
• Build strong engineering capability through coaching, mentoring, and succession planning.
• Promote a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Manufacturing & Automation

• Lead the development and implementation of advanced manuf acturing, automation, and test solutions.
• Drive process optimisation to improve quality, ef f iciency, yield, and uptime.
• Apply Lean, Six Sigma, and World Class Manuf acturing (WCM) principles across operations.
• Ensure compliance with engineering standards and validated manuf acturing processes.

Facilities & Project Management

• Oversee f acilities, utilities, Building Management Systems (BMS), and site services.
• Lead CAPEX projects f rom business case development through installation and validation.
• Support f uture site expansion and inf rastructure development activities.

Continuous Improvement & Customer Support

• Drive cost reduction and continuous improvement initiatives across manuf acturing operations.
• Support customer visits, audits, and new business development activities.
• Build strong relationships with equipment suppliers and external partners.

Quality, Compliance & Safety

• Ensure compliance with quality standards, regulatory requirements, and Health & Saf ety legislation.
• Support and lead internal and external audits where required.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Machine and process uptime
• Process yield and operational ef f iciency
• Delivery of projects against timelines and objectives
• Development of engineering procedures and processes
• Team development and training completion
• On-time delivery of NPI and customer requirements

Candidate Profile

Essential

• Degree qualif ication (Level 8 or equivalent) in Engineering or related discipline.
• 5–10 years’ experience in a senior engineering leadership role within manuf acturing.
• Proven experience leading technical teams and cross -f unctional projects.
• Strong communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to deliver projects in f ast-paced, deadline-driven environments.

Desirable

• Experience in automation, electronics, or advanced manuf acturing technologies.
• Medical Device or other highly regulated industry experience.
• Lean Manuf acturing and/or Six Sigma certif ication.
• Project Management qualif ication or relevant experience.
• Knowledge of validated processes and equipment saf ety standards.

Why Join?

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing and expanding company where you will play a key role in shaping f uture engineering capability, driving innovation, and supporting strategic growth within a dynamic manuf acturing environment.

For f urther inf ormation on this Director of Engineering role in Cork please contact Caroline Kingston on +353 868395531 or email caroline@hero.ie Check out all our open jobs on our HERO Recruitment website – https://www.hero.ie/.

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