Head of Mechanical Manufacturing (On-site in Abu Dhabi)

Head of Mechanical Manufacturing

Role Overview

Lead and oversee mechanical manufacturing operations, managing a team of engineers, technicians, and production staff to ensure efficient, cost-effective, and high-quality production of mechanical components. This senior leadership role owns end-to-end CNC machining and surface treatment operations, driving production readiness, capacity planning, and continuous improvement, while acting as the key operational interface with a third-party engineering and industrialization partner.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee daily production execution across CNC machining and surface treatment lines, from material intake through inspection and release
• Own production planning and capacity management against machine, tooling, manpower, and material availability
• Serve as the operational interface with third-party engineering/industrialization providers — coordinating drawings, CNC programs, tooling, fixtures, and process deliverables
• Drive industrialization and new product readiness, including trials, first-off builds, process validation, and production ramp-up
• Ensure quality compliance, traceability, and adherence to approved specifications and process controls
• Lead, develop, and build capability within a team of supervisors, engineers, technicians, and operators
• Coordinate with Maintenance, Supply Chain, Quality, Planning, HSE, Programs, Finance, and Commercial teams to maintain uninterrupted, well-resourced production
• Monitor KPIs (output, downtime, scrap, cycle time, delivery) and lead continuous improvement initiatives
• Maintain safety, environmental, and regulatory/audit compliance
• Provide senior management with clear visibility on production performance, constraints, third-party support, risks, and decisions required

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering (Master's in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or Business Management preferred)
• 10+ years' relevant production experience (10–12 years if postgraduate), including a proven senior manufacturing/production management role
• Strong background in CNC machining, surface treatment, and mechanical manufacturing operations
• Experience managing third-party engineering/industrialization service providers preferred
• Solid understanding of defence, aerospace, or automotive manufacturing standards (quality, traceability, configuration control, safety, regulatory compliance); experience supporting customer/regulatory audits preferred
• Working knowledge of ERP/manufacturing systems, production reporting, and performance data
• Expert-level competencies in analytical thinking, strategic thinking, decision-making, creativity/innovation, technical research, project management and engineering, product development, and knowledge of latest technologies