Head of Transmission & Driveline

What to Expect

The Head of Transmission is responsible for defining and delivering the company's transmission strategy, technology roadmap and engineering capability. As the senior authority for transmission systems, the role leads the end-to-end design, development, validation, industrialisation and lifecycle management of all gearbox and transmission products.

The role is accountable for establishing and growing transmission engineering and manufacturing as a core business capability, ensuring the company develops proprietary intellectual property, world-class engineering expertise and sustainable competitive advantage through in-house transmission solutions.

Leading multiple engineering teams through managers and technical leaders, the Head of Transmission Engineering integrates activities across product development, manufacturing, purchasing, quality and operations to deliver advanced transmission systems that meet performance, durability, quality, cost and timing objectives.

What You'll Do

• Delivery of all transmission engineering programmes and activities.
• Development and protection of company-owned transmission intellectual property.
• Achievement of performance, quality, cost, timing and durability targets.
• Successful establishment and growth of in-house transmission design and manufacturing capability.
• Long-term development of transmission engineering skills, processes and infrastructure.
• Delivery of strategic technology roadmaps and competitive product advantages.
• Leadership of significant engineering budgets, facilities, resources and investment programmes.
• Performance of multiple engineering teams and leaders.

Strategic Leadership

• Define and execute the long-term transmission technology and capability strategy.
• Establish gearbox and transmission engineering as a core organisational competency and competitive differentiator.
• Develop technology roadmaps for future transmission architectures, materials, manufacturing technologies and performance enhancements.
• Lead strategic decisions relating to transmission architecture, investment priorities, intellectual property and technical partnerships.
• Advise executive leadership on transmission technology strategy, capability development and organisational investment priorities.
• Drive innovation and breakthrough technical solutions that contribute to future vehicle performance and business growth.

Product Development Leadership

• Lead the concept, design, systems engineering, development, validation and industrialisation of all transmission systems.
• Oversee transmission performance, durability, refinement, efficiency and quality targets.
• Ensure robust engineering methodologies, design standards and governance processes are established and maintained.
• Lead resolution of complex technical issues affecting programme delivery or product performance.
• Deliver transmission systems that achieve vehicle performance and customer attribute targets.
• Guide system integration activities across vehicle engineering disciplines.

In-House Manufacturing and Industrialisation

• Establish engineering requirements and technical standards for in-house gearbox manufacturing capability.
• Work closely with Manufacturing Engineering and Operations to develop production processes, assembly methods and quality systems.
• Ensure design-for-manufacture and design-for-assembly principles are embedded throughout product development.
• Lead technical readiness activities for production launch and ongoing manufacturing support.
• Drive continuous improvement of manufacturing quality, efficiency and capability.
• Ensure lessons learned from manufacturing operations are incorporated into future product designs.

Organisational Leadership

• Lead transmission engineering teams through managers and technical leaders.
• Build a world-class transmission engineering organisation capable of developing industry-leading products.
• Develop technical succession plans and leadership pipelines.
• Attract, retain and develop highly capable transmission engineering talent.
• Foster a culture of engineering excellence, accountability, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Ensure critical technical expertise is maintained and leveraged effectively across the organisation.

Cross Functional Leadership

• Integrate transmission activities across Vehicle Engineering, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Programme Management, Quality, Supply Chain and Finance.
• Resolve complex organisational and technical conflicts affecting programme outcomes.
• Lead major supplier and technical partner relationships where required.
• Represent the company externally with technology partners, industry bodies and technical forums.
• Act as senior spokesperson for transmission engineering matters.

What You'll Bring

Technical Expertise

• Transmission architecture development.
• Dual-clutch transmission systems.
• Automated manual transmission systems.
• Geartrain design and optimisation.
• Driveline systems.
• Mechanical systems design.
• Bearings, shafts, gears and actuation systems.
• Lubrication and thermal management.
• NVH and refinement.
• Durability and reliability engineering.
• Systems engineering and integration.
• Product validation and verification.
• Manufacturing processes and industrialisation.
• Design-for-manufacture and production engineering principles.

Professional Leadership

• Organisation-wide recognised authority in transmission engineering.
• Influences long-term technology strategy and product direction.
• Inspires innovation and brings breakthrough technical thinking.
• Uses significant judgement on decisions with long-range business implications.
• Serves as a recognised industry expert and technical ambassador.

Solution Leadership

• Leads large and complex programmes involving multiple teams and stakeholders.
• Accountable for solutions having significant impact on company performance and strategy.
• Resolves highly ambiguous and cross-functional challenges.
• Delivers against long-term KPIs with direct influence on competitive advantage and business success.
• Guides major investment decisions relating to transmission technology and capability development.

People Leadership

• Leads engineering departments and specialist teams.
• Develops future leaders and technical experts.
• Builds organisational capability and succession pipelines.
• Leads teams through significant change, growth and transformation.

What We'll Do for You

We offer a wide – ranging benefits package, which includes:

• Structured career development framework
• 25 days’ holiday, plus bank holiday. Annual buy & sell up to five days
• Enhanced company pension scheme
• Discretionary annual bonus award
• Private medical insurance and health cash plan
• Life assurance benefit
• Ability to apply for a sabbatical of up to one year after only two years’ service
• Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping
• Generous parental leave policies
• A range of wellbeing initiatives, such as employee assistance programme and free financial & mortgage advice

Who Are We?

No restraints. No limitations. We don’t simply push boundaries. We completely rethink them. McLaren Automotive exists to create breath-taking performance road cars.

It takes a community to do what we do. A diverse group of people with many areas of expertise, united by their passion to deliver visionary products and set new benchmarks.

McLaren Automotive commits to equal opportunity for all. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion is at the heart of our impact, it drives our innovation and enables us to truly create something special. Join us on our journey.