Production Engineering Manager

Company Description

Navantia UK is a new force in British industry, supporting the UK’s defence, energy and maritime ambitions. We’re doing this by creating state-of-the-art sovereign defence capabilities, investing in the UK to modernise industrial facilities, and bolstering the nation's energy security. Established in 2022, Navantia UK is a subsidiary of Navantia SA, a Spanish state-owned company with over 300 years of naval shipbuilding history. In January 2025, Navantia UK completed the acquisition of Harland & Wolff and its four historic facilities in Belfast, Appledore, Methil, and Arnish. By combining Harland & Wolff’s proud heritage and facilities with Navantia’s global expertise, Navantia UK is well-positioned to strengthen Britain’s defence, maritime and energy industrial capabilities, supporting jobs and economic growth across the UK.

Job Description

Shape how ships are built, not just designed.

Navantia UK is seeking an experienced Production Engineering Manager to play a critical role in planning and delivering efficient, build‑ready shipbuilding programmes at our Methil yard.

This is a senior operational leadership role where you’ll sit at the heart of design, procurement, construction and testing, ensuring that programmes are delivered efficiently, safely and to the highest quality standards. You’ll define how vessels are built — translating design intent into practical, optimised production strategies.

⚙️ What you’ll be doing

• Coordinate the effort of all the different shipyard functions to maximize the efficiency of the joint design, procurement, construction, and testing processes of the ongoing programmes.
• Ensure the suitability of the design to be manufactured in the facilities available in the Methil yard.
• Design the production process and define its interrelation with the engineering and procurement processes, through the development of the building strategy, top down, in several definition levels.
• Working together with the Program Management Office, make sure the joint process is properly recorded in the integrated schedule, which establishes the baseline for program execution and effectively serves as a coordination tool between functions to meet the objectives set.
• Define the material strategy, launch the acquisition processes, and monitor inventory, levels, with the triple objective of minimizing material shortages in the programs, storage time, and surplus materials.
• Confirm the implementation of the defined building strategy within the construction design, and process the result to generate the necessary work packages for construction and testing execution.
• Monitor the installation and testing processes to support and help resolve any incidences that may occur, and get feedback to follow a continuous improvement process on the building strategy across all the programmes.

🧠 What we’re looking for

Essential

• Degree in Engineering (or equivalent experience)
• Significant hands‑on experience in shipbuilding or a similar heavy engineering / manufacturing environment
• Proven experience leading and managing teams
• Strong knowledge of production engineering, quality standards and project management
• Experience applying LEAN and continuous improvement methodologies
• Ability to coordinate across multiple functions and influence senior stakeholders
• Strong understanding of manufacturing constraints, material flow and build sequencing

🌍 Why join Navantia UK?

• A senior leadership role with real influence over how ships are built
• The opportunity to work on complex new‑build programmes
• A collaborative environment that values Service, Trust, Excellence, Agility, Dedication and You
• The chance to shape production strategy and drive continuous improvement at site level
• Career development within the wider Navantia Group

📩 Interested?
Apply with your CV and help define the production strategy behind Navantia UK’s future shipbuilding programmes.

Navantia UK is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Additional Information

On Offer:

• Competitive base pay
• Company pension
• 31 days holiday
• Life assurance
• Health Care Cash Plan

We are an Opening Doors employer, committed to equal opportunity and an inclusive workplace. Our approach, shaped by our values of service, trust, excellence, agility, dedication, and you, we focus on removing barriers and recognising potential. We are committed to fairness at every stage, including providing reasonable adjustments and actively working to eliminate discrimination.

We believe talent is everywhere, and by widening access to opportunity and welcoming diverse experiences, we aim to create a workplace where every person feels valued and has an equal chance.

If you experience difficulties or are unable to apply for a role on-line please contact us at people.skills@harland-wolff.com and one of the team will be in contact to help you.