Site Operations Lead – Cramlington
Location: Nelson Park, Cramlington, Northumberland
Position: Full-Time, Permanent
Company: Legrand UK & Ireland
Salary: £70k + 15% bonus (with booster up to 20%) + pension + health care
Who Are We?
Legrand is a global specialist in electrical and digital infrastructures, employing over 38,000 people worldwide. We have officially opened our brand new, state of the art 43,000 sq ft electronics manufacturing facility in Cramlington. The facility serves as our European Centre of Excellence where we united our market leading CP Electronics lighting controls and Legrand Care assisted living brands under one roof.
Who Are You?
We are seeking a high energy, visionary Site Operations Lead to pioneer change and growth focusing on operations. Championing a site that is focused on our principles of hitting our goal of Net Zero. As our Site Lead, you wont just keep the lights on, you will dictate how they are made! You will be responsible for managing the entire facility lifecycle, scale high-tech electronics production lines, integrate Industry 4.0 automation and foster a world class culture of manufacturing excellence.
· Experienced – a proven track record in operations or manufacturing within a leadership role.
· Culture champion – championing change management and driving internal talent mobility all whilst establishing safe, highly collaborative team dynamics.
· Local advocate – passionate about our North East location and working to achieve global standards.
· People focused – supporting all operational staff, leading, coaching and developing skills to help foster a high-performance culture focusing on accountability, safety and continuous learning.
Key Responsibilities:
- Production Oversight:
o Work closely with the Supervisor and cross-functional teams to plan, coordinate, and control all manufacturing operations across SMT, THT, and assembly lines.
o Ensure day-to-day operations run efficiently with minimal downtime, meeting production targets for output, quality, and delivery.
o Drive real-time decision-making on the shop floor to respond to bottlenecks, resource constraints, or quality concerns.
o Maintain zero WIP by coordinating with planning and scheduling to balance workloads, optimize takt time, and ensure smooth flow between workstations.
o Oversee shift handovers, line status updates, and execution of production schedules in collaboration with supervisors and line leaders.
o Ensure that all production activities comply with safety standards, operating procedures, and company policies.
- Lean Manufacturing & Process Improvement:
o Champion and implement Lean tools such as 5S, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, and Kanban.
o Identify and eliminate waste across all production processes to improve efficiency and reduce cost.
o Lead cross-functional teams in continuous improvement projects and root cause analysis.
- Quality Assurance:
o Drive a culture of quality across all production lines, ensuring adherence to IPC standards and internal quality metrics.
o Collaborate with Quality Engineering and QA to resolve product and process non-conformances.
- Technical Leadership:
o Provide expert-level, hands-on technical support across all PCBA assembly processes, including:
o Surface Mount Technology (SMT): Setup, programming, and optimization of pick-and-place machines, stencil printers, and reflow ovens.
o Through-Hole Technology (THT): Supervise and improve manual and automated insertion processes, as well as wave soldering.
o Soldering Processes: Ensure compliance with IPC standards for both manual and automated soldering; troubleshoot defects such as cold joints, bridging, or tombstoning.
o Automated Optical Inspection (AOI): Optimize inspection parameters to maximize defect detection without false rejects; interpret inspection data for continuous improvement.
o In-Circuit Test (ICT) and Functional Test: Collaborate with test engineering to reduce test time, increase coverage, and improve first-pass yield.
o Lead process diagnostics and root cause analysis for technical issues on the shop floor, guiding teams through problem-solving steps to minimize downtime and scrap.
o Drive machine capability enhancement by identifying opportunities for equipment upgrades, automation integration, and process standardization. Evaluate new technologies for feasibility and ROI before deployment.
o Champion a roadmap for technical evolution, ensuring the production environment is aligned with best-in-class manufacturing standards, including Industry 4.0 and Smart Factory concepts (e.g., machine connectivity, predictive maintenance, real-time analytics).
o Mentor and train engineering and technical staff to strengthen internal knowledge and capability in areas such as soldering best practices, equipment maintenance, and process optimization.
o Coordinate with equipment suppliers and automation partners to manage machine commissioning, upgrades, and troubleshooting, ensuring alignment with production goals and Lean objectives.
- People Management:
o Lead, coach, and develop production supervisors, line leaders, and operators.
o Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, safety, and continuous learning.
- Industry 4.0 & Digital Transformation
o Lead the strategic integration of Industry 4.0 technologies and digital tools across the manufacturing environment to drive smarter, more connected, and more agile operations.
o Champion the use of data-driven decision-making, real-time performance monitoring, and machine-to-machine communication to elevate production efficiency, traceability, and responsiveness.
o Identify and implement scalable solutions such as predictive maintenance, digital twins, automated data capture, and advanced analytics, ensuring alignment with organizational goals for innovation and operational excellence.
o Work collaboratively with IT, engineering, and cross-functional teams to embed digital capabilities into everyday manufacturing practices, enabling a culture of continuous improvement and technological advancement.
- Financial Oversight:
o Take ownership of production-related financial performance by tracking and managing budgets, controlling operational costs, and ensuring alignment with fiscal targets. Assess and define both capital and operational resource needs, supporting investment decisions with sound financial justification.
- Performance Monitoring & Reporting:
o Deliver clear, data-driven production insights through regular reporting of KPIs, metrics, and progress updates. Provide senior leadership with actionable analysis, identifying successes, bottlenecks, and areas requiring improvement to support continuous operational advancement.
- Strategic Execution & Team Leadership:
o Drive the medium- to long-term success of the production function by building and leading a high-impact team focused on performance, development, and accountability. Partner with the COO to design and implement forward-looking operational strategies that directly contribute to the company’s long-term vision and growth objectives.
- Legrand Values: Foster a culture that embodies the Legrand core values and code of Ethics.
Qualifications, experience and desirable skills:
· Bachelor’s degree in Electronics, Industrial Engineering, or related field (desirable)
· 10+ years of experience in electronics manufacturing, with at least 5 years in a production leadership role. (desirable)
· Strong knowledge of SMT, THT, and PCB assembly processes and equipment. (desirable)
· Proven experience implementing Lean Manufacturing and Zero WIP practices.
· Strong problem-solving, organisational, and communication skills.
· Experience with ERP/MES systems and manufacturing KPIs.
· Ability to manage cross-functional teams and complex industrial projects.
· Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and leadership skills.
· Six Sigma certification or Lean Manufacturing certification. (desirable)
· Experience in a high-mix, low-to-medium volume electronics manufacturing environment.
· Familiarity with Industry 4.0, automation, and digital manufacturing technologies.
Pay: Up to £70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Private medical insurance
- Referral programme
- Sick pay
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
