Director / Head of Engineering – Manufacturing Automation

About the role

Lead and scale a high‑performing engineering department of over 100 technical professionals across facilities, new product introduction, and advanced manufacturing engineering (automation, maintenance, test, MES, and product) at Sanmina’s FDA‑registered, ISO‑13485 certified Fermoy plant. As a core member of the Senior Leadership Team you will help define and execute the plant’s overall business strategy and drive automation initiatives using World Class Manufacturing and Lean Six Sigma.

Key responsibilities

• Direct end‑to‑end process development for manufacturing, test, and automation to ensure high yield, scalability, and regulatory compliance.
• Identify, evaluate, and implement emerging manufacturing technologies and trends.
• Lead facilities and utility management, including maintenance of site utilities, Building Management Systems and janitorial services.
• Own CAPEX project lifecycle from business case justification through installation and validation.
• Ensure compliance with engineering standards for high‑volume medical device production in ISO‑8 cleanrooms.
• Foster a high‑performance culture through coaching, mentoring, career planning and performance reviews.
• Drive continuous‑improvement and cost‑reduction projects across quality, delivery and cost.
• Provide technical, quality and commercial support to internal and external customers.

Required profile

• Proven leadership experience managing large, multi‑disciplinary engineering teams in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to act as a senior leader on a plant’s leadership team and influence business strategy.
• Strong track record of delivering automation projects and scaling manufacturing processes.
• Experience managing CAPEX projects and facility/utility operations.
• Commitment to compliance with medical‑device regulations and cleanroom standards.

Required skills

• Automation
• Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
• Lean Six Sigma
• World Class Manufacturing (WCM)
• CAPEX project management
• ISO 13485 compliance
• ISO 8 cleanroom operations