Director of Production

CEL Critical Power is an Irish based 40-year manufacturer, distributor and exporter of electrical switchgear, controls, and related products and services, now focused on the supplying the global Data Centre industry. We are seeking a highly organised Director of Production to report to the Director of Manufacturing & Supply Chain.

This role is essential for delivering customer projects efficiently by optimizing space, equipment, and resources. The ideal candidate will possess strategic growth skills, strong leadership abilities, and expertise in Lean Manufacturing. You will manage a team of Assistant Production Managers and Supervisors to ensure projects meet contractual obligations and client expectations while maintaining high standards. A solid understanding of Production Management Systems and strong financial acumen is required.

What You'll Be Doing:

Leadership & Development:

· Ensuring that all activities within the Production Department adhere to the relevant EHS and QA standards.

• Provide leadership and mentorship to your team, offering both tactical and strategic guidance to cultivate a high-performance culture.
• Ensure your team maintains a consistent focus on collaboration, excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct regular performance evaluations and facilitate professional development opportunities.

Strategic Management:

· Formulate a strategy that supports our growth plans, which includes:

• Evaluate the capacity needs for both workforce and production facilities.
• Analyse the production workflow and determine the required equipment.
• Confirm that these evaluations are in line with the financial objectives of the business strategy.
• Work in conjunction with other departments to facilitate the smooth integration and alignment of strategic goals.

Production Performance Reporting:

· Deliver precise, timely, and consistent operational reports, clearly outlining escalation paths and solutions.

• Gather, consolidate, and analyze data to evaluate overall performance using relevant KPIs such as LCOGS, Labour Utilization, OTD, and First-Pass-Yield on a weekly basis.
• Maintain dashboards and reporting tools to provide stakeholders with real-time insights.

Production Process Development:

• Lead initiatives across functions to enhance consistent and repeatable manufacturing capabilities and capacities.
• Advocate for Lean principles that optimize production workflows, minimize waste, and enhance throughput.
• Implement and sustain Continuous Improvement programs such as Kaizen and Six Sigma.
• Ensure our Design for Manufacturing (DFM) process fosters maximum efficiency within robust manufacturing operations.

Cross-functional Collaboration:

• Engage in the Project Handover process, ensuring accurate feedback from the production team at all stages.
• Collaborate with our Projects Team to maintain our SIOPS process, enabling informed and timely decision-making.
• Work closely with our Quality Assurance team to guarantee effective and timely Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and preventive actions are taken.

Financial Management:

· Develop and oversee the operational budget for Production, addressing discrepancies as necessary.

• Collaborate with the Finance Team to ensure detailed commercial analyses are conducted as needed.
• Assist with monthly financial reviews and variance analysis alongside department managers, SMT, and SLT.

Schedule Management:

• Work with Project Managers and Planners to monitor delivery milestones and evaluate schedule performance.
• Identify and escalate scheduling risks while recommending mitigation strategies to the project team.
• Conduct daily production meetings with peer teams to ensure accurate reporting of production progress.

Requirements:
Qualifications & Experience:

· A Bachelor's degree in Production Engineering, Operations Management, or a related discipline.

· 5 to 10 years of experience in a senior management position within a production or operational capacity.

· A demonstrated history of success in Operational Scaling, Lean Manufacturing, and Process Optimization.

· Experience in rapidly growing or transformative environments is highly advantageous.

· Willingness to travel domestically and internationally, approximately 10% to 15% of the time.

· Knowledge of electrical switchgear systems or data center settings is beneficial; however, experience in other highly regulated industries will also be considered.

Benefits:
Why Join CEL Critical Power?

Join a Trusted Industry Leader – 42 Years of Excellence
CEL has been delivering high-quality, bespoke power distribution solutions for over four decades, with products that stand the test of time.

Be Part of a Global Expansion
With CEL launching its first US manufacturing plant, you will have the opportunity to work on international projects and documentation standards while collaborating with colleagues across North America.

Collaborate with World-Class Engineers, Vendors & Industry Experts
You’ll work alongside leading engineers, project managers, document controllers, product managers, and global vendors, ensuring excellence and operational success across CEL’s international teams.

Shape the Future of CEL – Critical Power
This is more than just an operator role—it’s an opportunity to help forge the future of CEL and our expansion across the US.

Competitive Salary, Benefits & Career Growth
We offer structured career development, professional training, and leadership opportunities, ensuring long-term career progression.