Senior Engineering Manager

Abbott Laboratories · Cluain Meala

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Lead Performance. Drive Transformation. Shape the Future of Manufacturing.

Abbott Ireland Vascular Division Clonmel

Abbott Vascular is one of the world's leading vascular care businesses. Abbott Vascular is uniquely focused on advancing the treatment of vascular disease and improving patient care by combining the latest medical device innovations with world-class pharmaceuticals, investing in research and development and advancing medicine through training and education.

Our broad line of vascular devices–which includes vessel closure, endovascular and coronary technologies–are used to treat vessel diseases of the heart, carotid arteries and peripheral blood vessels. These vessel diseases can lead to heart attack, stroke, critical limb ischemia and other serious vascular conditions.

This is not a typical engineering leadership role.

It’s an opportunity to step into a senior, highly visible position on the Site Leadership Team (SLT) where your decisions directly influence people, performance, and the future direction of manufacturing operations.

We are looking for a hands-on, mechanically minded engineering leader who thrives in a highly manual, people-intensive environment, someone who can combine structured problem-solving, strong leadership, and engineering expertise to deliver real operational impact.

The Opportunity

As Senior Engineering Manager, you will own the manufacturing engineering function and play a critical role in driving performance, transformation, and operational excellence across a high-volume production site.

This role is ideal for an ambitious professional ready to:

• Move beyond functional leadership into true site-level influence

• Lead in an environment where people, process, and problem-solving matter more than automation

• Apply deep mechanical engineering expertise to improve real-world manufacturing performance

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team you will:

• Drive engineering strategy and execution across the site

• Play a role in shaping site strategy and influence key business priorities

• Own and deliver step-change improvements across yield, productivity, quality, and cost performance

• Build, develop, and empower a high-performing engineering organisation capable of delivering sustained operational impact

What You’ll Be Responsible For

People Leadership in a Hands-On Environment

• Lead, develop, and inspire a highly engaged engineering team operating in a manual, production-driven setting

• Build capability through coaching, mentoring, and succession planning

• Set clear direction while empowering senior engineers and supervisors to operate with autonomy

• Foster a performance-driven, problem-solving culture on the production floor

Engineering & Operational Excellence

• Provide robust, real-time engineering support to high-volume manufacturing operations

• Apply mechanical engineering expertise to optimise equipment, tooling, and processes

• Lead structured problem-solving initiatives (root cause, CAPA, lean methodologies) to resolve complex production issues

• Drive continuous improvement in efficiency, quality, and equipment performance

• Support new product introduction, ensuring processes are scalable, robust, and manufacturable

Strategic Leadership & Site Influence

• Act as a key voice on the Site Leadership Team, shaping site direction and priorities

• Lead transformation initiatives across manufacturing operations

• Define and execute engineering strategy aligned to business goals

• Build strong cross-functional partnerships to enable performance delivery

Financial & Resource Ownership

• Own and manage the engineering budget and capital planning

• Forecast and plan for:

  • Headcount and organisational structure

  • Equipment investment and upgrades

  • Infrastructure improvements

• Ensure efficient deployment of engineering resources to maximise impact

Delivery & Execution

• Set engineering priorities aligned to safety, quality, delivery, and cost (SQDC)

• Ensure consistent execution of key engineering and validation programmes

• Take ownership of site-level performance outcomes, not just function-level metrics

What You Bring

Experience

• National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) level 7 qualification in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or related Engineering discipline

• 9+ years’ experience in manufacturing engineering, including leadership roles

• Proven success leading teams in high-volume, operational environments

Technical Strength

• Strong mechanical engineering aptitude with hands-on understanding of manufacturing systems

• Experience in process development, equipment optimisation, and validation

• Knowledge of regulated environments (FDA, ISO, or similar)

Leadership Mindset

• Ambitious, career-driven, with a desire to operate at senior leadership level

• Confident influencing at all levels, including executive stakeholders

• Comfortable leading in a people-intensive, less automated environment

Problem-Solving & Execution

• Exceptional structured problem-solving capability (root cause, data-driven decisions)

• Proven ability to drive change and performance improvement in complex settings

• Strong judgement with the ability to balance risk, performance, and business impact

Why This Role Stands Out

Real Leadership Impact
You’re not just managing a team—you’re shaping the performance of an entire site.

SLT Exposure
Gain visibility and influence at the highest level of site leadership.

Hands-On Engineering Challenge
Work in a mechanically focused, people-driven environment where your expertise truly matters.

Transformation Opportunity
Lead meaningful change in a complex, high-impact manufacturing operation.

Career Progression
Position yourself for future senior leadership roles within a global organisation.

What Success Looks Like

• A high-performing, accountable engineering team delivering consistently

• Tangible improvements in yield, efficiency, and quality

• Strong execution of structured problem-solving across the site

• Successful delivery of new products and engineering initiatives

• A culture where engineering drives performance on the floor

Ready to Step Up?

If you’re an ambitious engineering leader ready to combine technical depth, people leadership, and strategic influence, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact.

*Please note any offer of employment for this position is conditional upon the successful completion of a pre-employment medical examination, including drug and alcohol screening, conducted by a medical

practitioner designated by the Company

Connect with us at www.abbott.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

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