Overview

Job reference 330000 – Engineering & Manufacturing Director. Permanent, full-time, National. Competitive salary, car allowance, healthcare, 35% annual bonus potential, 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays, and a company pension scheme with competitive contribution rates.

About the role

At Royal Mail we have served our communities for over 500 years and are transforming our business for the future. The National Engineering and Process Design Team seeks a senior Engineering & Manufacturing Director to shape and deliver the future of our engineering and manufacturing capability. This role leads a large multi-disciplinary team and is accountable for the full lifecycle of engineering and automation projects, from concept and design through to build, commissioning and handover to customers.

The successful candidate will be an experienced engineering leader with a strong technical foundation in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering and a specialization in Automation. This role is about setting direction, creating vision, and leading people, while coaching and influencing at all levels. The role holder will develop and drive strategy, build high-performing teams, and foster a culture of innovation, accountability and continuous improvement.

Operating within a matrix structure, the Engineering & Manufacturing Director will lead confidently in ambiguous and fast-paced environments, balancing competing priorities and aligning cross-functional teams. They will work with senior stakeholders across Finance, Commercial, Technology, HR and other functions to ensure engineering and manufacturing strategies are integrated with broader business goals.

This is a role for a visionary and influential leader who can inspire teams, manage complexity, and deliver transformational outcomes at scale, while also leading from the front and providing technical guidance.

If you are driven to transform Royal Mail Operations and have the energy, skills and leadership to deliver this, we would love to hear from you. More details and how to apply can be found below.

Reporting into the Engineering and Process Design Director. This is a hybrid working role with frequent travel across the UK and Ireland, with flexibility to work from various sites including the Gloucester Manufacturing Facility.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire the engineering and manufacturing teams to deliver innovative, high-quality solutions across process design, automation, and facility development.
• Coach and mentor technical teams in developing concept designs and functional design specifications (FDS) that meet customer requirements.
• Oversee and guide the application of engineering first principles in mechanical, electrical, and automation design, ensuring solutions are fit for manufacture.
• Provide strategic direction for the build and commissioning of manufacturing facilities, embedding continuous improvement and long-term maintainability.
• Lead from the front when needed, producing designs and solutions from a blank piece of paper.
• Communicate Royal Mail's operational vision across the business.
• Establish and align cross-functional project teams with clear roles, responsibilities and stakeholder engagement.
• Develop and grow talent, identifying resource needs, recruiting where necessary, and supporting team development to meet objectives.
• Set and monitor delivery plans, identify critical paths and ensure alignment with strategic goals.
• Lead project governance with regular updates via NPDI systems and weekly project reviews (DFMA, FMEA, etc.).
• Champion value for money (VFM) principles, guiding make vs. buy decisions and cost-effective engineering practices.
• Oversee procurement strategy, ensuring components, materials and supplier selection align with VFM and project requirements.
• Direct supplier and internal manufacturing performance to meet quality, timelines and standards.
• Lead installation and commissioning activities, managing risks and communicating progress effectively.
• Define and communicate customer acceptance criteria, ensuring successful launch and handover planning.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement across design, process, procurement and delivery.
• Ensure compliance leadership, embedding regulatory requirements such as CDM, UKCA and PUWER into project planning and execution.
• Lead national maintenance operations, ensuring reactive and preventative strategies are in place and aligned with lifecycle planning for all equipment.
• Build and maintain constructive relationships with trade unions, ensuring open communication and alignment on workforce matters and changes.

About You

To excel, you will possess and evidence the following skills and experience:

• A proven engineering leader with a strong technical foundation in Mechanical, Electrical, or Controls & Automation Engineering, with extensive experience delivering complex automated process equipment and manufacturing solutions.
• Experience leading, managing and engaging large, multi-disciplinary teams, fostering a high-performance culture and developing talent at all levels.
• Skilled in coaching and mentoring engineering and manufacturing professionals, building capability and driving accountability.
• Ability to deliver through ambiguity in a matrix structure and maintain a broad pipeline view to challenges; analytical and able to interact with all levels of the organisation.
• Experience delivering complex, multi-site projects from concept to completion with strategic alignment, operational excellence and continuous improvement.
• Comfort operating in ambiguous environments and balancing priorities while aligning cross-functional teams.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior leaders across Finance, Commercial, Technology, HR and other functions.
• Understanding of value for money (VFM) principles and their application in project delivery and procurement strategy.
• Knowledge of compliance and regulatory frameworks including CDM, UKCA and PUWER, and experience embedding these into engineering and construction programmes.
• A confident, visionary leader who can inspire teams, drive change and deliver results at scale.

Extra Benefits

• Family friendly support - enhanced maternity pay, paternity leave, adoption leave and shared parental leave
• Discounts and offers - more than 800 offers for groceries, days out, holidays and household bills
• Supportive and generous company sick pay
• Your Wellbeing - 24/7 access to services and tools for physical and mental health, financial and social support. It’s free and for everyone.

Next Steps

The next stage of the selection process will be a face-to-face/virtual interview consisting of competency-based and role-specific questions.

We are committed to an inclusive recruitment process. If you require any adjustments to support you during the hiring process, please discuss these with your recruiter when contacted.

We are Forces family friendly and a Gold signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant. We welcome applications from ex-Armed Forces personnel, reservists, veterans, cadet instructors and military spouses/partners.

For more information on Royal Mail Group and our values please click here: https://www.internationaldistributionsservices.com/en/about-us/

Closing Date: 26th September 2025. This advert may close early if the appropriate number of applications is reached.

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