Foundry Manager

Foundry Manager Modern Foundry and manufacturing Environment Onsite, West Midlands Salary circa £65000 plus benefits A senior operational leadership opportunity within a highly respected UK manufacturing business. Some roles keep the wheels turning. This one controls the temperature of the entire operation. We're looking for an experienced Melting Manager/Foundry Manager to take ownership of a critical foundry operation, leading a skilled team, driving operational excellence, and ensuring the consistent delivery of high-quality molten metal to a fast-paced manufacturing environment. This is a rare opportunity for someone who thrives in heavy industry, understands the science behind the melt, and has the leadership presence to drive performance, accountability, and continuous improvement. What you'll be leading: Full operational responsibility for a complex melting department, including cupola and electric furnace operations Leadership of an experienced melting team, creating a culture built on safety, discipline, ownership, and high standards Daily planning and execution of furnace charging, melt scheduling, and resource deployment aligned to production demand Quality assurance across all melts, ensuring grade compliance, process consistency, and release authorisation against technical parameters Investigation of process deviations, root cause analysis, and implementation of lasting corrective actions Departmental cost control, including labour efficiency, overtime management, yield optimisation, and waste reduction Continuous improvement initiatives that increase throughput, improve quality, and reduce operational cost Collaboration with production, maintenance, planning, and wider foundry leadership to support business objectives What we're looking for: You'll likely come from a foundry, castings, metals, steel, iron, or heavy process manufacturing environment and bring: Proven leadership experience within melting, metallurgical, or foundry operations Strong knowledge of cupola and/or electric furnace processes A deep understanding of melt chemistry, process control, and metallurgical quality standards Experience using process data, thermal analysis, and operational metrics to drive decisions A track record of improving productivity, reducing waste, and delivering measurable cost savings Natural leadership capability, able to coach teams, challenge standards, and build accountability Strong understanding of health, safety, and environmental compliance within heavy industry Why this opportunity stands out: This isn't a maintenance role. It's a chance to shape the future of a major manufacturing operation. You'll have genuine autonomy, visible impact, and the opportunity to influence broader operational strategy while developing the next generation of talent. If you're ready to lead from the furnace floor to the boardroom... we'd like to talk. Confidential conversations welcomed. Your CV will be forwarded to Jonathan Lee Recruitment, a leading engineering and manufacturing recruitment consultancy established in 1978. The services advertised by Jonathan Lee Recruitment are those of an Employment Agency. In order for your CV to be processed effectively, please ensure your name, email address, phone number and location (post code OR town OR county, as a minimum) are included