Summary
:
Components Manufacturing
Lead the operational heart of Ifor Williams Trailers — the UK and Europe’s leading trailer manufacturer. Our Components Site at Corwen is the largest supplier to our trailer assembly lines, and we are looking for an exceptional senior operations leader to run it.
Reports to: Group Head of Manufacturing and Chief Operating Office
Role type: Senior Leadership, Full-time, Permanent
About the role
The Production Manager — Components Manufacturing sits at the operational heart of our business. The Components Site is the largest supplier for our downstream trailers assembly sites and is central and critical to the success of our business. The Components Site houses laser cutting machines, turret punching machines, press brakes, pack saws, vertical CNC machining centres, robotic welding cells and a manual welding department, which much be sequenced and managed to produce fabricated trailer assemblies and components. The brief is simple in concept and demanding in execution: deliver safe, high-quality, efficient component manufacturing that meets the demand of every IWT trailer line right first time, on time and in full, at a cost that supports business growth and capital reinvestment plans.
This is a senior leadership role with full accountability for the performance, quality and safety of all vertically integrated component manufacturing in your remit. You will lead manufacturing leaders across multiple departments within the components site, own the production plan, drive manufacturing performance and root-cause problem solving, and act as the single point of accountability for getting components to assembly when assembly needs them, never the bottleneck, always the enabler.
More Details:
What you will be responsible for
• Safe, high-quality, on-time output across every department within the Components Site.
• Production planning, scheduling and material flow across complex, sequenced operations.
• OEE and uptime across high-value capital equipment, with capex business cases that anticipate growth and deliver strong returns.
• Quality, root-cause problem solving, cost-of-quality and material-waste programmes.
• Continuous Improvement embedded within the culture as a way of working
• A high-performing manufacturing leadership team, the right people, with the right skills, in the right places.
• Health & Safety leadership and cross-functional partnership with Design, Engineering, Quality and HR.
What we are looking for
• Senior production or operations leadership in component manufacturing, fabrication, pressing, machining, welding, sub-assembly or similar disciplines.
• Demonstrable Continuous Improvement methodology, applied at scale, with measurable and sustained results.
• Strong track record on OEE and capital equipment performance, minimising downtime, maximising output.
• Production planning in multi-line environments with complex inter-dependencies and supply pressures.
• Operational ownership and cost control, confidence with both the numbers and the operational levers behind them.
• Health & Safety leadership in a manufacturing setting, with a credible track record of compliance and culture-building.
• Leading and developing manufacturing leaders, with a track record of building a culture of improvement and achieving excellence.
The behaviours that matter most
• Accountability and ownership. You own the output, the quality, the safety and the people performance. When things go wrong, you act fast, decide on data, and fix at root cause.
• Direct people leadership. You hold the team to a high standard. You address underperformance promptly and constructively, and you invest seriously in developing the next generation of manufacturing leaders.
• Calm under pressure. Manufacturing operations will be challenging, but you will remain calm and decisive, you isolate the problem, make data driven decisions that are communicated clearly and with authority.
• Open, honest, and willing to escalate. You raise risks and concerns without delay or hesitation, and you welcome the same from your team.
Why IWT
A family-owned business with the heritage and stability of a family firm and the scale and complexity to genuinely test a senior operations leader. Founded in 1958, with five advanced manufacturing sites across North Wales, and with customers across the UK, Europe and beyond.
The role offers real breadth, capital projects, NPI, vertical integration, people development and operational performance, all under one remit.
North Wales is an outstanding place to live and work, with the coast and Eryri (Snowdonia) on the doorstep and Liverpool and Manchester just over an hour away.
We offer a competitive senior-leadership salary (details on application), pension, genuine investment in continuing professional development, and a leadership role with real authority and the resources to deliver against it.
How to apply
Send your CV and a one-page covering note, explaining what attracts you to this role, why you are applying, and what relevant experience you would bring to jac@iforwilliamstrailers.co.uk by 1st June 2026.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a site visit and a multi-stage competency-based interview with the Chief Operating Officer, Group Head of Manufacturing and other senior panel members. We will be in touch with all applicants and would like to thank you in advance for taking the time to apply.